Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Tuesday appealed to Boko Haram to release the schoolgirls abducted by them since April 14.
Fashola spoke during the 2014 Children’s Day parade at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.
The celebration, which was devoid of the usual funfair, was also used by pupils from various primary and secondary schools in the state to show solidarity for the Chibok girls.
The pupils were all dressed in red vests with the inscription, “Bring Back Our Girls.”
Fashola said it was unfair for the group to continue to hold the girls captive for agitations they knew nothing about and for demands they could not meet.
He urged the insurgents to leave children out of their grievances and dialogue with adults in resolving the disagreements they had with the system.
Fashola said, “People have been asking what the people who have taken our children want, but the truth is that I do not know. But what I do know is that whatever it is that they want, it is not the children who will give it to them; it is adults.
“If they have any disagreement at all with anybody, it is disagreements among adults; children have no role to play here. Therefore, I want to passionately and deeply, with every strength I can muster that these people should release these children so that they can engage adults to resolve whatever the problem is.
Fashola commended the participating pupils for their empathy for the missing girls.
He said the messages on their vests, demanding the safe release of the abducted girls showed they were conscious of happenings around them and cared about their abducted colleagues.
He urged them not to allow the abduction to demoralise them in pursuing their educational dreams.
He assured the pupils that the government would do everything to ensure they were not only safe at schools, but also at home and other places.
He said, “You must not be afraid of going to school. Your governor and your parents will do everything we can do to ensure that your schools are safe, and also you are safe in your communities”, he said.
He advised children against trusting strangers and accepting gifts from people they did not know.
The governor also urged parents to always take responsibility for their children’s security by monitoring their movements and being around them always. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com