KADA Statement On Chibok Girls 2 Years In Captivity
KIBAKU (CHIBOK) AREA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (KADA)
PRESS RELEASE
TWO YEARS COMMEMORATION OF THE ABDUCTION OF #CHIBOKGIRLS:
WE ARE HOPEFUL OUR DAUGHTERS WILL BE BACK.
Gentlemen of the press,
We are here again sadly though to issue this statement marking the second year commemoration of the sad incidence of the abduction of the Chibok school girls. Today is two years since our daughters were abducted from Government Secondary School Chibok on 14th April 2014 under the cover of darkness. The pains, the trauma and the stress the parents relations and many passionate individuals have been passing through can never be imagined, this abduction will remain a scare on our consciences.
Filled with grief and yet having expectant heart that our girls will be back, the Chibok Community in Abuja and environ are here at the Unity Fountain together with Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement to commemorate the sad event that took place on that fateful day and to tell the world that the remaining 219 girls are still in captivity.
We are here today to strike for the open nerves of humanity, to prick our consciences, to escalate our voices further, to speak for the voiceless Chibok girls and many like them still in captivity, that as long as they remain captives, humanity is in captivity. To remind our government that, until they are rescued and reunited with their families, then Nigeria has failed them and indeed humanity has failed them.
After the Abduction, Chibok area was attacked severally with resultant high casualties, including eleven of the parents and guardians of the abducted girls (four killed by Boko Haram insurgence and seven due to trauma related cases). The people of Chibok are today haunted, displaced, traumatized and living in agony as refugees and/or internally displaced persons (IDP) all over Nigeria and beyond with no formal/government recognized camp. Due to complete destruction of sources of livelihoods, there is looming famine in the Chibok (Kibaku) land and Northeast in particular as a result of the terrorism which has virtually crippled farming activities which is the main economic stay of the people. Wanton (destruction of food stuff, granaries and livestock were perpetrated by the insurgents. There were cases of poisoning and/or destruction of water wells, the primary source of water for the community. We appeal to NGOs and Development partners both local and international to access the locked up communities and come to the aid of these traumatized people.
A project worth mentioning today is the “Chibok burnt school”, the school where the girls were abducted is yet to be constructed over one year of the widely published reconstruction foundation laying by the former government. As peace gradually returns to the Northeast, we urge government and its development partners under the safe school initiatives (SSI) to fast tract the completion of the Chibok burnt school for education of the children to commence.
Despite the gloomy picture of what is happening in the community, we are still hopeful that our girls will come back alive. We are hopeful that Mr. President will keep his word which he expressed at different occasions starting with his inaugural speech where he said, “the war on terror will not be said to have been successfully prosecuted without the successful rescue of the chibok girls” we urge Mr. president to focus his resolve and ensure we obtain positive results. As expressed in many quarters Nigeria will be incomplete without the return of the Chibok girls and others like them still in captivity.
In the abduction saga, it is true that the girls are the victims, the parents and guardians are suffering the agony, trauma and pains, but the embarrassment is that of the government and the people of Nigeria. We urged all to come together and find lasting solution to this unfortunate incidence so as to save our face as a country.
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KADA wishes to use this opportunity to appeal to Mr. President to set up “Special Search and Rescue Team” with a special mandate to locate and rescue the Chibok girls.
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To institute proper channel of communication with Chibok parents and the Community (KADA) for essential and frequent briefings on progress report of the search and rescue team to help calm the anxiety of the community.
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To deal directly with KADA recommended representative on profiling and identification of any rescued victim that is perceived to be Chibok school girl.
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That the Government should make good its promise of taking care of the welfare of the parents through the Ministry of Women Affairs as made during the visit of the parents to Mr. President in January, 2016
We wish to note and commend the recent successes recorded in the prosecution of the war on terror by our gallant forces, amongst which many have paid the supreme price in order to get rid of our common enemy the boko haram terrorists and restore peace, we stand with them and the families of the fallen heroes, and we say “Never again” shall we descend to this level in our nation.
We will like to use this opportunity to express our appreciation to all governments, the press, NGOs and well meaning individuals around the world who stood and continue to stand by us through this traumatic incident and urge all to persevere to the end. We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
We want to specially recognize and thank the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement for their tenacity and consistency in advocating for the Chibok girls. The movement has become the voice of the voiceless Chibok girls all over the world and in particular Nigeria; where they have through the daily sit outs become the symbol of the struggle for the safe return of the girls in the last two years. God bless BBOG!
Finally, Chibok Community is also greatly indebted to The Leadership Newspapers, Channels Television, and Daily Trust Newspapers, just to mention few for helping to keep the plight of the Chibok girls at the front burner over the past two years.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Signed:
Engr. Battah Y. Ndirpaya, FNSE DR Manasseh Allen Tsambido Hosea Abana
National Secretary National Publicity Secretary Chairman Abuja Branch
