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Tag: Chibok girls

  • U.S. committed to Chibok girls return, says envoy

    U.S. committed to Chibok girls return, says envoy

    The United States (U.S.) is not resting on its oars to ensure the safe return of the 219 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Africa Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said yesterday.

    She spoke at a media parley she jointly attended with Special Assistant to President Barack Obama on African Affairs, Grant Harris, on the on-going Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in Washington DC.

    The envoy said Obama was in constant contact with governments of countries being affected by the Boko Haram activities, noting the U.S.  was concerned about breach of peace in the affected countries and was also mapping out strategies to “deal with the lawless insurgents”.

    The theme of the conference which began last Monday is: Investing in the Next Generation.

    Obama met with 500 young Africans participating in the summit to provide supports they need to foster change in their countries.

    Without peace, Mrs Thomas-Greenfield said, Africa’s development could be a mirage, saying how to achieve sustainable peace and economic growth would be part of the focus at the YALI Summit.

    She said: “The problem of Boko Haram is one of the issues to be discussed by participants at the summit. We believe Boko Haram insurgency is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, it has turned regional problem, just the same way Al-Shabaab is terrorising Somalia and East Africa.”

    Mrs Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was always willing to invest in Africa’s development, noting that the objective of the YALI Summit was to promote good governance and economic development in the continent.

    She said the focus of the summit would also be on how African governments could combat faming and engender viable agriculture sector that will boost food security on the continent.

    The economic forum, which is one of the features of the YALI Summit, will be attended by 50 presidents or their representatives from Africa, the envoy said, stressing that the summit was also to support Africa’s aspiration for development and empower African leaders to solve challenges facing their countries.

    “The relationship with Africa is based on shared interest and history. We believe it is a partnership that is moving in positive direction, which is to help African to stay ahead of the developmental challenges they face. African economy is growing rapidly and the U.S. would like to increase its investment to create jobs and opportunities for the youths. YALI would generate employment opportunities never seen before on African continent,” she said.

    The envoy dismissed the notion that Obama cut aid to Africa because of anti-gay stance of African leaders, saying: “The U.S. is not at loggerheads with African governments on the passing of anti-gay laws but America, while respecting the sovereignty of all nations, will continue to push for the rights of the gay people.”

    On whether the United States was disturbed by the outbreak of Ebola virus in West Africa sub region, Mrs Thomas-Greenfield, a former U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, said America had stepped up its humanitarian activities by partnering with World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international humanitarian groups to provide protective materials and treatment for victims.

    To achieve the aims of the summits, the envoy said U.S. would continue to press for institution-building among African leaders, noting that President Obama would continue to reject manipulation of state institution to promote individual lust for power.

    “President Obama has never supported and will not support any leader who manipulates institutions for personal benefit. The president believes in building strong institutions and supports democratic succession. This, we believe, is at the heart of development in Africa,” she said.

    The Initiative was established last April, with the network already have more than 68,000 members.

    Journalists, who participated in the media briefing in the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, were trained on how to effectively use the social media by Chief of New Media for U.S. Department of State, Ms Corina DuBois.

  • ‘Govt gave Chibok girls’ parents N22.4m’

    ‘Govt gave Chibok girls’ parents N22.4m’

    Did money change hands when some parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls visited the Presidential Villa?

    The controversy raged on yesterday, with the leadership of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), the group representing the Chibok people in Abuja have denied knowledge of a N100 million Presidential gift to the delegation that visited the President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Instead, they said that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Prof. Dan Adebiyi, after the visit, visited the hotel in the night and told the girls, who escaped from the Boko Haram insurgents, that the Presidency had sent them a token of N100,000 each. Of the 122 parents who visited, he gave 61 N200,000 each and 51 N100,000 each. The remaining 10 parents were told that the money was finished, KADA said.

    KADA stated that it got no money and neither did Adebiyi, who co-ordinated the visit, tell them before sharing the money.

