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| Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram |
110 days have passed since the
Chibok girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants from their boarding school
in Nigeria. Both the international community and local Nigerian government
pledged to do all they could to bring back the girls but till now; nothing of
material has been done. There is no sign of any of them at all. So, WHERE ARE
OUR GIRLS?
Each and every passing second is more
than a living nightmare for the girls’ families. Each passing minute, each and
every single one of these girls is exposed to such ills as violent rape,
physical, emotional and sexual assault, sexual slavery, ‘forced marriages’, unwanted
pregnancies, miscarriages due to abuse, risk of contracting all forms of sexually
transmitted infections, murder, torture, hunger, lack of proper sanitary-ware
and sanitation, brainwashing and indoctrination, risk of developing stockholm
syndrome...OH DEAR LORD! All this is happening as the world powers are more
concerned about their economic wars in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Iraq, and
Gaza. Nobody seems to care about the girls anymore, that is if they ever did.
The international community which
was so seemingly adamant to get the girls back, seems to have been affected by
a ‘quiet syndrome’ because they ain’t talking about it anymore. Have you done
all you can to help locate the girls? If it were your daughter would you be so
silent? The time has come for you to tell us, Where Our Girls Are?
In April, people around the world
marched, demonstrated, showed all forms of remorse against the Chibok girls
abductions and these gross human right violations. The media was less than
eager to report on this issue which was in the interest of the public until
they were compelled to do so by members of the public. Yes, there was a lot of
coverage of the story for a few days but now it has died out...just how this
whole atrocity is about to die out and the girls never to be recovered
again. The media are now instead,
focusing on Gaza’s children. Are the Chibok girls of less importance? I beg,
Where Are Our Girls?
The United Nations is sitting every other day
and Secretary General Ban ki Moon calling for immediate cease fire in the
Israel – Gaza conflict again and again. The children of Gaza seem more
important than those of Chibok because Mr. Sec. General is not calling for any
move to stop Boko Haram. Is the UN not a representative of the girls? Is the UN
not a representative of the girls’ parents? Mr. Secretary General, Where Are
Our Girls?
Boko Haram has unleashed a reign
of terror through bombings, kidnappings and all sorts of other ills in the
Nigerian society as well as neighbouring countries. They demand the release of
their soldiers from prison in exchange for the girls – like, seriously!!??
Just the other day, two Boko
Haram militants were captured and arrested after being found with a 10 year old
girl who had a bomb strapped to her body. Are our girls now being used as
suicide bombers? Is this a sure sign that more other girl-child abductions are
going unreported? The Nigerian government continues to look on since the
militants have connections with high officials. Maybe the white colour on your
flag which ‘resembled’ peace ought to be changed to black for terror, war and
bloodshed. You are not willing to stop these acts of impunity but we continue
to ask, Where Are Our Girls?
Cameroonian Vice President’s wife
who was kidnapped last Friday by Boko Haram has already been rescued! How easy
is it to hide and conceal one person as opposed to 273 girls? Definitely there
was some kind of settlement. It’s a pity the Chibok girls don’t have parents in
high positions for example politicians and business people otherwise they would
be back home by now.
Nigerian president Goodluck
Jonathan dashed the kidnapped girls’ parents some money equivalent to and in
some cases less than US$2000 as a way of ‘consoling’ the bereaved families. He
has resorted to the old adage Nigerian style of settling issues – that is
bribery. Is the money going to stop the families missing their daughters and
sisters? A mother carried her daughter in her womb for nine whole months and
was the happiest and proudest when she delivered her into the world. A world
full of un-just and in-human people. At birth the mother shed tears of JOY.
Three months ago till the daughter comes back home, it will just be tears of
SORROW. Mr. President, we want to see some luck as your name suggests,
otherwise you have desperately failed us. We eagerly wait for the return of our
girls.
We yearn for that day when you
will bring back our girls and tell us, ‘Here they are, safe and sound’.
