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Tag: Chibok girls

  • Swap Chibok girls for terrorists, Iloh advises FG

    The President, Eclectic Network, Rev. Moses Iloh, has advised the Federal Government to consider the proposal of the Boko Haram sect for swapping of the kidnapped Chibok girls for terrorists.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos, Iloh said the country is subjected to what he described as divided attacks, including falsehood, confusion and terror.

    According to him, the three phenomena exemplify terror and are fashioned against the defenseless and oppressed populace.

    He lamented that most Nigerians in power do not have the will power to confront the hydra-headed problems because they feel insulated.

    Iloh called for fervent and unrelenting prayers, saying only these can save the nation.

    The Eclectic Network, he said, is an organisation for righteous politics.

    He defined politics as the proper management of the affairs of men preferably by the righteous.

    The cleric identified corruption as the greatest problem facing the nation, saying nothing should be spared to uproot it.

  • Lest we forget Chibok girls

    By today, the Chibok girls that were abducted by the Boko-Haram would be spending their 60 days in the hands of their captors since they were abducted on April 14th, 2014. One can only imagine how they are adjusting to the life in the jungle and other harrowing experiences that they may be passing through. I mean the psychological and physiological trauma that they may be passing through.

    And lest we forget about these wonderful children and continue to carry out our businesses as usual, let us find time and spare some thoughts for them as we think about their welfare, health and total well being.

    Besides, more disturbing is the news report credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who claims to be in contact with Boko-Haram that he believes that some of the school girls may never return home. He added that the insurgents might free those found to be pregnant or have given birth. He also expressed worry that the girls might have been separated and kept in different locations.

    To any of the concerned families and others who have genuine concerns for the destiny of these young girls that seems to have been truncated, there is nothing to cheer about that news report. That is why all of us and especially our politicians shouldn’t be going about with our businesses as usual. The girls should not be allowed to make their homes in the forest while their peers are preparing to enter tertiary institutions in October this year, hopefully. Since the use of force for their rescue is not advisable to avoid high casualties on the part of these girls, we can only resort to spiritual intervention.

    In this regard, let us pray that God will grant the Federal Government working through the relevant committees or negotiators the needed wisdom to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

    More importantly, let us pray that God will touch the heart of Boko-Haram and their handlers so that they can soft-pedal on this matter and allow the girls to be reunited with their respective families. And in exchange for this expected good gesture on the part of the sect, the Federal Government should reciprocate by releasing the sect’s family members and especially their wives so that they can perform their matrimonial roles to their husbands. It is pure haram on the sect’s part to allow other women to take over their wives’ duties while they are still alive.

    Above all, part of our prayers should be that the insurgency in the north-east and other ethno- religious crises in other parts of the country should stop forthwith so that this nation can make forward and fulfill her destiny. Enough of this negative advertisement that showcases the nation in bad light. We should therefore allow our present challenges to make us move closer to God in prayers and not to despair or relent in our faith for glorious days that still lie ahead of this nation.

    As the countdown towards 2015 General elections begins, negative prophecies concerning this nation will not come to pass in Jesus name. Such prophecies are not in line with GOD’s counsel for this nation and we send them back to their senders. We declare them null and void. We shall surely overcome our present socio-economic and political challenges in JESUS name. As we turn to GOD’s in prayers, He will surely answer us and not in any foreign nation(s) as they seek to assist us in resolving our political and security logjams./challenges.

    Gbemiga Olakunle, 

    General Secretary, National Prayer Movement

    gbemigaolakunle@yahoo.co.uk 

  • Sultan advises govt to swap Chibok girls with detainees

    Sultan advises govt to swap Chibok girls with detainees

    Fears of a plan to Islamise Nigeria are unfounded, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III said yesterday.

    Sultan Abubakar, who is also the President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to reconsider dialogue with the Boko Haram insurgents.

    His Eminence spoke in Abuja while opening the 7th Annual National Conference organised by the Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN) in Abuja, with the  theme: “Rule of Law and Social Justice: A Panacea for Unity and National Development.”

    He insisted that the government could only win the war against insurgency through dialogue.

    Alhaji Abubakar also called on Muslim lawyers to offer free legal services to detained Boko Haram suspects so as to ensure freedom for those who are not connected with the deadly sect.

