The presidency has reacted to criticisms on the president’s canceled visit to Chibok, stating that President Goodluck Jonathan will visit the town where 223 girls were kidnapped.
Dr. Doyin Okupe told Sky News the disclosure Goodluck Jonathan had cancelled a trip to Chibok, because of safety fears was a “misconception”.
The announcement by his office on Friday had prompted outrage among relatives of the girls, in a community already angry that is had taken the president so long to visit the town.
However, Dr Okupe said: “The president will visit Chibok,” and vowed “we will get them released”.
Mr Jonathan was on Saturday in Paris for an international summit to cement a strategy on how to tackle the problem with Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighbouring states.
At the summit, hosted by French president Francois Hollande, Mr Jonathan was expected to come under pressure to work more closely with the country’s neighbours Cameroon, Niger and Chad to tackled the insurgents.
There have been long-running hostilities between Nigeria and Cameroon, which has significantly damaged the potential for joint action against Boko Haram.
However, with Mr Jonathan’s attempt to drive the Islamist movement out, many have fled to the Cameroon border and the rebels have recently carried out several attacks in the country.
On Saturday, rebels attacked a Chinese plant in the north of Cameroon, leaving ten people unaccounted for and one injured.
