Monday, May 5, 2014

Abducted school girls: First Lady asks women to stop protesting

Patience Jonathan has asked women to stop protesting over the
abducted Chibok girls, Daily Trust reports. Mrs Jonathan
expressed her frustration yesterday evening at the unwillingness
of the Borno state first lady and other Borno state women to
work with her on the missing girls. She said she can't be crying
more than the bereaved.
According to Mrs Jonathan who burst into tears as she
expressed her displeasure, she said she had called for a
meeting with first ladies of the various states as well as some
borno state officials to enquire on how the girls were kidnapped
and find a way out but was suprised to see that some first
ladies attended but the first lady of the state were the
unfortunate incident happened did not honour her invitation.
First Ladies of Nasarawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi,
Gombe, Benue, Abia and Akwa Ibom States attended the
meeting as well as Borno State Commissioner of Police,
Commissioner for Women Affairs, the principal of Chibok
Government Secondary School, the chairman of Chibok Local
Government Area, the divisional police officer in the area and
the troops on duty when the girls were abducted.
A visibly disappointed Mrs Jonathan said Mrs Shettima was
being unconcerned over the girls' abduction. She accused the
Borno state women of playing games with the whole kidnapping
story.
"Before all these killings, I called and told the first lady
of Borno State to let us come together. She answered me
yes, but when the kidnap happened, I called her, she did
not answer me. I invited her, she did not turn up even up
till today. No woman will fold her arms when her house is
on fire. Today my house is on fire.
"Before last Friday, I called her and she promised to
attend the Friday's meeting here. Bit to our greatest
surprise, she sent her commissioner for women affairs.
Also today, she sent her commissioner for women affairs.
She is the mother of Borno State. She is the first mother
of these missing girls. I am their grandmother. She is not
coming out. All Nigerian women are calling her. If she is
not concerned and she says she doesn't want her people to
be safe, then it is left to her. If you tell us you are not
crying, why should I cry more than the bereaved. If I cry
more than the bereaved, the world would ask me a
question.
"If after today, Borno women say we should not help
them, then Nigerian women, don't demonstrate again. If
you demonstrate and police do you anything, you are on
your own. Borno women are playing games. Nigerian
women should not go out for demonstration. Don't use
school children for demonstration again. Borno women are
not ready for cooperation"
"People are dying. How can you play politics when you
see your fellow human beings dying. Nigerian women, I
beg you to support me. Why we will join our husbands to
kill others. We want the killings to stop. If we don't get
to know the whereabouts of our daughters, the next thing
is they (Boko Haram) will get to us. I am not accusing
anybody. My own is let us stop killings and kidnapping.
Let us put a stop to this.
"We don't know what might happen. We don't wear
bullet-proofs. I am not exempting my self or my husband.
If I am found guilty, let me go instead of blood to flow. If
our constitution is the problem, let them amend it.
Today's meeting will not end because the abducted
children are still not out. If you say I should go and sleep,
I would go and sleep. But if you say we should move
forward to see the end of this, we would go forward", she
said.

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