Jonathan leads a corrupt government, says New York Times

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: File copy

The United States- based New York Times has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is leading a corrupt government.

It added that the government had little credibility.

The newspaper, in its editorial published on its website on May 6, condemned Jonathan’s “inept and slow” attitude towards locating and rescuing the schoolgirls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.

It also condemned the reaction of the President’s wife, Patience, to the incident, describing it as “stunningly callous.”

It expressed worry that it took the Jonathan administration more than two weeks after the kidnappings, to call a meeting of government officials to discuss the incident.

The editorial stated, “Mr. Jonathan, who leads a corrupt government that has little credibility, initially played down the group’s threat and claimed security forces were in control.

 “It wasn’t until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls’ school, to discuss the incident.

 “There is no doubt the intelligence and investigation help President Obama offered on Monday is needed.”

The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had claimed responsibility for the kidnappings with its leader, Abubakar Shekau, saying in a video clip released on Monday that “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”

 The newspaper said the President’s inept and slow approach to the incident was shocking.

 The editorial read in part, “Three weeks after their horrifying abduction in Nigeria, 276 of the more than 300 girls who were taken from a school by armed militants are still missing, possibly sold into slavery or married off.

 “Nigerian security forces apparently do not know where the girls are and the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has been shockingly slow and inept at addressing this monstrous crime.”

 On the reaction of Patience to the incident hurling abuses at demonstrators who were demanding government’s action to rescue the girls, the newspaper said, “The reaction of Mr. Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was stunningly callous; according to state news media, she told one of the protest leaders, ‘You are playing games. Don’t use schoolchildren and women for demonstrations again’.”

 It pointed out that the 6,000 troops deployed in Abuja for the World Economic Forum on Africa, could only keep delegates safe “but Nigeria’s deeply troubled government cannot protect its people, attract investment and lead the country to its full potential if it cannot contain a virulent insurgency.”