BEVERLY HILLS, January 16, (THEWILL) – The Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG, group has finally accepted an invitation by the federal government for the advocacy group to join in a tour of Sambisa forest, recently cleared of Boko Haram insurgents.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had last week written to the group inviting it on a guided tour of the area so as to have a first-hand feel of how the search for the Chibok girls, still in Boko Haram captivity, was going on.
But the BBOG, in its response, demanded an apology from the Chief of Army Staff over an alleged slander as a condition to accept the invitation. It also asked for a pre-meeting with some of the service chiefs and other key officials of the government.
These conditions were however rejected by the federal government.
In a u-turn, co-covener of the group, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, on Sunday wrote to the Information Minister, informing him of the readiness of the movement to join the trip to the Northeast.
She wrote, “I am, on behalf of our movement, pleased to inform you that we have reviewed our decision. Your second letter suggested that the timing window for a few days of delay was absent due to practical and cost constraints.
“We are not sure how the decision to invite us on such a short timeline could have been considered appropriate by the FG, but we have reconsidered our conditions. We are ready to join you, the minister of information, the minister of defence and the chief of air force on the same flight and vehicles to embark on the tour.”
