As far as Nigerians are concerned, the efforts by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014, is to say the least, very poor.

This is the outcome of an online poll conducted by PUNCH ONLINE EXTRA. It’s a scorecard Jonathan and his numerous aides would not want to hear at the moment.

The President, who at the outset had doubted that such huge number of young girls were kidnapped from their school, afterwards accepted the reality, when the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, on May 5, 2014, released a video claiming responsibility for the abduction.

Respondents were asked, ‘After three months in captivity, what is your opinion on the effort of the Federal Government to rescue the Chibok abducted schoolgirls?’

Eight hundred and eighty six respondents took part in the online poll. They were giving the option to pick from – Poor, Commendable and Don’t know.

The outcome was a damning verdict on the Federal Government’s handling of the whole affair.

Seven hundred and fourteen respondents, representing 81 per cent, adjudged the efforts as poor.

On the other hand, 116 respondents, representing 13 per cent, adjudged the efforts as commendable.

Fifty six respondents, representing six per cent, picked ‘don’t know’.

It took the presence of Pakistani girls’ education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, to convince Jonathan of the need to speak with the parents of the Chibok girls – an effort that created another controversy on its own.

At the peak of the initial condemnation of the Federal Government’s efforts to rescue the girls, which prompted the #Bringbackourgirls revolution on social media, the government eventually said it was going to seek international assistance on the rescue mission.

Exactly 100 days after the abduction, the 714 respondents, have been justified, as the girls still remain in captivity, 11 parents dead, and others still reeling under grief and anguish.

(PUNCH)