Children’s Day: Foundation advocates low key celebration as respect for Chibok girls

By Stanley Onyekwere

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy based in Abuja has called for Government and other stakeholders, to mark this year’s Children’s Day celebration in a low key as mark of honor for the abducted Chibok girls, who are still held hostage by their abductors in the country.

The Foundation equally expressed concern over the fate of the over 200 school girls who are still languishing in an unknown destination, as it tasked both foreign and local security operatives to do everything possible to secure their immediate release.

Speaking at a press conference to commemorate this year’s celebration, the president of the Foundation, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu, pointed out that in view of the unfortunate of the abduction of the girls from their school in Borno state, the Day is not worth it, even as she advocated for total cancellation of the event.

According to her, the situation in the country calls for sober reflection by every tier of government rather than any form of jamboree of a sought.

“ We as Nigerians do not have any reason to celebrate this year Children’s Day in view of the obvious fact that our future mothers are still held hostage by a terrorist group. For this singular reason, the Foundation is calling on government in all tiers to cancel the celebration as a mark of honour,” Mrs. Ahmadu stressed.

While suggesting on the possible ways of averting future occurrence of the incident, the Foundation opined that besides fencing of public schools across the federation, mufti security men should be detailed to such schools to provide adequate security for both the students and staff.

She observed that the current wave of insurgency in the country will only come to an end if all the stakeholders stop blaming one another, stressing that one of the keys to tackle the problem is unity among religious, political and ethnic groups.