- As Buhari Urges Military On Intelligence
- WPSN Expresses Concern Over Loss Of Lives In Borno
The Bring Back our Girls Campaign, BBOG, has described as insensitive comments credited to Women Affairs minister, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, where she was said to have asked parents of the abducted Chibok Girls to stop being so emotional about their daughters.
Speaking to our correspondent shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential villa, last week, the women took exception to the minister’s remarks, saying she did not behave like a woman nor a mother, in asking fellow women not to weep for their children who have been missing for close to two years now.
Spokesperson of the Chibok Mothers who came to Abuja for a protest to the Presidency over the seeming failure of government to rescue their daughters, Esther Nkeki, said they felt so embarrassed by Jummai Alhassan’s conduct during their interface with her before the President arrived to sooth their frayed nerves.
According to them, if the Minister has children and her children are treated in the fashion their daughters were abducted, she will not be sitting there grinning from ear to ear, when her children are dying out there in the hands of Boko Haram.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who arrived the meeting after much drama, had informed the enraged mothers that the truth about the Chibok girls was that his Government lacks intelligence on their whereabouts, but that he will do everything possible to ensure their rescue, whenever he establishes their exact location.
The President has meanwhile urged troops fighting insurgency in the Northeast to provide intelligence on the whereabouts of the missing 219 Chibok School girls that were abducted in 2014 by the Islamic militants, Boko Haram, as a clue to enable him initiate their rescue.
The President stated this during his interaction with the troops, which was part of events marking this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja on January 15, 2016.
“The nation is anxiously waiting for you to supply the intelligence on the whereabouts of the Chibok girls, and the ground forces to develop the strategies to recover them. So, we all wish you the best of 2016.” Buhari said.
“We have just concluded the parade; it was a successful one and I am very pleased with this innovation, which I did not know about before. It’s quite impressive and a morale booster; I congratulate you indeed. I hope you are being able to cope in spite of the weather there. It is dusty; it is cold and from the report I have been receiving, I am very impressed and congratulate you for your best in the circumstances.”He added.
He told the Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri, Major General Hassan Umaru, to tell the troops that government is quite concerned about their performance and the rest of the nation.
“I assure you the government is doing its best to ensure that they are provided with the best that is possible in terms of military hardware and efficiency in logistics, to pay all allowances so that your families will be happy back in the barracks. Thank you very much”, he said.
This is even as , the Women for Peace and Security Network (WPSN), a Non – Governmental Organisation in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital has expressed concern over the rampant killing and destruction of property using suicide bombers by suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
NPSN also regretted the rate at which women and girls mostly children have remain target of abduction by the insurgents particularly the abduction of over 200 Chibok School -girls whose their whereabouts is yet to be known for over a year now.
These lamentations were disclosed by the President of the organization, Hajiya Rabi Ismail Mamza during her opening remarks on the occasion marking Commemoration of 16 Days of Activism 2015 held at Lamaraj Hotel, Maiduguri.
She said, though, observers may see the occasion as belated to commemorate the annual event which begins from 25th November to 10th December every year, ‘it is better late than never’, noting that, members of WPSN are consistently relentlessness in their determined effort towards marking every important day in the course of the struggle, especially our human rights for the reduction of impact of violence and conflict on women and girls as well and World Peace for all.
Mamza explained that the Beijing Declaration and Flat Form for Action have remained the most progressive road map to gender equality, to this end, the United Nations at the 59th Commission on status of Women in (March 2015) and 70th Gender Assembly in (September 2015) examined the progress of women issues and became committed to taking more concrete actions to bridge the gaps that had hitherto hindered women and girls from attaining gender equality.
She noted that the theme for the 2015 16 -Days of Activism is from “Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All”, unfortunately, Borno and some parts of the North East have been experiencing unprecedented violence, adding that even the much publicised relative peace presently being enjoyed in the state became notable only in the last few weeks, especially within Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and some few out of 27 Council Areas that were still under Boko Haram control with no access to them.
She therefore appealed to all well meaning citizens to rise to the occasion by not only supporting military and other security agencies who were on the theatre of war in the north east but also to complement the struggle to free the region from the shackles of unwarranted violence so as to entrench lasting peace.
“ There is no doubt that the nefarious activities of insurgents have affected virtually all aspects of human life in the region, we know for sure that, apart from the loss of thousands of human lives, abduction of women and girls, especially the over 200 yet to be rescued Chibok School – girls, is the unfortunate incalculable setback in the education sector where most schools were destroyed and remained closed.
“ Our greatest challenge, today as women is the devastating negative effects on all aspects of educational development occasioned by massive destruction of school buildings, and displacement of teachers, parents, pupils and students all over”. Mamza regretted.
Two Resource Persons at the occasion, Dr. Sala Ibrahim of the University of Maiduguri duel extensively on relationship between Militarism and Human Rights to Safe Education, while Mr. Laabarn Babangida, a representative from the Human Right (HRC) dwelt on the Implication of Human Rights in Conflict Situation.
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