    He decried a situation where non-Muslims are kicking against the inclusion of Sharia in the Constitution at the ongoing National Conference, even as he urged Muslims not to oppose provisions that would be of direct benefit to non-Muslims in the Constitution.

    The Sultan of SOkoto said: “I have said it one million and one times, as far as America, when I delivered a lecture at Harvard University, that the problems of Nigeria is not caused by Muslims.

    “I want to assure you that we have been doing our best to educate people on what Islam and Muslims stand for and want to do in Nigeria.

    “I have said one million times, Muslims in Nigeria are not out to Islamise Nigeria because it is not possible. We all know what is said in the Holy Quran. So why should anybody be afraid of the strength of Muslims in this country?

    “When we come together and we are doing positive things or rightly it is got the development of that community and when a community is developed Muslims, non-Muslims and whoever within that community will be a beneficiary of that development.

    “When you have good governance, you have good roads, you have good infrastructure; everything is working; it is not only for Muslims, anybody in that area will benefit.

    “So why can’t we use our population, the strength, the number of Muslims in Nigeria to make positive impact and make positive difference in what we do in this country?”

    He insisted that no country could win insurgency war without dialogue.

    He added: “Sometimes when we speak as Muslim leaders, somebody will say ‘look, His Eminence should not speak because he is not a politician.’

    “We are the fathers of the politicians, we are the leaders, so we must tell them what is right and what is wrong.   If they accept our advice, alhamdudilahi!. If they don’t accept, alhamdudilahi.

    “But we will continue telling them until they see reasons why they should listen to us. So, as leaders at all levels, as Muslim leaders, we must keep on telling the government what they are doing rightly or wrongly because we need a society that will meet the challenges of the present day insecurity in our country.

    “Because somebody who doesn’t want to say I am speaking to Boko Haram, therefore, somebody will say I am a sympathiser of Boko Haram. No.

    “If you don’t speak for people that are deranged, wayward, who will do so? How will they ever change? And when people say you don’t dialogue with criminals, who said you don’t dialogue with criminals?

    “You cannot fight criminals because you don’t even know where they are. About two weeks ago, the American Government exchanged one prisoner who was even a deserter for very senior five al-Qaeda leaders who have been in Guantanamo prison for years.

    “They kept dialoguing with them for give years. For them to exchange him they must have been talking.  There need for dialogue. You cannot win any insurgency by way of force. No where in the world that works.

    “When somebody tells you that he is not a Boko Haram, please take it that he is not because if he is Boko Haram he will never denounce it. So if you have 100 suspects and one of them says ‘I am not Boko Haram’, please release him. The other 99 will say ‘yes we are, what can you do to us?’

    “It is important for us as leaders, especially as Muslims to look at these issues in a broader perspective. Let us not just be opinionated because we must reach out to everybody.”

    His Eminence cautioned those trying to plunge the country into another civil war and urged them to desist from such antics.

    He said: “It is interesting to hear an eaglet lawyer saying that when the Civil War took place he was not born.

    “I am happy to hear that and also to make a statement that it behooves on all of us – those who were not there during the Civil War, those who were there and actually took part directly or indirectly to make sure as Muslims and as Muslim lawyers we do whatever it takes to ensure no Civil War ever takes place in Nigeria again because we know the adverse effects of civil war in any country.”

    The Sultan decried the low participation of Muslim lawyers at the event and  wondered whether such adherents were shy of their the Islamic faith.

    He said: “Why don’t we come out freely to participate in our activities. Are we shy of being identified as Muslims or are we afraid of being perceived or taken as somebody that poses a threat to the country? Are we shy or afraid or are we just indifferent to issues affecting Muslims in the country.

    “In Islam, you all know what it means to be a leader. So, I am challenging you to wake up and do what you are supposed to do. Go round the prisons; there are so many Muslims locked up in prisons as suspects of insurgency.

    “Why don’t you take up such issues to the courts? Is saying the truth now a negative thing in a country that hurts? We must say the truth.

    “When you challenge people and say something is wrong it does not mean you are fighting somebody. You are saying it so that the authorities will look at it and mend their ways for the betterment of the society.

    “Not that somebody will be labeled an extremist or a supporter of this and that or somebody who has a small compassion for a criminal. Of course, we have compassion for criminals because we believe when you are thrown into prison you come out a better person.”

