By Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri
People of Chibok community in Borno State where over 200 school girls were kidnapped by terrorists in April last year have said that President Goodluck Jonathan and the federal government have not shown sincerity in the search for their wards.
The people also expressed displeasure that the president did not say anything about the abducted girls during his visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Thursday.
Speaking for the people of the community on Friday, its spokesman, Allen Mannaseh, said it was sad that the federal government had not been able to rescue the girls since they were abducted on April 14, 2014.
The Chibok spokesman expressed doubt that the government was still doing anything to search for the girls or effect their rescue from their Boko Haram abductors.
“We feel pained always because this is one of the ethnic nationalities that mobilized and voted for President Jonathan more than any other in the entire north east. Why are we being shunned?”
“We are saddened as parents of Chibok girls for more than 278 days ago, our daughters have been forcefully taken away from us. I was disappointed by Mr President during his visit to Maiduguri yesterday he did not even say a word to the parents of Chibok girls or sympathies with them, It showed that federal government has forgotten about those girls. Unfortunately the girls have so far spent 278 days in the enemy’s camp,” he said further.
Mannaseh said nothing can justify the President’s silence on the matter and expressed embarrassment as the spokesman of the community.
“As a director of information of the Chibok Community nationwide, I am short of answers when people call to ask me why the president kept mute about the Chibok girls during the occasion and place he should have touch on it.”
In spite of repeated demands, particularly by civil society organisations, President Jonathan has not visited Chibok since the girls were kidnapped from the secondary school where they were writing their West African Examination Council, WAEC, examination.