ABUJA- President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, reiterated his earlier declaration of his administration willingness to negotiate with leaders of dreaded Boko Haram Islamists to ensure release of April 2014 abducted Chibok girls.
Fielding journalists questions in a media chat last night, President Buhari dismissed reports that some Chibok girls have been rescued by the military stressing that if the government is able to establish contact with credible leadership of the terror group, he would enter into unconditional negotiations with them.
“We are keeping our options open on the abducted school girls. Our primary objective is to ensure that the girls are complete, sound and in safe health.
“Once we establish contact with credible leadership of Boko Haram and know where the girls are, we are ready to negotiate with the sect.
“I am working with Niger, Chad and Cameroun governments on the possible recovery of the abducted girls.
“The truth of the matter is that no Chibok girl has been recovered,” President Buhari stated.
On corruption, he urged Nigerians to be patient, saying his government is making progress in the bid to rid the country of corruption.
He added: “We are doing well tackling corruption under the circumstances we found ourselves. Those accused of corruption are not guilty until determined otherwise by the court.
“There are terrible cases of corruption and we can only appeal to Nigerians to be patient. We cannot tell the court what to do.
“Once we go to court we should keep our mouth shut because we cannot determine for the court. We are being thorough in our investigation. But corrupt persons will be tried in court.”
“I want to be thorough in the fight against corruption. I have been a democrat since April 2002 and I don’t think I will deliberately pick anybody that will embarrass my government.”
On asset declaration, the President said he has declared his assets four times, the first of which was during the late Murtala Muhammed’s administration.
“I have declared my assets four times previously – the first under Murtala administration. The second was when I was appointed a minister, the third when I went to the War College and the fourth when I became the Head of State in 1984.
“I mention the banks where I borrowed money and the plots of lands developed. My asset declaration was deposited with the Ministry of Justice,” he continued.(Nigerian Observer)
