The clarification was made in a statement yesterday, by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe. He was reacting to a comment credited to a leader of the #BringBackOurGirls group, Oby Ezekwesili that Jonathan, during Wednesday’s media chat, assured Nigerians that the abducted girls would be freed within six weeks.
The presidential aide said it was wrong for any group to begin a countdown to the captives’ rescue as Jonathan never gave any time-frame.
Okupe said no responsible organisation would seek to make a gain of the girls’ abduction by constantly twisting facts and pronouncements to appear as if the government was incapable of meeting its time-lines.
According to him, fighting terrorism and insurgency is a serious exercise, not a football match where commentaries are run for the delight of spectators.
Okupe said the Presidency expected Ezekwesili to understand this in view of her global exposure and stop “being a pawn in the chess board of some desperate political actors”.”