Parents of the abducted secondary
school girls in Chibok, Borno State
have started accusing the state and
federal governments of negligence and
insensitivity to their plight. This was
evident during their interaction with
Mrs. Graca Machel, widow of former
South African President, the late
Nelson Mandela, writes Shola Oyeyipo
As you read this piece today, it is over
580 days since about 219 secondary
school girls were kidnapped by members
of the Boko Haram sect in Chibok, Borno
State. But as each day passes by, the
plights of the parents of the girls are also
worsening. They feel betrayed and
abandoned by government, both at the
state and national levels.
Though a majority of Nigerians would
have erroneously concluded that
considering the media razzmatazz around
them, the parents may have adequately
catered for, however going by their
narration to the widow of former South
African president, the late Nelson
Mandela and of Mozambican president,
Samora Machel, Mrs. Graca Machel, who
was in Lagos last week Friday and took
time out to share in the pains of the
affected parents, it is obvious that not
much has been done to ameliorate the
agonies of the parents of the missing
girls.
Machel, renowned Mozambican politician
and humanitarian met with the yet
grieving parents of the missing girls at the
Federal Palace Hotel and shared in their
woes, particularly, the issue of negligence
by the Borno State and the federal
governments. They also gave some
messages for the Nigerian government
and the rest of the world.
The meeting held behind closed doors
was at the behest of Murtala Muhammed
Foundation (MMF), a non-profit making
organisation and strong advocate of
democracy, human rights, women
empowerment, disaster relief and
betterment of lives for Africans, led by
the daughter of the late former military
head of state of Nigeria between 1975
and 76, Mrs. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode.
It was however an emotion-laden
moment as every of the parents, who
took turn to speak did in tears and almost
inconsolable about their alleged
abandonment. They saw Machel’s visit as
a rare opportunity for her to help them
update the federal government and the
rest of the world on their plights as
parents of the Chibok girls.
The chairman, Chibok Abducted Girls
Movement, Mr. Yakubu Nkeki, who led 23
other parents to the Lagos meeting
bemoaned that in spite of the promises,
the people have suffered untold
hardships without help coming from
governments.
One consistent argument among the
parents was that since the girls were
abducted in the custody of government –
in their school, government should come
clear about the fate of the girls rather
than keep them in perpetual suspense.
Listening to them, aside their material
and other needs, it was observed that
reliable information as to whether the
children are still alive and would ever
return to their parents or not, was the
main cause of their depression.
“We have been suffering. Now it is 577
(last Friday) days since our children were
taken away and we don’t have any
reliable information about their fate. The
concern is that the military has been
rescuing some other abducted persons
and we are yet to see even one of the
Chibok girls rescued.
“We have been largely abandoned by
government, both the state and the
federal government. Neither of them has
ever come to Chibok to see what we are
going through. Chibok is in the forest –
we can call it forest. We have buried
more than 14 of the Chibok parents. Even
if you see some of us today, you will not
be able to go near them because some
are very sick and they are depreciating;
their conditions are pathetic. Some of
them still live in IDP camps while many
have fled to neighbouring states. We
have to cope with all these as we nurse
the pains of our missing children.
“Today, in Chibok, sustaining oneself is
difficult. We are predominantly farmers
but not many can farm nowadays because
of the fear of Boko Haram attack on us
while working in the fields. We usually
pride ourselves with western education
for our children but there is no school in
Chibok. Another problem is that our
younger children are not ready to go to
school anymore for fear that the fate that
befell their sisters awaits them if they go
to school.
“So, with the opportunity that the visit of
our mother (Machel) presents, we told
her the reality on the ground – that the
state and the federal government are not
taking care of us, very seriously. Though
there were promises that they would
assist us but there has been nothing like
that. They were abducted from
government’s hand and not our hands
because we sent them to school, so they
should be talking to us to let us know
whether they are still alive or not,” Nkeki
lamented.
Some other parents who spoke included
secretary of the group, Mr. Lawan Zanna
(father of Aisha Zanna); Mrs. Mariam
Abubakar (mother of Mariam and
Hamsatu Abubakar); Mrs. Esther Yakubu
(mother of Dorcas Yakubu, Alhaji
Maiyanga Askira (father of Halima and
Mariam Maiyanga) and one escapee,
Ibrahim Sanya.
They all bemoaned the hapless situation
of the parents of the abducted Chibok
girls and the entire people of the remote
village, urging all well-meaning Nigerians
to implore government to do more to
bring the girls back and to also alleviate
the conditions of the grieving parents,
especially with up to date information
about the well-being of their missing
daughters.
Mrs. Yakubu, for instance, asked: “Why
lying to us? They should let us know the
true state of affairs. They should let us
know if the children are never going to
come back because it is better to know
that your child is dead than to be like this
– expecting that they would come back
forever.” She was also unhappy about
some people, who presumed that the
girls were not truly missing at some point,
asking, “So, where are the children?”
Alhaji Maiyanga, on his part, is as
disturbed as the other parents, but
complicating his own plight, his two sons
who left Chibok for Lagos for fear that
they may be conscripted into the
outlawed group, have been in police
custody since February on the suspicion
that they are Boko Haram.
“If you look around and ask our people,
that is the kind of problem each one of us
faces. Some are sick, some cannot feed
themselves anymore because we cannot
farm as we used to do,” Maiyanga noted.
Sanya, who claimed he was abducted
when he joined the local vigilante group
fighting the sect and later escaped when
the insurgents were observing their
prayers, seems to have become a kind of
ambassador for Chibok people in Lagos;
helping them to relocate and start a new
life. He is more particular about the
displaced persons.
“Being very close to the forest and
without adequate protection, Chibok was
attacked about 10 times and because of
that a lot of our people have scattered all
over the places. Our means of livelihood
have been distorted. So, we really need
help in this regard. Our people living in
the IDP camps should be able to return
home and start a new life.”
The obviously touched Machel said her
resolve to meet with the grieving parents
was because she had always shared in
their pains since the unfortunate incident
took place. She emphasised that she is a
mother and a grandmother too and that
she understands what the families are
presently going through.
“I am a mother and a grandmother. I
stand here as a mother like you. I simply
live in Mozambique but I'm a parent like
any ‘baba’ or ‘mama’ here. When the girls
were abducted, I sent a letter, I don't
know if any one of you got it. I said I was
there with you; matching with you on
every street to bring back the girls. I was
with you.
“There were millions of African mothers,
who cannot stand with you but we were
standing hand-in-hand with you. In our
African way of being, when your sister or
mother is faced with a challenge like that,
we stand together. We don't know where
they are; all we say is that we are with
them and want them back.
“I sent a message to the girls. In the
letter, I told them that I want them to
know wherever they are – inside forest or
wherever they are; there are star and
that they are stars. I was encouraging
them to keep looking at the stars. There
are millions of mothers and fathers
praying that they should be hopeful,
strong and healthy, knowing that there
are millions of mother waiting for them to
come back.
“My hope is that they would soon come
back but now, not all of them may come
back. So, in my first opportunity to come
to Nigeria, I cannot come without seeing
these families, which is what I did when I
came into this room; shook hands with
everybody. I know it may not reduce
your pains but I want you to know that
we are with you,” Machel said assuring
them that she would convey their
messages to the Nigerian government
and other humanitarian groups she
belongs.
The Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode-led MMF
however received commendations from
the Chibok parents, who said like some
other spirited persons and organisations
around the world, the MMF has been
working to assist the parents.
Oyebode implored them to remain
strong. She also assured the people of
continuous assistance from the
foundation.
But of all their demands, a very important
one resonates; they still want western
education. Despite the fact that their
children were seized in the school, they
want schools closed down reopened and
in fact, when the insurgents are
eventually chased out, they want schools
to be built in Chibok. They also desire
government presence that would
reassure the siblings of the missing girls
that they can return to school.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/is-the-chibok-project-abandoned-/225836/

