The Chief Executive Officer of the African Women’s Development fund (AWDF), Theo Sowa has criticised the Nigerian government and the world at large for not doing enough to ensure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram.
She has therefore thrown the challenge to the newly elected Nigerian President to intensify efforts to ensure the release of the girls and to end activities of Boko Haram in the region.
Theo Sowa made the call during the candlelight vigil held at the University of Ghana on Tuesday to observe the one year anniversary of the abduction of the girls.
It is exactly one year since the heinous Islamic terrorist; Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School in Nigeria when they were writing their exams. With only 57 girls being able to escape in the hours following the kidnapping, 219 girls are still in captivity and one year on, there is no word on their location to their families.
In spite of world solidarity and efforts by the Nigeria government to compel Boko Haram to release the girls has failed.
According to an update on the missing girls by the AWDF foundation, it is believe that these girls are being sold into slavery while others are forced into becoming camp wives.
Speaking at the candlelight vigil organised to observe the one year of the abduction of the Chibok girls and to evoke the spirit of resilience and justice, the CEO of AWDF, Theo Sowa bemoaned that the government of Nigeria has not done enough to reunite the girls with their parents. She thus called on the regional governments and the newly elected president of Nigeria, President Buhari for more rigorous approach to rescue the girls.
‘’The government of Nigeria and the world has not done enough to bring back our girls. Two hundred and thirty is not just a number. These girls were in school to study. They had dreams and hopes for a future they might have had as doctors, teachers and engineers-future as nation builders that have been mercilessly trampled. We must not sit back in the face of such appalling violence.’’ Theo Sowa, CEO of AWDF.
The candlelight vigil attracted students and many women right activists including the minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection who promised the ministry’s support and that of the government of Ghana to beef up the efforts of the Nigeria government to ensure the girls are brought back.
‘’Ghana as a country shares the pain of the parents of the girls. We as a people and the government commit to do all in our powers to help find the girls’’ Nana Oye Lithur, Minister, Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The African Women’s Development Fund is a grant making foundation, which financially supports local, national and regional organisations in Africa working towards women empowerment. Through institutional capacity building and program development, AWDF seeks to build a culture of learning and partnership within the African women’s movement.
The foundation has pledged to sustain the campaign to bring back the girls and is therefore calling on all well-wishers to join hands to achieve positive results.
The AWDF also advocates for support for groups that enable women to promote peace and security across the continent and to defend all women and girls from such heinous attacks.
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By: Maryjane Enchill/citifmonline.com/Ghana