World Economic Forum Africa, Help Bring Back Our Kidnapped Teenage Girls! Postpone the Upcoming WEF in Nigeria!

It has been more than two weeks since over 200 Nigerian teenage girls were kidnapped from their school in Borno state. Citizens are not convinced that the Nigerian government has done enough to find our girls, as the majority of them remain missing. The government has not shown the maturity, effective management and sensitivity required of it in the midst of this crisis that threatens to overrun the nation. It hasn’t shown that it values the life of its citizens”. For example, the government retracted a statement about the girls release one day after their abduction. On April 15 (24 hours after the Nyanya bomb blast in the state capital – Abuja that killed 70 people) and on the day the girls were kidnapped, the Nigerian president was rallying in Kano State. Yesterday (April 29), the Nigerian president cancelled his weekly Cabinet meeting that was scheduled to hold today to honor the Vice-President’s brother who recently passed away. Is this a case of placing little or no value on the lives of ordinary citizens as against perceived VIPs?”

Perhaps, the most frustrating dimension to this nightmare is the lack of communication from the government. The president’s official spokesperson for example is not providing up to date and timely communication about the search for the girls. Survey of the news and social media interactions of the Nigerian government officials (e.g. @abati1990) reveals that the government is focused on other political issues and promoting international events such as the World Economic Forum which it will be hosting from May 7 - 9, 2014.

Recent news reports suggests that some of the girls have been married off for less than $20, taken to neighboring countries (Chad, Cameroon) and some used as slaves. This is wrong!

More than ever, the world needs the Nigerian government focused on finding and bringing back these innocent teenage girls who only dared to get an education! Amongst many other urgent issues in the country, the government needs to solve the security crisis. Postponing the World Economic Forum will give the Nigerian government an opportunity to do just that!