    They said that the sharing formula adopted by the Presidency has brought reproach to their community in the eyes of the public which has supported them since the abduction of the over 200 Government Secondary School, Chibok girls whose kidnapping on April 15 sparked a global outrage.

    At a press brief, organised by the leadership of KADA and a statement read by its spokesperson Dauda Iliya said the controversial cash was N1 million given to the parents by the member of the House of Reps representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, Hon. Biye Gumtha.

    His words: “It is noteworthy that our primary goal is the safe return of the girls that are still in captivity. It is sad that we are losing sight of this to the allegation of sharing money. We therefore want the world to understand that we, KADA stand by our earlier position and did not demand, receive or handle any finances throughout the process of the visit.

    “On the night of the 22nd July, 2014 at about midnight, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties who had been co-ordinating the visit of the side of the Presidency, visited the hotel and told the 51 escaped girls who came that the President sent them a token of N100,000 each and accordingly gave them the said sum without prior discussion with any KADA official or any other person in the community.

    “He equally gave the sum of N200,000 each to 61 parents out of the 122 parents that came on the visit. 51 parents were given N100,000 each on the basis that the money given to him was not enough to go round at N200,000. The remaining 10 parents were not given any amount of money.

    “As for the money given to some parents back home in Chibok, it was the sum of N1,000,000.00 given to them by the Hon. Member of the House of Reps. Representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, which is the source of the alleged N7,000.00 given to parents in Chibok that were not part of the visit.

    “While we acknowledge that any well intended support for our suffering population which has lost its means of livelihood since the events of April 14 and subsequent attacks could be welcome, however the approach that the Presidency adopted has brought reproach and dishonour to our community in the eyes of the public that has supported us since the abduction of our daughters.

    “We hereby state categorically that no amount of money whatsoever was given to KADA leadership to share among the parents and escaped girls or for whatsoever reason and therefore the allegation is completely baseless, false and malicious.

    “We clearly spelt out to the Presidency through the office of the Chief of Staff that we shall not be involved with any financial transaction whatsoever, including payment of transportation from Chibok to Yola, flight by air from Yola to Abuja, hotel accommodation and feeding in Abuja, and intra-city transportation while in Abuja.

    “When the Presidency requested us to invite parents and escaped Chibok girls against 22nd July, 2014, we accepted the responsibility on the condition that we shall facilitate by way of contacting and mobilizing the parents and escaped girls thereby playing the sole role of facilitators.”

  • ‘Pray for abducted Chibok girls’

    ‘Pray for abducted Chibok girls’

    A Lagos-based humanitarian group, Bomarah Foundation, has urged Muslims to pray for the rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

    It congratulated Muslims on completion of the Ramadan fast and the Eid-il-Fitri celebration.

    The foundation urged Muslims to continue with the spiritual exercise and other religious activities they performed throughout the fasting period, in other months.

    Bomarah Founder/President, Hajia Bola Muse, urged Nigerians to remember the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in their prayers.

    She said: “Remember, Ramadan is synonymous with kindness, compassion, generosity and other beneficial dispositions to all creatures of Allah. We should not forget the abducted schoolgirls in our prayers.”

    Hajia Muse, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Bomarah Group of Companies, expressed concerns over the security situation in the country.

    She said this had instilled fears and discomfort in the citizenry.

    The entrpreneur prayed for Allah’s intervention on Nigeria.

    “It is high time we turned to Allah through sincere devotion, which is the ideal meeting point for religious activities between Muslims and Christians. We should also pray for our beloved country against political turbulence and other calamitous experiences,” she said.

  • Beyond freedom for the Chibok girls

    Beyond freedom for the Chibok girls

    Attacks against the hapless Chibok community didn’t end with the abduction of the over 300 schoolgirls from the dormitory on the night of April 15. Since then Boko Haram has carried out several sorties into areas surrounding the town.

