Chibok community faults Jonathan's government

- Over 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists in 2014

- The Chibok community has faulted Goodluck Jonathan for not acting quickly

- The community also criticised the destruction of the school by government on the pretense that it will be rebuilt

Members of the Chibok community whose daughters were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists have accused former president, Goodluck Jonathan and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for deceiving them and also destroying the future of their children.

The terrorists abducted more than 200 girls from their secondary school in April, 2014 and the Jonathan administration was criticized for failing to act quickly to secure the release of the girls.

READ ALSO: Odumakin says rescuing Chibok girls remain priority

In March, 2015, the then minister of finance visited Chibok community after the government had destroyed the school and laid the foundation for the rebuilding of the school. Amidst tight security, Okonjo-Iweala said the reconstruction of the school was part of the federal government’s ‘Safe School Initiative’.

Amos Chiroma who is the father of one of the abducted girls said the school shouldn’t have been destroyed because since the laying of the school foundation, it has been abandoned.

“The Boko Haram destroyed only a fraction of the school where our daughters were taken away, but, sadly, the then federal government pretentiously leveled the remaining structures, on the grounds that the whole school would be rebuilt…Now, here we are, our daughters are gone, and our only school have been destroyed, meaning no future for our remaining children.”

Esther Musa whose daughter was also abducted said the planned rebuilding of the school was done in the name of politics and that the Jonathan administration had no concrete plan to carry out the project.

“We know the foundation laying was an outright deception.”

“And the deception ended after Jonathan lost the presidential location. We wish they left the school the way it was, after the Boko Haram miscreants left. Our surviving children would’ve returned to school, but they (government) destroyed everything in the name of politics.”

Bitrus Pogu who is the national chairman of the Kibaku area development association which is the umbrella body of the Chibok community said it was saddening that no school activity was taking place in Chibok.

READ ALSO: Parents identify 7 Chibok daughters in new Boko Haram video

He said: “We are particularly saddened by the fact that no school activities are taking place in Chibok; even the school that was destroyed has not been rebuilt. We had hoped that these past two years would bring back Chibok to the fore with school and other activities but regrettably no activity is taking place in the whole of Borno State.”

“Even the preliminary work that had commenced on the molding of blocks for rebuilding the school had stopped. All other areas where Boko Haram had taken over have become deserted without activities. There is no support for rebuilding the schools and even assisting the victims of the crisis.”

Pogu however expressed displeasure at comments made by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that the Chibok girls will not be found.

“We were hoping that the current government would come to our aid by rescuing the abducted schoolgirls but we are despaired by comments coming from the government and other prominent Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

“We believe he (Buhari) has the capacity as a retired military leader to bring succor to Chibok and Borno State. We are urging him, therefore, to do whatever he can to restore joy and happiness to the distressed parents”, Pogu said.

Meanwhile, an international news channel, CNN, has obtained the video that shows 15 of the Chibok girls abducted two years ago who are alive and looking well taken care of. The recording was reportedly sent by kidnappers to negotiators as a proof of life.

The report said it had been seen by negotiators and some members of the Federal government, but has now been shown to the parents of the missing girls.

Source: Legit.ng