Governor Fashola says Chibok girls rescue is beyond government control

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to find a way on how to rescue the abducted female students of Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, saying the bulk stops at the President’s table.

He also revealed how he was able to fix Lagos State in spite of the gloomy picture he faced at the inception of his administration.

Fashola spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during a political debate organised by the Kukah Center entitled ‘Both Sides’, a political debate featuring him and his Jigawa State counterpart, Alhaji Sule Lamido, with the theme, ‘The Nuts and Bolts’.

He said, “I will give to the President a very honest and brutal advice that I have continued to offer to him; I have done this consistently even by telephone or by letters and I will continue to offer that advice. On national security, I don’t have the briefing that the President gets and that is why I have always said that the easiest thing to do is to criticise. Do you have the facts that are at his disposal? Because it is only then that we can have a very serious disagreement.


“As far as sincerity about Chibok girls is concerned, honestly, let me just say that the problem that Chibok symbolises has assumed a dimension that is ordinarily outside the authority and control of government. It is now a matter of insurgency and therefore, the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Armed Forces have only one Commander-in-Chief and that is Mr. President. The bulk stops at his desk on this matter and it cannot be an easy decision.

“The most I am willing to say I can’t measure sincerity, I know it is a tall call now. The Chibok parents are grieving and want their children back. There are many options on the table, but I don’t also think they are expecting body bags of their children, it is a difficult place to be.

“But of course I have always said, issues of this nature may want to provoke a debate about the methods. I am not your Commander-in-Chief, if you want more clarity, you know where to go.”