Our efforts at finding the abducted girls (II)

In this year alone, we have spent close to one billion naira on victims. In Gwoza, we spent two hundred million naira for reconstruction of destroyed houses, markets, places of worship and to provide cash to victims so they could have something to rely on in the immediate term to feed themselves and families or […]

In this year alone, we have spent close to one billion naira on victims. In Gwoza, we spent two hundred million naira for reconstruction of destroyed houses, markets, places of worship and to provide cash to victims so they could have something to rely on in the immediate term to feed themselves and families or start small businesses in the interim. In Bama, we spent three hundred million for same purpose; in Konduga we spent two hundred million naira. Unfortunately, we had to hold what we should have done for Chibok because of the politics brought in. If we had released some material support earlier, some bad elements would have said we tried to buy the people of Chibok. Unlike other communities in which private houses and markets were destroyed, public institutions like the school, council secretariat, the residence of the council chairman and some few shops were destroyed in Chibok.  Communities didn’t suffer material losses. But then, from our immediate thoughts when the attack took place and also based on our recent discoveries, most of the parents of these abducted girls have nothing to eat, they are so traumatized that they have abandoned their sources of livelihood. No true mother would easily concentrate on any line of business when her daughter is in the hands of violent abductors. The same it is for most fathers. I have a girl-child; I know the psychological connection between the girl-child and parents. One can hardly even pay the required attention in prayers due to the perpetual trauma of having one’s girl-child in dangerous hands. So, are we going to continue to ignore these suffering parents and the 53 girls just because we are afraid of political accusations and false interpretations? The answer is NO. Governance is beyond the fear of accusations, governance entails making a decision with sincerity of purpose and for the good of the society.
The Borno State Government will set aside 150 million naira to fund a rehabilitation programme for the 53 girls and to support parents in Chibok whose sources of livelihood have been truncated by their trauma, leaving them with little or nothing to feed while we continue to work immeasurably for the release of the girls being held. The State Government is already in touch with key international organizations and a plan of action has already been proposed by the Ministry of Health in the state on issues relating to the health well being of the 53 girls as well as their colleagues soon as they are freed. We are very optimistic that they will be freed. We have a quiet committee headed by the state’s Commissioner of Health, a specialist in reproductive health. We may need to enlarge the quiet committee to have all relevant stakeholders that include Chibok elders, PTA of the school, security agencies in the state, the National Association of Nigerian Students, the association of Borno students, the female wing of Christian Association of Nigeria, the Federation of Muslim Women of Nigeria, the district head of Chibok, some civil societies and specialists in psychological counselling etc, so that we move on while we must all work very hard in collaboration with the federal government to ensure the release of our daughters, given them medical care, counsel them, reintegrate them and ensure they are given the right to complete their exams.
 The Borno State Government is committed to sincere and active collaboration with the federal government and all other support groups in our collective fight against insurgency.
In continued collaboration, however, we must trust each other’s sincerity of purpose. I see misconception about those behind Boko Haram as one major hindrance to fighting the insurgency. So long we continue to look the wrong way on who is or are behind Boko Haram, there would be lack of focus on the part of most stakeholders and in which case, the victims would remain the accused.
(Concluded)
Governor Shettima of Borno State made these remarks in Maiduguri on Tuesday to the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee on the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls