The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, on Monday 19 December 2022 wept profusely when speaking live on Nigeria Television Authority NTA over continuous holding in captivity Leah Sharibu and other Chibok schoolgirls.
It will be recalled that in April 2014, Boko Haram insurgents stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State and kidnapped dozens of young ladies.
The mass kidnapping sparked international outrage.
The insurgents took away 276 pupils, aged 12-17, into trucks and drove them into Sambisa forest.
Fifty-seven of the girls managed to escape by jumping from the trucks shortly after their abduction while over 80 were released in exchange for some detained Boko Haram commanders following negotiations with the Nigerian government.
On Monday, after presenting the achievements of her ministry at the 13th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB)’ Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023) put together by the Ministry of Information and Culture, Tallen broke down in tears while speaking about the Chibok schoolgirls.
The event which was transmitted live by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Radio Nigeria and Voice of Nigeria (VON) saw her shedding tears while discussing about the abducted children.
Responding to a question on the government’s efforts towards ensuring the release of the remaining girls from captivity, Tallen said President Buhari, the military and her ministry had never rested on their oars to ensure their freedom.
“If you come to my office, you will see photographs of where I have visited Leah Sharibu’s parents and I have reached out to support them.
“Anything I put forward to Mr President’s desk, concerning them, he approves.
“You can also see in one of the photographs the helicopter and the security personnel Mr President approved for me to go to Chibok and I have gone there three times.
“Leah Sharibu’s parents are not in Chibok but the military made arrangements for me to see them at the Airforce Base in Yola due to security concerns,” she said.
Furthermore, the minister appealed that all hands must be on deck because security issue is not just government affairs but for everyone.
“Security issue is everybody’s issue therefore when you see something you say something.
“I pray that Nigerians will be sincere enough to support our security with the right information for us to get these girls,” she said.
At this point, the minister who could not hold her tears wept as she continued, “I am touched as a mother and I know that this is a season that we should show love everyone including those in captivity.
“Our prayers are with them and I know that very soon God will release these children. ”
Additional report from Politics Nigeria.
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