O boy this news long ooo

Okokobioko

Madam OBY go answer u

I don't mean to be a nay sayer but honestly speaking finding ALL the chibok girls after over 500 days is virtually impossible, except of course each of them had a tracking device. A majority of the women captured by ISIS were either sold, married off to different men or even killed. I doubt it will be any different with their copycats boko haram. Taking into consideration the fact that the suicide bombers after the chibok girls abduction were reportedly "young girls", I daresay, too much time has been wasted.

who chibok project don help?

Chibok girls are married women that have settled down Now oh!

Did't baba say he will rescue them!?
Ooh felt for this parents worst scam ever apc used this parents against jona still d girls r no where to be found
lie mohammed over to you
buhari did not make such a promise ....lai muhammed

Why is WWA (Wailing Wailers Association) increasing daily in geometric progression. They should stop wailing and embrace change. Change they actively wanted and Change they must quietly endure.

When Mama P shouted Dearis GOD madam Ezekwesili lead some gullible Nigerians matching that mama p was acting infact she claimed d govt was clueless and did not know what they were doing little did d perents of d chibok girls understand dat she was using them to score cheap political goal
PMB said he will lead d Army to rescue them once he gets to power
Now he has been in power His not even saying anything towards there release in Mama peace voice "Dis blood Dat U are shading Dearis God o O O!