I cannot take responsibility for Chibok girls’ abduction – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says there is a sense of worry among Nigerians regarding the neutrality of government agencies that will take part in the conduct of the 2019 general elections .Jonathan , however , said he had faith in the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Police Force , the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services to do well .

Jonathan President said this during an interview on BBC .

He said , “ We are a bit worried about the neutrality of the relevant agencies of government because with previous elections, I was not in the field . Of course , after every election , people will complain naturally but those are the areas people are getting worried but I believe the elections will come and go and those bodies- INEC , the police , the army and the DSS will be able to do well . ”

On the abduction of the over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok by Boko Haram in 2014 , Jonathan said he could not take the blame for the incident .

Jonathan said rather, Boko Haram should be blamed for the abduction of the girls in 2014 because as a President he could not go to the battlefield to fight insurgents .

The former President said this during an interview on BBC .

He said , “ I cannot take responsibility for the abduction, I don’ t control Boko Haram . They are criminals . But as a President , of course you know it is not the President that goes to the field . You have security and intelligence officers that do the work .

“ Let me admit that yes , maybe they did their best but their best was not good enough for us to recover the girls . That I cannot say I am right or I am wrong. That does not mean I am trying to remove myself from any blame.

“ I may not be blamed for the action but I could be blamed that my security intelligence system was not strong enough to rescue the girls . If I as a politician could tell the whole world that my political ambition for any office is not worth the blood of a single Nigerian , how would I be happy that girls have been kidnapped ? I am not that kind of character . ”

The former President also lamented the way the Chibok issue was politicised .

He wondered why the First Lady of the United States would take part in carrying a ‘ Bring Back Our Girls ’ placard .

Jonathan said , “ Immediately the Chibok issue came up , we expected Nigerians to be concerned about how to get these girls out . Within a couple of days , we saw people going to the US with ‘ Bring Back Our Girls ’ placards . How ? Why? And of course , Mrs . Obama received one of those placards . ”

The former President reiterated his concern over the supposed interference of President Barack Obama during the build -up to the 2015 general elections .

Jonathan questioned the rationale behind the visit of US Secretary of State , John Kerry , to Nigeria on the eve of the elections, adding that such an interference should not be swept under the carpet.

He said , “ The level of interference by the Obama government was very overwhelming . It is not as if I could not have won the election even with that . If by my own thinking and also the way other people looked at it , they go outside the normal diplomatic relationship , then it should be mentioned .

“ Sending that person to Nigeria on the eve of elections even after Obama had issued a statement directing Nigerians to vote for the next chapter , that tells you something and we should not sweep these things under the carpet.

“ If a foreign country whether African country or America interferes with our own elections, we should mention it . ”

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