
A federal lawmaker, representing Bende Constituency, Abia State, in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nnena Ukeje, has given President Goodluck Jonathan thumbs up for collaborating with external forces to fight insurgency and to free the female students from their Boko Haram captors. She also condemned series of bomb blasts by the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, particularly the recent attack at Emab Plaza, Wuse, Abuja, which claimed many lives.
The Committee Chairman on Foreign Relations says the National Assembly has done what it must do in the struggle to free the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, having approved huge sums of money in the last three years for security.
She lauded the Federal Government for hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Abuja, saying it has placed Nigeria in the global arena as an investment haven.
Excerpts:
How do you react to the recent bomb blast in Abuja?
It is evil and wicked for anyone to plant explosives in a public place. However, I console those, who lost their loved ones in the Abuja Plaza bomb blast and I pray that their souls will rest in peace. However, I commend the military for arresting a man believed to be the brain behind the bombing.
The Chibok schoolgirls are yet to be rescued after almost three months. As a mother, what do you think would be the state of mind of their mothers?
They are traumatised. However, I felt Boko Haram terrorists have gone a little too far. Let us not forget that barely a month before the kidnapping of the schoolgirls on April 14, 40 boys were slaughtered by the sect in their hostels in Buni Yadi, Yobe State. So, as an alumnus of unity school, I felt bad. We had a press conference and condemned the act. Also, before that we heard of the abduction of 24 girls. However, I considered the abduction of the over 274 girls, as ridiculous. Naturally, I was horrified. I thought it was a dream.
Many governments and people around the world are seen carrying placards of Bring back our girls when they are supposed to be the ones to bring back the girls. Isn’t that failure on the part of government?
The hash-tag - Bring back our girls - is about awareness. So, I think government officials behind the campaign do it as a mark of solidarity. It is a way of sending a message across to those who have taken the girls to release them. The hash-tag also signifies that it is not government that is holding the girls. It is to remind the sect that Nigerians and indeed the world are united in the cry to bring back our girls. It is an appeal to the conscience of the abductors. It is saying that over 50 million Nigerians, drawn from the civil society and government are not in support of Boko Haram. If you recall, when the women led by former education minister, Oby Ezekwesili protested to the National Assembly, the leadership of both lower and upper chambers came out to identify with them. Therefore, the government officials you see with Bring back our girls tag are in solidarity with the parents of the abducted girls.