Women in Ondo State took to the streets of Akure, the state
capital, yesterday to protest the delay in rescuing over 100 girls of the
Federal Government College, Chibok in Borno State, 20 days after they were
abducted by members of the Boko Haram.
As
they matched on the streets with tears and songs, the women wondered why it
would take so long to rescue the girls whose future has been threatened by
the insurgents.
the insurgents.
They chanted “all we are saying, bring back our girls,” as well
as other songs to draw the attention of the authorities to the plight of the
girls and their parents. Some of the placards they carried had inscriptions such as, “Boko Haram, kidnap
of Chibok girls is criminal;” “Chibok disaster is women disaster;” and “Free
our girls now.”
Chairperson of the National Council for Women Societies(NCWS) in
Ondo State, Mrs. Adebimpe Kikelomo, in her speech, said the women were saddened
over the disappearance of the girls.
She said the women were protesting to express their displeasure
and get the government to act quickly in rescuing the girls from the hands of
the terrorists.
She
said, “We hear they are defiling them everyday. They are the mothers of
tomorrow, the First Ladies of tomorrow. We want the government to do something
quickly and bring them back to their parents.”
Also addressing the protesters, the Chairperson of the National
Association of Women Journalists(NAWOJ), Mrs. Tope Fasuyi, said the girls
should be rescued urgently to wipe out the reproach the development was causing
the nation. She noted that all governments and Nigerians should unite to bring an end to
the tragedy.
Governor
of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, who received the protesters in his office, said
he was touched by the expressions of the women and promised that he would reach
out to President Goodluck Jonathan on how the problem could be brought to an
end.
He said, “I want to thank you for trying to remind us of what we
should be doing. We are as concerned as you are as this has taken something out
of our humanity.
“I want to assure you that the President is doing his best to
ensure that we have a good outcome.”
Mimiko
noted that although, there was little information about the whereabouts of the
girls, which had become a source of serious concern, government had plans to
rescue the girls.
“You know that security information regarding matters of this
nature are better kept secret so that efforts of government are not sabotaged.”
He
assured the women that the Federal Government had employed all the necessary
supports from within and outside the country, adding that something good would
soon happen.
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