Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has threatened to march in protest to Chibok in Borno State to seek for the release of no fewer than 200 female students abducted a fortnight ago by members of the deadly Boko Haram, making it clear that she is ready to lay down her life for such course of action.
“I do not mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely. We are tired of the kidnapping.”
She spoke when she held a crucial meeting with the wives of governors, ministers, female senators, commissioners and more than 200 women from various groups at the State House in Abuja aimed at seeking the actual whereabouts of the kidnapped girls.
She said that a committee will be inaugurated to include wives of all relevant stakeholders at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, even as she made it clear that refusal by any of such relevant stakeholders to be contacted for the meeting would also lead to a mass protest.
“I cannot perpetuate hearsay and rumour; I must have facts to tell the international community. We will set up a committee to seek the truth as women. If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok.”
Dame Patience said that the first ladies of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and various other countries had called to ask questions and offer assistance on the matter, saying: “they intimated me of their readiness to help, they also asked me questions that I could not answer and as women we are the last hope of this nation. We cannot fail our fellow women and the nation.
“If need be, we will call on the northern elders to help us so that our children and husbands will not die.”
The Head of WAEC, National Office, Mr. Charles Eguridu, at the meeting gave a clarification over the number of students enrolled for the examination in the school.
Eguridu said that those registered in the Government Girls School, Chibok include a total of 530 made up of 395 girls and 135 boys.
“The school had been reverted to a mixed school but the name remained Government Girls School. We were able to relocate 189 of the total number to write their exams at another village called Uba.”
Others who spoke at the meeting included Mrs Yemisi Suswan, Sen. Nenadi Usman and Prof. Sarah Jibril.
