Nigerians Angry As President Goodluck Jonathan Gives Malala Yousafzai Royal Welcome

The grand reception accorded the 17-years-old Pakistani activist for rights to education for women, Miss Malala Yousafzai, by President Goodluck Jonathan and his cabinet, has been condemned by many Nigerians as a PR gambit taken out of context.

The young girl who narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Taliban in her country's Swat Valley District, paid a visit to Nigeria as part of her campaign for the release of the over 200 female students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, who have been in the captivity of the Boko Haram sect since they were abducted on the 14th of April, 2014.

At the reception, the girl asked the President to try and visit the parents of the girls and the Commander in Chief agreed to visit the community to meet the parents.

But many Nigerians have seen such hurried agreement by the leader of the country as double standard, owing to the fact that many had called on him earlier than now to visit the parents, a call the president dismissed, saying that a visit to the Chibok community would not bring back the girls.

Another source of anger is the fact that the President had, on several occasions, refused to recieve the conveyner of the BringBackOurGirls campagn, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education and World Bank Vice President.

The group have several times, been embarrassed, tear gassed and even had some of them arrested, so many Nigerians wonder why the pPresident would give such royal treatment to the 17 year old Malala as well as assuring her that he would carry out her wishes when he had refused to heed to the call by Nigerians.

First to speak to our correspondent was Franklin Eze:

I am shocked at the double standards of our President on the Chibokm girls. many Nigerians and even a former Minister have been telling him to visit Chibok and assure the parents of the girls that the FG is doing everything possible to bring back their children but he refused adamantly. Only for this small girl to come and make the same request and he accepted. Is the girl bigger or more powerful than Nigerians? I am disappointed.

Abiola Davies had this to say:

Our President has shown once again that he does not respect Nigerians by his actions. He had previously told Nigerians that he would not go to Chibok as that will not bring back the girls but with the coming of Malala, he has agreed to go. So the girl is bigger than Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. There is God oooo.

Uzor Clinton vented his anger:

I can tell you that the visit of the girl was just a political PR for the President towards the 2015 elections. Can the President justify his new stance at the instance of the girl? Just because he wants to score a cheap political point, he agreed to her request while he refused Nigerians entreaties for him to do the same thing.