By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Nigerian activists, yesterday, took to twitter to condemn a public relations contract entered into by the Federal Government to repair its image over the perceived mishandling of the abduction of more than 200 girls by the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram.

The activists, led by former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, chided the international public relations firm, Levick Strategic Communications, for valuing money more than the lives of the abducted girls.

The contract, which is said to cost the Federal Government a minimum of $125,000 monthly, besides running costs, is to run for 12 months starting from June 16.

The activists, however, differed over the strategic importance of the public relations contract as they alleged that it put the image of the government above efforts to rescue the girls who were kidnapped by the terrorists more than three months ago.

The activists are putting pressure on the firm through tweets to some international personalities, including two United States senators, John McCain and Ted Cruz.

“Our Presidency deployed our public resources to hire US firm @LEVICK to label innocent citizens ‘terrorists’,” Ezekwesili tweeted yesterday.

Ezekwesili was followed by the Bring-Back-Our-Girls group, which on its own tweet said: “How can you call #bbog campaigners terrorists? What sort of nonsense is this from @levick?”

Another Nigerian, with the twitter handle, #TheBlessedoftheLord @erahomo, in a tweet yesterday said: “But really, why would FG engage @levick For PR or to set citizens against one another? That’s PR gone wrong.”

An hour after her initial tweet, Ezekwesili followed up with an advice to the administration, saying “my free image laundering advice to our Presidency is to take actions that would rebuild citizens trust. Act concretely to #BringBackOurGirls.”

A lawyer, with the twitter handle akpata Esq. þ@mcspella , said: “All well meaning Nigerians should ask @LEVICK to please #bringbackourmoney. They are taking advantage of our President’s insecurity.”

Victor Ovedhe, in his own tweet yesterday, said the money paid to the firm should have been directed to the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He said: “Federal Government should have channelled the money paid to @LEVICK to hire Arnold Schwarzenegger to help #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS.”