Kids in red shirts, holding numbered placards on which the names of
the Chibok schoolgirls are boldly written, marching on the Ministry of
Education.
With them were some of the girls who escaped in the night of horror on
April 14, last year when Boko Haram insurgents hussled the over 200
pupils off their dormitories into trucks and drove them away into
captivity.
The world was horrified; it still is --one year after.
Parents of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, girls
yesterday said they were hoping President-elect Muhamadu Buhari would
find their daughters.
Gen Buhari will take office on May 29 and one of the burning issues he
will inherit from the outgoing Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration is
the abduction.
Yesterday, there were activities in Abuja, Lagos and in some other
major capitals across the world to mark the anniversary of the
abduction which attracted worldwide outrage, especially when Boko
Haram claimed responsibility and showed a video of the girls in
captivity with sect leader Abubakar Shekau saying he would sell them
off.
In Abuja, there were news conferences. In Lagos, Nobel laureate Prof.
Wole Soyinka attended an event, where foremost economist Prof. Pat
Utomi spoke.
A representative of the girls' parents, Rev. Mark Enoch, declared
yesterday their faith in Gen. Buhari and his ability to rescue the 219
girls alive.
He said things would be better because Gen. Buhari has the ability to
destroy the Boko Haram sect like he destroyed the Maitasine Movement
in 1984.
Rev. Enoch spoke on behalf of Kibaku Area Development Association
(KADA), the umbrella body of the Chibok community in Abuja. His
address was titled: "One year commemoration of the abduction of
#Chibokgirls: the unending agony of a community."
He said: "I know that as General Buhari is now the president-elect,
things will be better. He can rescue our daughters, he can bring our
daughters back home. He can end all the atrocities of the Boko Haram
sect like he addressed the Maitasine movement in 1984 and our girls
will return, so we the Chibok girls' parents are excited.
"I will like to appreciate Madam Oby Ezekwesilli and members of the
#BringBackOurGirls advocacy. They are the Mandelas of our time."
KADA, in a statement signed by its National Secretary Battah Ndirpaya;
National Publicity Secretary Dr. Manasseh Allen and Chairman KADA
Abuja, Tsambido Hosea, said despite the gloomy picture of what is
happening in their community before and after the abduction, they are
still hopeful that the girls will come back home alive.
They said: "After the abduction, Chibok area was attacked six times
with resultant high causalities, including 11 of the parents and
guardians of the abducted girls. The people of Chibok are today
haunted, displaced, traumatised and living in agony as refugees or
internally displaced persons all over Nigeria and refugees beyond.
There is also a looming famine in the Chibok (Kibaku) community and
environs as a result of the terrorism that has virtually crippled
farming activities. Wanton destruction of food stuff, granaries and
livestock was perpetrated by the insurgents. There was also poisoning
or destruction of water wells, the primary source of water for the
community.
"Despite the gloomy picture of what is happening in the community, we
are still hopeful that our girls will come back alive. We are hoping
that Mr. President will keep his word by brining the girls back alive
before leaving office on 29 May.. Even if he fails to achieve it, we
are hopeful that the president-elect will bring back our girls alive.
"In the abduction saga, it is true that the girls are the victims, the
parents and guardians are suffering the agony, trauma and pains, but
the embarrassment is that of the government and the people of Nigeria,
while the military suffered humiliation. We urge all to come together
and find a lasting solution to this saga so as to save our face as a
country."
Members of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy also said they appreciated
Gen. Buhari for "his kind and soothing words" on the occasion of the
one year commemoration and his promise to do everything to bring back
the girls.
The group demanded the safe return of the girls as a major engagement
during the transition between the Jonathan and the Buhari
administrations.
--Read more at TheNation:
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/chibok-parents-to-buhari-you-can-rescue-our-girls/
No comments:
Post a Comment