    It would appear, however, that pain and death have taken residence in the town. One recent report states that 11 parents of the kidnapped girls have died since their children went missing.

    Of that number, seven are among the dead from an attack in the nearby village of Kautakari this July. Four more parents are said to have died of heart failure, high blood pressure and other illnesses that the community blames on trauma due to the mass abduction.

    We have the assurance of the authorities that not only do they know where the girls are, but that their freedom is imminent. That should offer a measure of comfort to the grieving families.

    Still you cannot help but wonder what kind of girls would be returning from Boko Haram captivity. What sorts of unspeakable experiences have they been subjected to? Will they ever be able to live normal lives again?

    The world owes it to these girls and their community to ensure that the one day leaders of Boko Haram, their financiers and collaborators pay for their crimes against humanity. Our duty doesn’t end with demanding their release; we should faithfully document the atrocities of this group for the day they would face justice.

  • Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls — Presidency

    Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls — Presidency

    The Presidency says its slow approach to the rescue of the over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok, Borno State, three months ago is to avoid a repeat of the 2004 incident in experience in the North Caucasus region of Russia when 300 children were killed in an attempt by Russians to free hostages held by Chechens.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said in London on Thursday that the situation should not be misinterpreted as inaction on the part of government.

    “The need to avoid a repeat of the 2004 experience when 300 children were killed in an attempt by Russians to free hostages held by Chechens in the North Caucasus region of Russia was responsible for the seemingly slow process of freeing the Chibok girls,” Dr.Okupe said at Chatham House lecture series held at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London.

    Speaking on ‘Priorities and Progress in Nigeria: Imperatives for Stability and Growth’, the Presidential spokesman said the war against insurgency is a major priority of the Federal Government.

    He decried the slowing down of the economy by the insurgency, saying, ”We are taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to get a greater understanding of the landscape and identify key locations.

    “We are working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London.

    He spoke of government’s plan to block domestic and international sources of funds for the group.

     

  • Chibok Girls: Secondary school students mark 100 days of abduction in Ibadan

    It was a moving scene yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as hundreds of secondary school students gathered to mark 100 days of the abduction of 276 students of Government Girls’ Secondary, Chibok by the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

    The programme,  “Missing: A Tale of Chibok Girls,“ was put together by Mrs Oyindamola Ige, a former lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan.

    The students, selected from over 15 secondary schools in the state, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intensify his efforts to ensure  a safe release of the abducted girls.

    The programme, comprising a play, cultural display and drama on the unity of the country, was held at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.

    It was attended by many dignitaries from the University of Ibadan, civil society organisations and government agencies.

    Mrs Ige said the play, ‘Missing’,  was performed by the students of the University of Ibadan Theatre Arts.

    She explained that the main objective of the play was to use the medium of creative art as a form of expression and advocacy for the release of the abducted Chibok girls .

    She said: “On  April 14,  the nation witnessed one of the worst attacks on the country by a terrorist group when 276 girls were abducted from their school in Chibok, Bornu State.  Since then, the mood in the nation has been one of shock, confusion and fear. While some of the girls escaped and are now with their families, an estimated 180 girls are still missing.

    “Local and International media are agog with the news of the abduction and global awareness campaigns for the safe return of the missing girls have been done as a show of solidarity for their respective families. This unfortunate incident has resulted in a lot of negative consequences amongst which is the seed of religious and tribal prejudices it has planted in the innocent minds of children whose only source of information is what adults tell them or the information they gather from the television.

    “If this error is not corrected and such biases are left to germinate in the hearts of children, it will be a catalyst that will trigger off religious and tribal wars for future generations”.

    She continued: “We decided to use the medium of theatre to send the message to children in Nigeria and children all over the world”.

    Part of the essence of the play is to send the message to the world that not all Muslims are terrorists, “although I am a Christian,  I have many Muslim friends and we relate a lot. So I am trying to send a message to change an individualistic mind set that Islam is not about violence, but people are only using it to perpetuate evil.

