Reps Want Jonathan To Rescue Chibok Girls Before May 29 Handover

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja – The House of Representatives has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the rescue of the Chibok secondary schools girls abducted by Boko Haram before the May 29 handover date.

Members of the House passed the resolution after unanimously adopting a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (APC/Lagos).

Dabiri-Erewa in her motion said that it was exactly one year that the 219 female students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

She expressed concern that the girls were yet to be rescued while their whereabouts remain unknown, adding that the House was worried over the current status of the kidnapped girls.

“One year on, we don’t know whether they are dead or alive, married, pregnant or scattered in different locations. It is one of the saddest happenings in our country.

“Imagine that your child is missing for a day; we must be able to know where they are and Nigerians should not forget these girls.”

Contributing to debate on the motion, Nnenna Ukeje (PDP/Abia) commended efforts of the conveners of the “Bring Back Our Girls Campaign Group” towards the rescue of the missing girls.

According to her scores of children have been killed, students maimed and people displaced by the insurgents, adding “the Chibok girls incident is too painful to remember”

In his own contribution, Hon. Friday Itula (Edo/PDP) said that the activities of the kidnappers of the girls remain a thorn in the flesh of the current administration.

He appealed to the federal government to ensure that the abducted girls are rescued before the hand over date and commended the efforts of the military in recovering communities that were captured by insurgents.

“One more step for Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to go is to ensure the release of the girls. I hope that by May 29, Nigeria will celebrate the recovery of the girls,” Itula added.

The lawmaker further solicited the collective efforts of all Nigerians in ensuring that the girls were rescued alive.

Nkoyo Toyo (PDP-Cross River) described the abduction of the girls as a crime against humanity, calling for the prosecution of the perpetrators.

In his remarks, Speaker of the House or Representatives, Rep. Aminu Tambuwal said that the country would do everything to ensure the rescue of the girls, adding that as a nation, we must do everything humanly possible to recover these girls.

“It is really sad we have gotten to this level. Even the claim by the armed forces that they know where the girls are has turned out not to be correct”.

Tambuwal noted that the amendment of the anti-terrorism bill as well as passage of the defence budget without reductions was geared towards ensuring victory over insurgency.

“We had in the past done all we had to do. We pray that God shall not only touch the hearts of the kidnappers but guide the security operatives to rescue the girls.”