Group backs Jonathan on rescue initiative

A new socio-political advocacy group, Vibrant Transformation, Awareness and Leadership Development Initiative (VITALDI) has lauded the Federal Government’s fresh initiative to rescue the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls, saying the ongoing sub-regional coalition and the overall strategic global anti-terror engagement would dislodge the Boko Haram insurgents and their collaborators. National chairman of the group, Senator Saidu Kumo, gave the commendation in a release made available to the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend, describing the government’s fresh move to rescue the girls as deep and viable. According to Kumo, a delegate at the ongoing national conference in Abuja, the Federal Government’s initiative to involve the neighbouring countries, Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, as well as the expanded international parternership with the United Nations (UN), United States America (USA), Britain, France, Israel and China in the current search and rescue operations signified the greatest international bond against the Boko Haram sect. Kumo, while expressing his group’s appreciation to the international community on the success of the recent summit in Paris, on the security situation in Nigeria, hosted by President Francois Hollande of France, predicted an end to the spate of insurgency in the country, soon. The senator observed that the spontaneous condemnation which the April 14 criminal abduction of the schoolgirls generated around the world, proved that Nigeria still enjoyed global solidarity and sympathy. He contended that the incident had put the world and indeed humanity on edge thereby turning their sporadic response from what would have ordinarily been a favour to a compelling duty. The Confab delegate commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s solemn and steady approach to resolving the security challenges in the country and prayed that the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria would end soon. “It is now clear that threats to our collective destiny as a people and a nation are real and the continued desperation of the insurgents is a pointer to their imminent fall. We, therefore, commend the Federal Government’s partnership with our global partners. “Their swift response to our situation shows their appreciation of the gallantry exhibited by our men and women during international peace-keeping operations, more so, that global terrorism is now an affront to all. We fully welcome their assistance so that our girls, their families and the nation get out of this trauma, ” he said.