    “ I am trying to tell the children that they have to love their brothers as themselves  because Nigeria is one, regardless whether you are a Christian or Muslim. This message will also educate our girl children and parents that they should not prevent their female children from having education. I am a lawyer by training, and I am also a product of girl education,“ Mrs Ige said.

  • First Lady decries delay in Chibok girls’ release

    First Lady decries delay in Chibok girls’ release

    Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has expressed concern about the delay in the release of the abducted Chibok girls by members of the Boko Haram sect.

    Mrs Jonathan spoke in Windhoek, Namibia, when she met with the Nigerian community.

    She empathised with families of the girls and the entire Chibok community, saying that soon the girls would be released.

    “As a mother, I am very worried over the abduction of these girls; I share the pains of the mothers whose children were abducted,” Mrs Jonathan said.

    “We women of Nigeria, we have fasted and prayed that  wherever they are, they will be released safely and that God will touch the minds of members of the sect,” she said.

    She commended the security agencies for their efforts, adding that the girls would be back home soon.

    Mrs Jonathan also praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their patriotic zeal in fighting terrorism and urban violence, especially in the Northeast.

    The First Lady urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to support government and the military in putting an end to the insurgency across the country, especially in the Northeast.

  • Ki-Moon urges international community to stand by Chibok girls

    Ki-Moon urges international community to stand by Chibok girls

    United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon yesterday reiterated his call for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, more than 100 days after.

    Ki-moon expressed his full support for the worldwide vigils which took place yesterday.

    “I stand in solidarity with all those taking part in vigils today to demonstrate that the world has not forgotten the girls who were so cruelly abducted from their school 100 days ago,” said Mr. Ban in a message.

    “I repeat my call for their immediate release and for an end to discrimination, intimidation and violence against girls whose only wish is to gain an education. Only by shielding them from harm and enabling them to realize their full potential can we usher in a better future for all,” he added.

    Vigils were held yesterday around the world to demonstrate solidarity with the girls and their families. Supporters in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States organised a series of campaigns, including lighting the candles, under the banner #BringBackOurGirls to maximize the visibility for continued global concern.

    A wide coalition of organisations, including A World at School and its network of Global Youth Ambassadors and Girls Not Brides leaders, were spreading the campaign’s message. In Abuja, multiple events were organised by the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ group.

    In New York, at 5:30 p.m., supporters paid tributes to the girls by walking from Nigeria’s UN Mission to the world body’s Headquarters. A World at School also encouraged people to show their support for the initiative by signing a new online petition which calls for the safe return of the girls.

    The UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, is expected to send the petition to President Goodluck Jonathan. The Chibok girls’ families are also expected to sign the petition and offer their full support for the Safe Schools Initiative.

    That $23million dollar programme is designed to pilot 500 safe schools in Nigeria, while bringing the country’s Government and business leaders together with the international community to ensure safe education for all children.

    “Girls’ rights should be taken seriously and they should be at school free of intimidation and violence. We will mark the 100 days by pledging to rebuild their Chibok school, and by calling for international support for safe schools across Nigeria,” stressed Mr. Brown.

    The UN envoy urged the international community to stand in solidarity with the kidnapped schoolgirls and “never to abandon them”, while “reminding people that we are in the midst of a global civil rights struggle”.

  • Chibok girls: 100 days of anguish

    Shall we call it the Chibok mystery, or the Chibok mysticism? What is this Chiboky fairies that have descended upon the land in the last 100 days? Just a little over a hundred days ago, very few Nigerians had ever heard about Chibok; indeed, most Nigerians would have bet it was a place in Bangkok or Cambodia. Most of us never dreamt that Chibok was right at the northeastern corner of Nigeria until that fateful day on April 15 when the Islamist Boko Haram stole about 270 belles in one fell swoop from a girls school; since then, they also stole our innocence, they stole our acquiescence, our quietude and perhaps our government?

