11th March, 2015
Damilare Okunola
A community group, Chibok Progressives Union, has lambasted Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for attending the foundation laying ceremony for the reconstruction of Borno State Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, northeast Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy, according to the group, was merely paying lip service with her role in the recent laying of the foundation to rebuild the school where over 200 secondary schoolgirls were kidnapped last year by Boko Haram.
The group in a paid advertisement in a national daily on Wednesday, queried Okonjo-Iweala’s presence at the occasion, while also asking her to mind her business.
According to the group in a message titled ‘Open Message To Madam Busy Body Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’, “what is your business with Borno State Secondary school in Chibok? Have you extended your so-called coordinating ministry to include the states?
“Do you think you could just stroll into our community and start laying foundation for reconstructing a state school in order to attract votes for Jonathan? It is too late Madam Busy Body.
“We did not see or hear from you and Jonathan when our daughters were abducted. In fact, Patience Jonathan denied the abduction and insulted us, while it took more than six weeks for Jonathan to acknowledge the abduction.”
While asking the minister to provide answers to questions regarding the monies missing under her ‘watchful’ eyes, the group also questioned Okonjo-Iweala’s real function as the Finance Minister.
“Madam Busy Body, use your time to locate the N30 trillion and $20 billion declared missing by the last two Central Bank governors.
“Madam Busy Body, be reminded that Nigeria’s economy is on the brink: over N5 trillion foreign investment lost; debts are now N10.84 trillion; Naira exchange now N227 to $1; governments cannot pay salaries to workers. Is this the economy you have been coordinating?
“Madam Busy Body, what is the purpose of the school without our abducted daughters? All we are saying, Madam Busy Body #Bringbackourgirls #Bringbackourgirls #Bringbackourgirls
“You can be assured that Chibok Community will not waste its votes on Jonathan,” the group said.
When asked for her comments on the missing girls by an American journalist during the World Economic Summit in Abuja last year, Okonjo-Iweala had been caught on camera, telling the journalist that guest were there for the Economic Summit and not to discuss the missing Chibok girls.
The video had gone viral on the social media with many people condemning the shameful response of the minister to the question on the missing girls.
There has been no authentic report about the fate of the secondary schoolgirls who were kidnapped on 14 April, 2014, with government agencies issuing statements which seemed unconvincing.
While the fate of the girls remain uncertain, rumours are also rife that some of the students may have been brainwashed and used as suicide bombers.