Ezekwesili blasts Jonathan over “awful” statement to #BringBackOurGirls protesters

A former Vice President of the World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticized President Goodluck Jonathan over a statement read on his behalf by one of his ministers on Thursday while addressing a group of #BringBackOurGirls campaigners, describing it as “insensitive and awful.”
The group, led by Mrs. Ezekwesili, had planned to march on the presidential villa as part of its daily protests intended to compel the government to act swiftly in bringing back the over 250 schoolgirls abducted five weeks ago by Boko Haram insurgents.
But as they inched towards the State House, a detachment of police officers formed a barrier, preventing the group from advancing.
However, they were met and addressed by a delegation made up of senior members of the government.
In a statement read on his behalf by the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, Mr Jonathan told the campaigners to direct their protests to the extremist Boko Haram sect.
“Government believes that we all must come together to fight terrorism and that protests should be directed at the terrorists who have abducted our innocent daughters and deprived them of a place at the fountain of freedom in our country,” Mr. Jonathan said.
Mr Jonathan also told the campaigners not to politicise the abduction of the girls saying the government does not deserve the blame being heaped on it over the issue.
“We must be careful not to politicize the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists.
“When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, Iraq, the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must all unite to fight the terrorists.
“This is the task of this generation. Our daughters must be freed to come home to their parents and loved ones.”
Reacting to the comment Friday through micro-blogging site, Twitter, Mrs Ezekwesili said President Jonathan’s claims were insensitive and awful, portraying him as a man avoiding his responsibility as Nigeria’s leader
“Regrettably, the response of our president’s delegation, delivered by Oloye Akinjide- minister of state for FCT was underwhelming and inadequate,” Mrs. Ezekwesili said.
“Should those insensitive and responsibility avoiding words be the message of our president, then I am afraid, Nigeria/Nigerians are in trouble.
“I choose to believe our president did not say those awful things that were read to us concerning citizens’ demand to #BringBackOurGirls.
“Facts are that regardless of afterthoughts that we are now being served by federal government, the institutional response to their fate was indifference.
“It was only after our social media campaign migrated to street marches- chibok women on 29th April and #bringbackourgirls on 30th – that we saw motion
“Our pressure on the federal government to act – high priority, coherent, sustained, swift and goal/result specific rescue operation – seems to irritate govt.

“We are clear minded that the pressure we have mounted on federal government to act is singularly in the interest of #chibokgirls, there’s no stopping.”