Over 500 days since their abduction, some selected parents of the Chibok girls have met with the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
According to a statement signed by Isa Gusau, Gov. Shettima’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, the meeting was to convey the message of hope to the parents by the President Muhammadu Buhari that their children would soon return and be re-united to them.
Over 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok in southern part of Borno.
The statement said the president was very hopeful that the schoolgirls were alive and that efforts were on top gear to have them rescued safely to reintegrate with their families.
Part of the president message through the governor read; “These priceless schoolgirls are our daughters and they are dear to us as much as they are to you. ” We share the agony and sorrows you are experiencing as well as our abducted girls, as Government we are working hard to rescue our girls alive and healthy.
“I am optimistic that the girls are still alive and will soon be rescued and handed over to you parents by the grace of God. As leaders we are responsible for the welfare of our people and are accountable before the Almighty God, as such while the rescue efforts go on relentlessly, the government will continue to render assistance to you as their biological parents.
” We are aware that most of you the parent cannot attend to your sources of livelihood, go to work, go to farms nor carry on with your trading because of the psychological trauma and agony you are going through and this is to be expected. ” It is for this reason, we find it an obligation to support you in trauma management and in offering some economic support and these support are not compensation for your daughters because we have not lost hope in recovering them, indeed no sane parent gives up on the recovery of a missing child”.
The President who observed that, the activities of Boko Haram have no religious or tribal inclination regretted the senseless killings that have been carried out by the group and assured that the situation would soon come by the grace of God.
“Government is fully committed to fight the insurgents to a stand till especially with renewed global and regional military cooperation as well as the commitment so far displayed by newly appointed service chiefs and their gallant armed forces who have shown so much patriotism and great sacrifice in defense of their father land,” the president said.
The president in his message also sharedbin the pains of the parents as a parent himself who understands the pains and agony of losing a child.
One of the parents, Lawan Shettima who spoke on behalf others expressed confidence in the leadership of President Buahari to rescuing their children and bringing them back home.
No comments:
Post a Comment