Parents and schoolmates of the 219 schoolgirls being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents yesterday at the last minute, pulled the plugs on a scheduled meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, who in turn blamed the development on the Abuja chapter of #BringBackOurGirls group for “playing politics”.
“It now appears that our fight to get the girls of Chibok back is not only a fight against a terrorist insurgency, but also against a political opposition”, the president said in a statement.
It would be recalled that on Monday, President Jonathan had promised Pakistani child education activist, Malala Yousafzai, who was in the country to show solidarity with the abducted girls that he would meet with their parents.
“I want to be clear, this government stands with complete solidarity with the girls and their parents. We are doing everything in our power to bring back our girls”, he said adding that “As a father of girls, I stand ready to meet with the parents of our abducted children and the truly brave girls that have escaped this nightmare through the grace of God”.
Not a few people saw the president’s sudden decision to meet with the girls’ parents and some of the girls that escaped over three months after the abduction took place as an international propaganda stunt.
The first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan had at onset of the abduction saga, denied it ever happened, alleging it was stage-managed by her husband’s detractors to pull him down and embarrass his administration.
The BBOG Abuja chapter daily sit-outs at the Unity Fountain have been harassed by hired groups under the watchful eyes of the police even though the campaigners, who have brought pressure to bear on the government to hasten the release of the girls, comprises mostly of women.
Recently, the BBOG campaigners had marched on Aso Rock to demand a meeting with the president, but security agents turned them back.
It is not clear why the parents and girls had a change of heart to meet the president on Tuesday, who was already waiting to receive them at the presidential villa, but it is believed that they were convinced by the BBOG group, led by a former minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, not to meet with Mr. Jonathan.
Other unconfirmed reports said the president’s insistence to meet only with the parents and girls without the BBOG group in attendance, led to the last minute cancellation of the important meeting.
President Jonathan in his statement yesterday, insisted that his priority was to see to the return of the abducted girls and not play politics.
“My priority is not politics. My priority is the return of these girls”, he said.
The president accused the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners of “psychological terrorism… playing politics with the situation and the grief of the parents and the girls. They should be ashamed of their actions”.
Jonathan has never met with the parents or the escaped girls, though they have been asking to meet with him for weeks. In May, he cancelled, without explanation a trip to Chibok, the remote northeast town where the girls were kidnapped.
Wat else do u expect wen some persons have hijacked d protest of bring back d girls beyond proportion.Gej didn’t visit Chibok is understandable bcos of security reasons and y wd the protesters insist they must be part of d meeting in Aso Rock,wat business do they have there?And 4 all those Boko Haram and APC conspirators talking trash about d President,keep opening ur mouths ur words are like filth to Nigerians.Gej has been one of d greatest Presidents Nigeria has produced.U can go hug any electric transformer or jump in d lagoon if they are nt satisfied with Gej’s achievements in office.we will continue 2 luv our President.
Onos you really spoke my mind. must the president be blamed for everything?
With people like Onus, all Nigerians should be in chains and shipped off for second round of slavery because we clearly aint intelligent enough yet. Wtf!!! Does he want to see them for now, after over 3 months that their children have been in captivity!? It took a 14 year old international activist to come to Nigeria (when the #bringbackourgirls have been seeking to meet with him for the past 3 months) before our beloved leader deemed it fit to meet with the parents, and he has the audacity to claim he aint playing politics, and of cause, his usual blaming his failures on the opposition. Chai!!! there’s God oh!
Your sir, are of low intelligence…
People are not just reasonable at all,, what is this stupid Onus saying? The president that have refused to meet with the parents and the released girls in 3 months. it took the effort of a 14 years old girl to move Our President to now want to meet with them. Think the president should be ashamed of himself and not those campaigning for the release of the girls….
With the likes of useless people in power and politics now Nigeria will never move an inch, no matter the party affiliation they are all the same.
One thing i always see when people run commentary on the internet is more of tribalism,, our eastern people will always support what is not right all for what? i have met few of them standing tall for the truth, check this out most of these people running comment do not even have a job that can feed them not to talk about the family.
Many a times when i see industrious Nigerian suffering it bleeds my heart and some element are running govt here. they traveled far and see how things is been done but they will never replicate same back home. shameless idiots
To Kin and Ok, yes it took the president this long to respond and it took the effort of a young girl to make him do so. Now what is more important, that he has agreed to meet the parents finally? or that he delayed? GEJ might have been slow but finally he has made a good move of meeting with the parents so why should that be cancel. I think you should focus on what is important and what has been achieved rather than how long itt takes.
Ok, God bless you my brother/sister!! You will live long for saying it as it is & not painting the truth!
The President is the one trying to play politics with our intelligence.All I know is that; the days of evil men are numbered in this country!
I wonder how many other world leaders would wait for 3months and the intervention and advice from a child to meet with the parents,most leaders would have met them the 1st week this happened,so they’re right to ignore him now,he’s been ignoring them and calling them liars for 3months,it took a committee(with wasted millions of naira for sitting allowance) and advice from a child for a Phd holder and ‘leader’ of the most populous black country in the world to see the importance of meeting the parents.IMO they’re right to ignore him in protest,he can’t suddenly change his mind and all will be well and good,he should learn to be a proper leader and stop listening to jack*sses like Doyin Okupe and Reno Omokri….