Some parents of 219 abducted schoolgirls and concerned members of Chibok community, on Monday, condemned the recent visit by Federal Government officials to Chibok, during which the team led by the Hon. Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala pledged to rebuild the school, insisting that what they are after is the safe return of their children.
Addressing Journalists at the Borno State Hotels in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in the presence of hundreds of Chibok people resident in Maiduguri, the Caretaker Chairman of Chibok Council Area, Mallam Ba’ana Lawan, accused the Federal Government for making good its promises to rescue the girls.
He expressed dismay over FG’s move to rebuild Government Girls Secondary School, GGSS, Chibok which was destroyed by the insurgents after abducting the schoolgirls, stressing that the traumatized parents and the entire people of Chibok community only want their children back home.
“It is disheartening to inform you that since the abduction of these girls, the FG did not bother to send delegations to Chibok to sympathize with the parents, instead, the parents were invited to Abuja and conveyed in cargo military plane with no comfort whatsoever.
“We observed that recently, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Mubi and Baga, but failed to visit Chibok to sympathize with our people.
“We also observed that the President and Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh had severally promised that these girls will soon be released, but is it is now more than 300 days, and nothing of such has happened. We thank God and appreciate governor Kashim Shettima and his wife, Nana Kashim Shettima who did not only visited Chibok when the incident took place, but also secured admission to the 59 schoolgirls that escaped from the Boko Haram captivity to study in various schools in the country and all the assistance he has rendered to the parents.
“It is most unfortunate that Chibok Local Government Area have witnessed six different attacks by insurgents and about 300 people lost their lives with properties worth millions of naira destroyed, hundreds of houses razed down as well as food and cash crops were looted. The most recent attacks being that of Gatamwarwa, Kautikari and other surrounding villages where several lives were equally lost. Yet there was no response from the Federal Government.
“We therefore condemned the promised reconstruction of the school because what we want is the return of the girls, Lawan said.
He however appreciated the persistence efforts of the ‘#BRING BACK OUR GIRLS’ group in Abuja who have been pressurizing the Federal Government to intensify effort in rescuing the innocent girls as well as the media in their consistent effort to ensure that the girls are freed safely.
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