    The Sultan insisted that what the Muslims are demanding through the inclusion of Sharia in the Constitution is justice.

    He urged Muslim lawyer to desist from politics when discharging their legal duties in court.

    In his keynote address, former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, noted the need for good governance, which according to him remains the best way to tackle corruption.

    Gambari said: “Governance is about how the cultural habits, political institutions and economic systems of a society can be aligned to deliver the desired life for its people.

    “Good governance is when these structures combine in a balance that produces effective and sustainable results in the common interest of its people.

    “In Nigeria’s case, we must decisively tackle our most development challenges such as poverty, unemployment, security,  and deplorable state of infrastructure through increased efforts to promote good governance in all ramifications.”

    President of the MULAN, Mr. Abdul-Ganiy Bello, urged the Federal Government to reconsider the reports of the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu on Post Election Violence and the Minister for Special Duties, Taminu Turaki, (SAN), Committee on negotiation with Boko Haram for implementation.

    Bello said, “It is our view that one of the major factors contributing to the incessant bomb attacks, sporadic killings and abduction of Chibok school girls is government’s failure to implement the reports of the various committees it had set up as well as recommendations by some individuals and organizations.”

  • Police can’t stop Chibok girls’ rallies, court declares

    Police can’t stop Chibok girls’ rallies, court declares

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gudu, Abuja, has held that the police lack the powers to prevent or stop rallies or possessions held on the abducted over 200 schoolgirls of the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.

    Justice Abubakar Talba declared yesterday that the Public Order Act, Cap. 382, Laws of Nigeria, 1990, which the police purportedly relied on, “does authorise men of the NPF to disrupt rallies or processions on the abducted Chibok girls”.

    The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by a former House of Representatives member, Dino Melaye.

    The activist challenged the disruption, on May 9, of the rally he led in Abuja on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram on April 14.

    The judge described as unconstitutional the arrest of and assault on Melaye by policemen during the May 9 rally in Abuja.

    The suit, which has the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the FCT Police Commissioner as defendants, was not defended by the respondents.

    “The arrest of the applicant and the threat to further arrest in respect of rallies or processions is unlawful.

    “The disruption of peaceful rallies and processions by agents of the first and second respondents is illegal and unconstitutional,” the judge held.

    Justice Talba awarded N150,000 in damages and cost against the respondents.

    Also, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has said the agency has received repeated threats of attacks against its personnel.

    The NOA, which serves as the National Information Centre, is the venue for briefing reporters on the update on the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

  • Benin monarch prays for Chibok girls

    Benin monarch prays for Chibok girls

    Prayers for peace in Nigeria and the release of the abducted Chibokgirls were held yesterday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, by the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa.

    Declaring the session open, Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council Frank Irabor, who represented the monarch, said the session was necessitated by the need for peace in Nigeria.

    Ohen-Osa Harrison Okao of the Holy Aruosa Cathedral, in his homily, admonished attendees to imbibe equity, fairness and justice as part of processes to allow peace reign in the state and the country.

     

  • Of Chibok girls’ protests’ ban

    If one finds himself commenting fairly regularly on events surrounding the raging insecurity in this country, it is dictated by the current mood of the nation. Hardly does a day pass by without fresh dimensions to the terrorism scourge that has held this country on the throat in the past couple of years now.

    With heightened local and international attention and efforts to facilitate the release of the abducted Chibok girls and possibly end the reign of terror, it is not out of place that other issues of our national being seem to have taken the back seat. Even the wheel of government has been considerably slowed down by the development. The situation is likely to remain so until substantial progress has been made on these daunting tasks.

    That largely accounted for the resentment that greeted the purported banning of the free the Chibok girls’ protests in the Federal Capital Territory FCT by the commissioner of police Mr. Joseph Mbu.  Mbu had at a press conference announced the banning of all forms of demonstrations on the Chibok girls in and around the FCT on account of the current insecurity. He rationalized the order on the fear that such demonstrations were loaded with the frightening prospects of hijack by terrorists and other evil minded people to wreak havoc by detonating bombs within the FCT.