    In what will pass for a world record human-jacking, the insurgents, as the report went, invaded the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, near Nigeria’s Northeast borders with the Republic of Cameroon. It was in the dead of night. The school had recessed but the senior girls were writing their certificate exams. The insurgents, dressed in army uniform, had come in pick-up trucks and buses. They reportedly posed as members of the Nigerian military force who had come to rescue the girls and ship them to safety as there was a report of an imminent attack. That was how about 270 nubile young girls, many only in night gowns, were driven away into the night and taken in the direction of the vast Sambisa forest near the Cameroon border.

    It has been100 days of high drama; 100 days of anguish; 100 days of flailing ineptitude; 100 days of stark, naked reality of how we are governed. The military announced gleefully the day after the kidnap that they had rescued the girls but they returned two days later to eat their word: “no we have not rescued them,” they whimpered.

    After this wondrous military faux pas, the Presidency seemed to suggest that the kidnap story is all a ruse after all; a mirage that would soon clear as we journey on this mired macadam. But it won’t go; days lapsed into weeks and … Then the First Lady weighed in (apparently disgusted by government-military foot-dragging). “Anything I step into succeeds,” she boasted. She stopped short of summoning the Security Council. But government officials were fetched before her and they rendered frantic testimonies before live television cameras in Aso Rock Villa. It was in the course of her intervention that she rendered the now famous tears-evoking drama, titled: Chai! Dere   is God o!

    Let’s say for once, Dame Patience failed in a venture as the Chibok girls remain in mysterious captivity. But since government would not cease initiative, the matter took a life of its own as #bringbackourgirls suddenly went viral on the cyber space about 60 days after the girls had been plucked from their beds. The world woke up to the obscene magnitude of the act and any man or woman who had a voice on this planet spoke up. Protests erupted in Abuja and spread across Nigerian cities and world capitals. Foreign military aid from the US, UK and other countries were allowed to join the fray but all in vain.

    It was only on Tuesday, the 99th day, that the president met with the girls’ parents. After the 100th day, maybe we should change the hash-tag to: where are the girls?

  • Chibok girls’ education won’t suffer – Jonathan

    Chibok girls’ education won’t suffer – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met with about 51 secondary school girls that escaped from terrorists, their parents, some parents of girls still in captivity and community and opinion leaders from Chibok, Borno State, with a promise to ensure the girls’ education do not suffer.

    Over 200 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on April 14.

    Jonathan, who met these people behind closed doors at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, also promised to rescue the abducted girls still in captivity alive.

    Besides government officials barring journalists from covering the over two hours-thirty minutes meeting, the Chibok girls and their parents were shielded from journalists throughout their stay at the Villa.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said, “Mr. President met with the parents of the abducted girls, community and opinion leaders of Chibok. The parents include those of girls that escaped and those of the girls who are still in captivity, the girls who managed to escape were also here.

    “It was an interactive session during which the President had the opportunity to listen first hand to the various categories of persons. It was a very successful event and a good development because Mr. President had always been looking forward to this opportunity. Before now he had met with various stakeholders on the matter but today he heard directly from the persons involved.

    “Statements were made by all the representatives of people. They spoke their minds and conveyed their feelings to the President. The girls who escaped also gave an account of what they went through. Mr. President reassured them of the federal government’s determination and his own personal determination to ensure that the girls that are still in captivity are brought out alive.

    “That is the main objective of the government. Mr. President also used the opportunity to empathise with the parents and the girls and to reassure them that everything will be done to make things easier for them, especially those who have escaped and the ones that will also be rescued, that their education will not in any way suffer and he is convinced that evil will never prevail over good.”

    He went on: “Mr. President further assured that after the battle has been won and the girls are brought back home, he, together with the parents and the state government will focus on development, on building Chibok, on building all that the terrorists had destroyed and on ensuring that every child, either in Chibok or in any other part of the country, has his/her dream realized.”