Chibok Girls Tragedy: Jonathan Speaks on Scar to Die With
- Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria, has disclosed that he will die with the scars of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted under his administration in 2014
- The former president also recalled that the Boko Haram terrorist once nominated the late President Muhammadu Buhari as their preferred negotiator
- Jonathan made the revelation while speaking at a book presentation written by the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the abduction of the trending Chibok girls has continued to remain an indelible scar on his legacy in the country.
The former president made the comment on Friday, October 3, while speaking at the public presentation of a book titled ‘SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum’. The book is the memoir of the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
Source: Twitter
Jonathan commends ex-chief of defence staff
Channels TV reported that Jonathan then commended the former defence chief, adding that he was a soldier who never politicised the country's security and stood by the truth.
His comment reads in part:
“The title of this book is quite interesting. One of the major scars on my government is the Chibok Girls."
The former president also claimed that the Boko Haram insurgents once nominated late President Muhammadu Buhari, his successor, as their preferred negotiator in peace talks with the federal government.
Jonathan stressed that Buhari’s inability to end the insurgency highlighted how complicated the crisis was. He described the abduction of more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 as an open sore on his presidency,
He also wished that the future would see the insurgent commanders record their own affairs, just as players of the Nigerian Civil War had recorded their histories. Jonathan also maintained that the access of Boko Haram to sophisticated weapons showed foreign involvement beyond hunger or poverty.
How the Chibok Girls' abduction caused Jonathan's loss
Recall that the abduction of the Chibok girls was one of the factors that led to the defeat of the former president in the 2015 presidential election. Jonathan's loss to Buhari was a result of many factors, including the abduction of the girls.
Since the administration of Jonathan, the activities of the terrorists have spread across northern Nigeria, beyond the wall of the north-east, where it started with banditry and kidnapping in the north-west and north-central.
The menace continued in the eight years of Buhari's administration, and the current president, Bola Tinubu, has also inherited the challenges. One major problem caused by the insurgency was food security, as most of the foods in the country are produced in the north, and farmers have been unable to access their farms for over a decade.
Source: Twitter
Jonathan and the calls for second term
Legit.ng earlier reported that former President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost his re-election bid in the 2015 presidential election to the late President Muhammadu, has continued to be called out to seek re-election.
Ahead of the 2027 election, the ex-president is being called out again by some opposition leaders, particularly the northern bloc in the PDP, to contest against President Bola Tinubu.
Jonathan has in two general elections, rejected the calls from supporters to seek re-election, but the former president appeared to be planning something for the 2027 race.
Source: Legit.ng
