Despite Stones, Gov. Gaidam Deserves Praise For Visiting, Says ‘No Dapchi Schoolgirl Rescued Yet’
The Oasis Reporters
February 24, 2018
While faulting the claim that the Nigerian Army rescued some of the girls of the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe state who were abducted by Boko Haram terrorist on Monday, the Yobe state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam deserves some commendation for visiting Dapchi town on Thursday.
His convoy may have been pelted by stones and at least one car damaged, he understood the feelings of helplessness, despondency, frustration and anger in the people who braved stereotypes to send their daughters to school in a region where a vocal section believes that girls should still remain in the backwaters of 15th century backwardness without an education.
What he did for Dapchi within two days outshines what Bornu state Governor and his wife feared to do, even months after, for the crying parents of Chibok, where this type of shameful occurrence once played out some 4-5 years ago, ostensibly orchestrated to force Jonathan out of office.
The Boko Haram terrorists had attacked the girls’ college on Monday and abducted many of the girls. While 48 of them were said to have been rescued by the army, another 111 of them were reportedly still missing after the attack.
A statement signed by Abdullahi Bego, the Director-General, Press Affairs to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, on Wednesday, claimed that some of the girls were rescued and were then in the custody of the Nigerian Army.
According to the statement, “The Yobe State Government hereby informs the public that some of the girls at Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) whose school was attacked by Boko Haram terrorists last Monday have been rescued by gallant officers and men of the Nigerian Army from the terrorists who abducted them.
“The rescued girls are now in the custody of the Nigerian Army. We will provide more details about their number and condition in due course.
“His Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, who is very grateful for the gallantry and hard work of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army involved in the operation, is monitoring the situation closely and will make a statement in due course” the statement said.
However, after visiting Dapchi community on Thursday, Governor Gaidam’s initial upbeat statement turned out to be mere fluke. Army Information had misled him. So he boldly faulted the claim that the Nigerian Army rescued some of the girls. He said, In fact, that none of the abducted girls has been rescued.
A Dapchi resident, Abdul Dapchi, whose two sisters were among the abducted girls, lamented to newsmen that the community became infuriated at Governor Gaidam after his confession that no girl was actually recued.
He said, “We were all angry. How could they have deceived us all along?”
The Governor is said to have pleaded with the affected family members and the people of the community to keep praying to God for the release of their daughters.
If Governor Gaidam has directed the people to appeal to God directly, it means his faith in the army has slightly waned in the precarious security bind Yobe state has found itself in.