    As should be expected, the ban generated wide criticisms because it infringed on the constitutional rights of the citizenry to freedom of association and expression as amply guaranteed in a democracy. Apparently sensing the contradiction in the ban especially with the serious interest the Chibok girls’ abduction had garnered, the Inspector- General of Police IGP, Muhammed Abubakar came out the next day to clarify that such a ban was not in force. He said the statement by Mbu was an advisory notice enjoining citizens to apply caution in the said rallies particularly in the FCT and its environs. The IGP made references to the same intelligence reports on the possibility of the protests being hijacked and advised citizens against protests and rallies until existing threats are neutralized.

    The intervention by Abubakar has been interpreted variously. There are those who see it as a vote of no confidence on Mbu and have therefore called for his sack. Others view the clarification as soft landing for an errant police commissioner who issued an order without the authority of his superiors.

    Yet there are some others who find it difficult to discern any fundamental difference between Mbu’s order and the clarification from the IGP, except the latter avoided the word ban. This is because, the IGP, apart from reaffirming extant order that such demonstrations will have to be under police permission, did not leave anyone with any shred of doubt on the risk which such protesters face. That is the purport of the warning that those planning such rallies should seek proper guidance and advice from the police ‘to avoid unpleasant circumstances’.

    They also did not vary from Mbu’s reasons for limiting such rallies. The same fear of possible infiltration and hijack by terrorist elements featured in their clarification. It would therefore seem that Mbu was not actually on his own when he issued the initial statement. He could not have possibly been.

    What played out was that the police authorities ran into the contradiction of having to ban rallies in a democracy and moved quickly to save the situation. It is also not unlikely they must have come under intense pressure from their foreign partners in the Chibok girls’ release engagement.

    Even then, Mbu had in his initial outing raised issues on the propriety of the persisting protests by the release the Chibok girls group. Hear him, when you continue to do it (protests) persistently, it becomes a nuisance to the government. People have been protesting for over a month now. It is the issue of terrorism it is not solved in one day”

    That is the moot point that must come into focus in any assessment of the continued desirability of the protests. Yes, the importance of keeping the predicament of the poor girls within the public domain cannot be discountenanced. By drawing government attention to the dangers inherent in the continued incarceration of the girls and their possible abuse in the hands of their abductors, the protests would ensure that the government gives the matter the right attention it deserves. This was especially the case within the first few weeks of the abduction when there were doubts regarding the responses of the government to the matter.

    But that is not the situation now. Having amassed a formidable coalition of super powers to secure the release of the girls and tame the scourge of terrorism, the response of the government is no longer in doubt. Its commitment to that objective is a matter of public knowledge.

    It is then curious what persistent protests can achieve at this point in time. If it is to raise the consciousness of the authorities to the matter and the concomitant imperative for quick action, that objective has already been achieved. If the objective is to get the girls released with great speed and at all costs, one is afraid this option has been flawed by the peculiar nature of the engagement.

    The military high command has told who cares to hear that they have an idea of where the girls are. They have also said they are constrained in applying full force because they fear their abductors will harm the girls in the event of such a confrontation. We have also heard of backdoor negotiations and other efforts. These are matters of public knowledge.

    The leader of the protesting group, Oby Ezekwesili seemed to have come to terms with this reality when she modified their slogan to ‘Bring Back Our Girls Now and Alive’.  The need for the girls to come back alive does not permit the mob action which the persisting demonstrations seem to suggest.

    With the formidable coalition that has been put in place, sitting out at one corner in Abuja in the name of protests may not add much in the current efforts by the military. The predicament of the Chibok girls though devastating and chilling is not all there is to the current insurgency in the country. Since that unfortunate incident, hundreds of people including soldiers have lost their lives to the festering terrorism. The lives of these people are as equally important as those of the young girls who are still hopefully alive. These are the issues to contend with and they are not unconnected with the position of the police on the matter.

    The right thing to do is to build a formidable partnership with the relevant civil society groups and other bodies in the states very prone to insurgency to denounce the evil which terrorism is. We must fight terrorism with all the resources available. Even if we succeed in securing the release of the Chibok girls today, a new set of girls may become victims tomorrow. That is the dilemma in singling out the girls’ fate as if it is all there is to the debilitating insurgency. The demonstrators need a more holistic perspective to their campaigns.

  • Chibok girls: We’ll not relent, says military

    Chibok girls: We’ll not relent, says military

    The Nigerian Army yesterday said it will not resign or relent its  effort on the fight against terrorism and rescuing of the  abducted Chibok girls.

    The Army spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, said this yesterday in Abuja during a press briefing.

