The people of Chibok, Borno state, where 276 schoolgirls were abducted on April 14, 2014, have begged President Muhammadu Buhari to visit them within his first 100 days in office to see for himself the present state of the town.
The request of the community was communicated to the president by Dauda Iliya, spokesman of the Kibaku (Chibok) Area Development Association (KADA), at the presidential villa on Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of Chibok, at a meeting of the president with the #Bringbackourgirls group, Iliya highlighted the decaying state of the once-sleepy, peaceful and agrarian community.
He emphasised that famine was looming in the town as residents were “displaced, scattered and hunted”.
“There is also looming famine in the Chibok community and environs as a result of terrorists’ activities occasioned by complete lack of farming activities, poisoning and/or sealing up of earth wells (for potable water), wanton destruction of grain barns and livestock,” the Chibok spokesman said.
“For more than one year after the abduction of the Chibok girls, the immediate past government’s engagement or lack of it is, to say the least, worrisome. We have heard conflicting statements from the immediate past government ranging from knowing where the abducted girls are, to the government agreeing to or not to negotiate and to dialogue or not to dialogue.
“In the light of the foregoing, we respectfully request Mr President that you look into the following priorities of the Chibok people:
“Rescue of the Chibok girls, welfare of the parents of the abducted and escaped girls, general welfare of the community, security and infrastructure.
“The entire Chibok community anxiously requests that Mr President visit Chibok within the first 100 days of this administration to have a firsthand view of the plights of our people and to directly reassure the confidence of our people while we look forward to the safe return of our daughters very soon.”
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