We want our girls, not school – Chibok elders

The girls were seized from a secondary school by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 last year, but 59 of them had since escaped from their abductors.   On Thursday, the Minister of Finance Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala flew into the town, amid tight security, to lay the foundation for rebuilding the school, which was also destroyed […]

The girls were seized from a secondary school by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 last year, but 59 of them had since escaped from their abductors.   
On Thursday, the Minister of Finance Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala flew into the town, amid tight security, to lay the foundation for rebuilding the school, which was also destroyed by the insurgents.
However, Chibok community leaders yesterday said it was premature for the federal government to concentrate effort at rebuilding the school whereas their daughters were still in captivity.
The leaders made their demand at a press conference in Maiduguri attended by prominent people including hundreds of women and girls from the area.
They decried the politicisation of the travails of the girls, pointing out that it would be a waste of resources to build a facility that would not be put to use immediately.
Chairman of Chibok Local Government Bana Lawan, who  read from a prepared text, said they were shocked to note that the federal delegation flew into their town unannounced.
He added that officials of the state ministry of education, the council chairman and community leaders were not involved in the ceremony even though the school belonged to the state.
According to him, “Chibok LGA had witnessed six different attacks by the Boko Haram and about 300 people lost their lives and property worth millions of naira destroyed; hundreds of houses burnt and food and cash crops looted.
“For some reasons best known to the federal government, instead of bringing back our girls, they decided to embark on the reconstruction of the girls’ school.
“We therefore condemn in strong terms, this unwarranted action of the federal government; the Chibok people rather want their daughters back,” he said.
Lawan said for nearly a year, the federal government did not bother to send a delegation to Chibok, but simply conveyed the parents to Abuja in a military cargo plane for a meeting that did not yield any fruit.
He added: “But we observed that recently, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Mubi and Baga but failed to visit Chibok.
“We also note that the President and the Chief of Defence Staff have severally promised that these girls will soon be released but to no avail.
“We want you to note that the people of Chibok are peace loving and have always wanted peace to reign despite the abduction of the 219 school girls,” he said.
The community leaders however expressed gratitude to Governor Kashim Shettima and his wife for visiting Chibok few days after the abduction to sympathise with the parents.
They commended the governor for securing admission in various schools in the country for the 59 girls that escaped from Boko Haram.
Daily Trust reports that the abduction of the schoolgirls drew global attention to Nigeria.