    “Nigerian Army and other security agencies will not resign or relent on our effort in the fight against terrorism and rescuing of the girls. We will continue with  our duty of protecting  the country against any attack because resigning means given up on the war,” Olukolade said.

    The co-ordinator of the briefing centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, said it is not in the character of the Nigerian military to resign in the middle of this kind of issue, adding that they have  been known for protecting the country against any attack.

    “They are known for bravery, protecting and guiding the country and these they will continue to restore peace and normalcy back to the  country,” Omeri said.

    He also announced that the Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs met yesterday with the leadership of the United States interdisciplinary team for assistance to Nigeria.

    “It was resolved that subsequent phases of the efforts will feature continuous engagement among the partners while also recognised the need for less  pressure to disclose operational  information as is usually mounted on the Nigerian military,” he said.

    The centre also said that the confiscation of some newspapers has nothing  to do with  content or operation of the  media organisations or their personnel as is being imputed by a section  of  the media.

    He stressed that the action was a routine  security action and should not be misconstrued for any other motive.

  • Chibok girls: Govt to adopt U.S.-Taliban swap model

    Chibok girls: Govt to adopt U.S.-Taliban swap model

    The Presidency is under pressure to adopt the America-Taliban prisoner swap model in getting back the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls, it was gathered yesterday.

    Under the deal, the United States (U.S.) got back its soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

    Sources said the Presidency is being prevailed upon to follow the U.S. example and reconsider its stand not to swap the girls for detained Boko Haram members.

    Last month, the Presidency rejected the sect’s demand for a prisoner swap, saying to accede to the request would amount to fueling insurgency.

    There are, however, signs that it may change gear, following National Orientation Agency (NOA) Director-General Mike Omeri’s statement on Wednesday that negotiation with the sect has not been foreclosed.

    Some mothers of the abducted girls spoke to reporters in Lagos yesterday on the agony they are going through.

    Some clerics and government officials are said to be working secretly on a ‘deal’ with Boko Haram to rescue the girls, who were abducted from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on April 15.

    A timeline was said to have been set for the ‘deal’, but the parties are keeping it under wraps.

    Some of those suspected to be part of the new initiative have switched off their phones to avoid any action capable of frustrating the ‘deal’.

    A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said: “There is pressure on the Presidency to have a rethink on its no-swap position. These forces are saying the government should adopt the US-Taliban model or a variant of it.

    “So far, the government has not foreclosed negotiation or a kind of understanding with Boko Haram to set the girls free.

    “The target of the Presidency is to get the Chibok girls dilemma off national discourse as soon as possible.

    “The government also does not want any rescue operation that will hurt the girls in any manner whatsoever.”

    Answering a question, the source added: “Something tangible is in the offing, there is covert discussion going on as I talk to you.

    “I think it involves some clerics and contacts respected by Boko Haram. There is hope for the release of the girls if all the parties reach consensus on time.”

    On Wednesday, suspected Boko Haram members struck again on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State, killing 42 persons.

    Also yesterday, the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee on the Abduction of Chibok Girls said it is not being teleguided by anyone or group.

    It said no Presidency official has knowledge of its activities.

    In a statement by its member spokesperson, Mr. Kingsley Osadolor, the panel said: “The Presidential Fact-finding Committee on the Abduction of Chibok Schoolgirls has read recent reports insinuating that the Presidency is on a mission to either frustrate or manipulate the report of the committee.

    “The reports have emerged on the heels of reactions to comments credited to some officials of the Federal Government.

    “The Presidential fact-finding committee on the Chibok Abduction wishes to state categorically that those who have expressed their opinion on aspects of the committee’s terms of reference are not members of the Fact-finding committee.

    “They have never attended any meeting of the committee, nor have they been participant-observers at the various interactive sessions the committee has held in Abuja, Maiduguri, and Chibok.”

    Saying no Presidency official has knowledge of its workings, it added: “Indeed no Presidency official has been privy to the minutes of the proceedings of the committee. Since the committee commenced work following its inauguration on May 6, the committee has issued media statements and granted interviews as the need arose. In other words, the Fact-finding committee has communicated through its designated Member/Spokesperson.

    “The Presidential Fact-finding Committee wishes to assure all Nigerians and other stakeholders that the statements credited to certain officials are their personal views, which did not emanate either directly or indirectly from the Committee.

    “Since the Committee’s inauguration on May 6, there has been no meeting between the Committee— or any one or more of its members— and the Presidency. The Committee has never been invited to give any secret or open briefing on its work or findings so far.

    “The Committee would like to reiterate that it is not being tele-guided.

    “The Fact-finding Committee is now on the home stretch of its assignment. No staff of the Presidency has been obliged with a snippet of what the Committee is working on. Furthermore, the Committee has not issued any interim report.”

    The protesters resumed in Abuja yesterday. The campaigners resolved to write  Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima on the rehabilitation and resettlement of the over 200 abducted schoolgirls.

    The group said the girls’ rehabilitation would go a long way in helping them after suffering so much in the hands of  their abductors.

    Speaking in Abuja, where the group holds a daily sit out, former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili said: “We decide to sit out everyday in support of the young girls who are obviously going through a lot of trauma and will need a lot of support when they return.

    “We as a group have agreed to send a letter to the Borno State Governor, encouraging him on the rehabilitation and relocation of these girls who have gone through a lot at such young ages to enable them rejoin the society without fear.”

    The group resumed sitting, after a ban on activity  by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu. It has a  suit against him, seeking N200 million damages.

    A member of the group, Yusuf Banki, said the groups aim is the safe return of the girls. He added that they are taken care of after their return and not abandoned after the trauma they must have gone though.

    His words: “We are not only advocating for their return but that the  girls whom are obviously traumatized by the experience are not just thrown back into the society without support or help.”

  • LAUTECH female lecturers protest abduction of Chibok girls

    LAUTECH female lecturers protest abduction of Chibok girls

    The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso branch of the National Association of Women Academics (NAWACS), has joined other voices calling for the immediate rescue of the Chibok girls abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents on April 14.

    At a rally staged at the institution in Ogbomoso, the female lecturers described further incarceration of the girls as ungodly and a clear blot on the future of the Nigerian nation.

    Speaking at the rally, President of the association, Prof. Akin Akintunde said the abduction of the girls was a confrontation on the injunction of the holy books which provides for protection of the  female folk, adding that it also negates the dictates of moral value in the area of taking people forcefully into any form of slavery.

    She said: “We in NAWACS feel so strongly that our future mothers are being inhumanly treated, subjected to dehumanising conditions and be made to live under strange environment without any form of dignity that every woman deserves. We say this is the highest level of abuse and that it further denigrates all of us as a people.

    “While not blaming anybody, our concern is for our girls to be brought back to reunite with their families and properly rehabilitated, compensated to continue to live a decent life that they have always been prepared for before the very rude incursion.”

    Responding to the group when the rally moved to his office, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, condemned situations where businesses of individuals are truncated due to security laxity.

    Gbadegesin, who called for concerted efforts of all well-meaning Nigerians towards rescuing the missing girls, explained that nothing short of adequate security for all citizens was enough if the nation must truly attain greatness. “I do not think we are committed to becoming great as a nation if security of individuals cannot be guaranteed.

    “At this point, we in LAUTECH officially record our objection to the continued detention of these girls, who are our future. We are opposed to any form of impediments to the freedom of individuals; girls or boys, or even the aged,” he said.

  • School owners remember Chibok girls

    As part of this year’s Children’s Day, the Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), an umbrella group of school owners, in conjunction with D,groove Entertainment hosted primary school pupils in Isheri Osun of Lagos State.

    AFED Assistant Chairman, Isheri Osun Chapter, Mr Olowu Adeyinka said the event was organised to remind the government of the girls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

    “This event today is organised to join the global call reminding the government of the need for security referring to Chibok girls that were kidnapped, and some other areas of insecurity all over the country,” he said.

    He pleaded with the government and those in power to ensure that everything is put in place to rescue the girls.

    Proprietress of Omoye International schools and member of AFET, Princess Ikero Omoye, explained that though the day was meant to celebrate children across the world, saying the reverse is the case here due to insecurity situation.

    The event, which held at the Local Government Primary School Isheri Osun, witnessed special prayers, march past, choreography, cultural dance, among other performances.

    Assistant Manager Chellarams Plc and Co-sponsor of the event, Mr Okezie Iheduru, said the company graced the event as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR). Chellarams provided some of its products including milk, bicycle among others.