Deputy Senate President Confident Nigeria Will Celebrate Return Of Chibok Girls Next Year

“I believe that by this time next year we will be celebrating the release and not anniversary of their abduction.
This was the remarks by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the Senate today where Senator Dino Melaye and three others presented a motion on the condition of the Chibok girls who were abducted on April 14, 2014.
Ekweremadu described the abduction of the girls as disturbing, adding that Nigerians and the international community were asking when the girls would be rescued.
“I am happy we are talking about it to ensure that this national embarrassment is brought to an end.”
He however blamed the police system in the country for the abduction of the girls, adding: “one reason this could happen is because of inadequate policing. This does not happen in U.S. or UK. We must begin to think about doing something.
“ Until we do something about the nature of police in the country, there is the possibility for it to happen in other places.”
The Senate which later summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) and security chiefs to appear before it and brief it on efforts to rescue the Chibok girls, called on  Nigerians to continue to pray for the release of the girls.
It also called on the Federal Government to take over the rebuilding of the school to alleviate the sufferings of students.
The Senate expressed sympathy for the parents of the girls, Chibok community and Nigerians over the incident.
Presenting the motion, Senator Melaye said that besides the propaganda videos created by the Islamist militant group, none of the girls had been seen since their abduction.
He said that apart from the fact that some of the girls were yet to be rescued, the school where they were abducted was still unattended to.
The Senator said that the abduction of the girls had greatly affected the image of the country in the international community.
“It is a harrowing feeling knowing that these girls are still under the mercy of such a violent group.
“I can only imagine the state of mind of the parents, guardians and relatives of the missing girls.
“I am concerned that the abduction has become a myth and their whereabouts an enigma.
“These girls have dreams and aspirations and in the eyes of God and the laws of man, they have every right to pursue such dreams.
“We cannot succeed as a government until those girls are released.”
Contributing to the motion, senator Shehu Sani decried the levity with which issues affecting the poor were treated in the country.
He said that measures would have been put in place to rescue the girls if they were from rich homes.
“There is a class nature to abduction in Nigeria; when the rich are abducted it takes few weeks to get them back. Why must it take two years to get the Chibok girls back?
“When the Federal Government is ready, I have a strategy and advice to give, a freelance journalist offered to get these girls out and we have not done anything.
“ Visiting Chibok and talking too much while the girls are in captivity will not help the situation. If we are not careful we will move from anniversary to anniversary.”
Sani called on government to continue to use force and explore the possibility of dialogue for the release of the girls.
He added that their abduction had dented the image of the country in the fight against terrorism.
The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, commended the Federal Government for measures put in place so far to rescue the girls.
He also commended Melaye for the motion, saying that “by moving this motion today it clearly shows the concern the lawmaker has for the girls.”
Akpabio asked the government to intensify effort to rescue the girls, adding: “for us to succeed as a nation, we must bring these girls back.”
Senator Rose Okoh expressed concern over the condition of the girls, saying that they may have been violated and some may have died.
“If at this time we are still telling the world that we have no answer, it seems that there is something amiss.
“We need to wake up from the lethargy with which we have treated this issue,’’ she said.
Okoh called on the Federal Government to do more to rescue the girls and other girls who had been abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists.”
This was even as Senator Ben Bruce who was opposed to the payment of ransom for the release of the girls, advised security agencies to continue with other alternatives for their rescue.
He said that the insurgents may use such ransom to procure arms and continue with their despicable activities.
“I do not accept paying them to release the girls because they will use the money to buy more arms.” [myad]