President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to Nigerians to direct coordinated protests against terrorists and stopping their heinous attacks against the country and the citizens.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who made the appeal in an address to the “Bring Back Our Girls” protest led by former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, on Thursday appreciated the group for their protest support against the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
“When a bomb goes off in Bagdad, 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,” he said.
The protesters, who had planned to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they wanted the president to address them were restricted by a wall of security agents who directed them to the Federal Secretariat within the Three Arms Zone, a few metres from the Villa gate.
Jonathan, in the speech, said “It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there was a slow reaction to this kidnapping. As Commander-in-Chief, Mr. President meets with the security chiefs almost daily and he is on constant consultation with regional and global partners on this terrorists’ threat.
“We must be careful not to politicize the campaign against terrorism”
He urged them to direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not him or the government.
