#BBOG, it is three years already, hope is all we have  

Exactly three years ago, on the 14th of April, some 276 girls were abducted from their school, a government Secondary School in Chibok town of Borno State. There have been tears, blood even, as some parents of the girls have died from heartbreak and armed forces from an exchange with the captors, the Boko Haram sect.

Their kidnapping sparked one of the biggest global campaigns on social media. A three-year-old hashtag on twitter #BringBackOurGirls consistently brings updates on advocacy for their release of the girls.

Now, three years down the line, twenty-three girls have either been released through government negotiations or escaped from the hands of their captors. It would seem the tears have dried up and the government is now bereft of ideas or simply put, they have tried every trick in the book to rescue the girls.

These girls, mostly Christians in a boarding house had stayed back in the heat of the attacks in surrounding communities by men of the sect,

hoping they were safe enough to write their exams. The gunmen had arrived in the town late at night and seized 276 girls loading them onto lorries. Some broke free while the members of the Islamic sect left

with a total of 219 girls.

Last year, Amina Nkeki was found and later 21 girls were released following negotiations with the sect, months later Nigerians continue to expect more releases, the government has been silent.

President Muhammadu Buhari last year ordered a fresh investigation into the abduction of the girls and continuously reiterated that the government will do all within its power to rescue the girls. At a

point, the president could not hide it, he spilled and said neither he nor his government had concrete intelligence on the whereabouts of the girls.

Almost a year down the line, the report of the committee which was to be headed by the National Security Adviser to the President has not

been made public.

I remember that last year when the #BBOG marked its second year anniversary, the wife of the President Aisha Buhari launched a book on beauty essentials. I had written then that beauty actually came at a

wrong time. I for one had expected the first lady to openly show some form of solidarity and empathy, maybe go out to meet and address them.

It is no longer news that the group and the Buhari’s administration, who were once chummy are now on a seeming warpath. The #BBOG says the government is not doing enough to get the girls home and the government continues to reassure the parents that the girls will be found. Who do we blame?

This year, many did not expect that Mrs. Buhari would show up at the first lecture which was held as part of activities to mark the third anniversary of the missing girls, even though in a tiny corner of my

mind I kind of wished that she would brave it and just show up even for a minute. Well, again, I will consider her own security first, right? Seeing the current state of things in Nigeria with a lot of

Nigerians feeling aggrieved.

I can imagine that deep down Mrs. Buhari who had courageously called out her husband in public reminding him that he was failing those who

fought to make sure he won, may be feeling what the parents of those girls are feeling, just saying. I watched on TV as tears flowed freely at the event.

In his anniversary speech to the #BBOG the president reiterated the resolve of the government to get back the girls.

We shall keep praying and hoping against all odds that our girls are found alive and well and returned to their homes where they can be safe amongst families, where they can be helped to grow again as

children and ladies whatever the case.

Last week Monday it was not clear if the President was at work although they tried to bamboozle us with his convoy, mostly the ambulance which before now used to be a sign that the President was

around. Funny thing is, journalists at the Aso Rock have also learned to look at other things besides the ambulance to decide. Before you ask why we are so keen on knowing if he is in the office or not, maybe

we are just making sure that no one has hijacked the government (that is if we can see into the red chambers if that were the case).

Then came Tuesday when he met with the Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen and that was it. Since his return from the United Kingdom, Wednesdays have been the days to determine if the

President is improving and when he failed to show up last Wednesday? Everyone panicked.

Newsmen arrived early as usual to witness the pre-Federal Executive Council meeting’s formalities. The ministers trooped in and went about

exchanging pleasantries. Something interested me in the behaviour of the ministers, from my little interaction I noticed some or most of them have become more confident in what they know about their jobs and no longer shy away from journalists.

Back to our discussion, we all waited for the arrival of the president and the Vice President but only the latter arrived about seven minutes to the new takeoff time of 11 am. We all waited, expecting the

President and his security details to walk in but he didn’t. At exactly 11 am, the Vice President rose and commenced the meeting with a call for the national anthem.

I, alongside the other journalists, hurriedly left the council chambers after the prayers to send online reports to our various media houses.

The report? That the President was absent from the meeting, his Christmas appearance since he returned to the country. I am sure you remember that the President returned to the country a little over a

month ago after being away for about 50 days and has presided over three FEC meetings, in fact, the Wednesdays were most likely the only days we actually saw our President.

The meeting had barely gone on for forty-five minutes when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal alias BD

walked in looking for a journalist who’s TV station was scrolling the news of the President’s absence and started trying to bully when we all rushed out to meet him. He said they saw the scroll bar during

their meeting inside the chambers. Was it a lie? Definitely not. From the way he sounded, he expected us to believe that the President would be joining them at the meeting.

Now, this is not about whether or not the President was at the meeting because some of us (me especially) think he should be allowed to rest and fully recover while matters of state are going on.

That said, after the meeting which lasted for about two hours, the minister of information and culture Lai Mohammed, the President’s number one spin doctor, told journalists that the President was

attending to other matters. Really? In his words: “Now, I just want to make this clear; Mr. President is in town; Mr. President is attending to other issues; Mr. President looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda, and said that the Vice-President should preside”.

Thankfully, he added that “It is not unusual for the kind of interest that had been shown especially giving the fact that Mr. President was away for a while on medical treatment”.