Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group on Tuesday in Yola commended the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) for professionalism and sophistication in prosecuting war against terror in the North-East.
Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, the convener of the group, gave the commendation at a briefing to conclude a day and night rounds of search sorties of the missing Chibok girls to Sambisa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ezekwesili led a delegation of the group for the rescue mission organised by the Federal Government.
The Ministers of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, the Chief of Air Staff, AVM Sadique Abubakar and selected journalists from local and foreign media also participated in the exercise.
Ezekwesili who witnessed first-hand operations of NAF in a Beechcraft surveillance aircraft to Sambisa forest, said the success so far recorded over the insurgents was because the military was well equipped.
“A significant issue is the knowledge of how much of a difference it means for our military to be equipped.
“This position validates our demand that no military dis-empowered can win a war.
“For example, to imagine that the vast land of Sambisa general area, the NAF once upon a time had only two fighter jets reeling out against the enemies, but today it is different.
“It is reassuring that equipping of our military has significant impact beyond the ordinary,’’ she said.
Ezekwesili noted that the BBOG “has been very upset’’ and had demanded the prosecution of all those who in any way had been invited for misappropriation of budgetary resources for prosecution of terrorism war.
“Imagine what will have happened if all the resources misappropriated were truly utilised for acquiring the kind of equipment and technology that we saw on board the ISR mission.
“So also are the facilities we have seen here analysing results and giving very informed outcomes for decision making,’’ she said.
She called on the government to do more in fighting corruption by being more effective in availing the public on status of corruption cases in courts.
“The status of prosecution process should be made known to the public through collaboration between the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Information.
“The citizens are eager to see effective and conclusive prosecution of these corruption cases because that is the only way they will establish system of deterrence in the country.
“People must be made to pay for the consequences of their actions.
“Example of this is the loss of many lives of our soldiers and innocent citizens to terrorists because the budget for the military found a better location in the pockets of some people,’’ she said.
Ezekwesili underscored the need for government to continue with the negotiations for the release of the remaining 195 Chibok girls in captivity.
“21 of them came on the back of negotiation, four returned on the back of the efforts of the military, through the raids of certain locations.
“If that is the case, it becomes really strategic for the government to make the decision on what next concerning the remaining 195 missing girls through the option that works better,’’ she said.
The Information Minister, who was also at the briefing, assured the group and Nigerians that negotiation for the release of the girls was ongoing.
