Borno To Relocate Abducted Schoolgirls After Release, Says Governor

Outlines Plans
BEVERLY HILLS, CA, June 02, (THEWILL) â€' The Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, Monday, unfolded his government's plans for the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, upon their release from their Boko Haram captivity.

The governor disclosed this when the Chibok Council Chairman, Mr. Baana Lawan , led the parents of the abducted schoolgirls and those who escaped to the governor in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Lawan had been asked to compile a comprehensible list of the abducted girls and modalities on how the state government could be of assistance to their parents while plans for their schooling outside the state is being pursued.

Promising to relocate the schoolgirls to other parts of the country to complete their secondary education when they are eventually released, Shettima said the Borno Government would foot the bills of all the girls to schools in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna or any other state for a repeat of their final year and prepare them properly for their final year examinations.

'It is mandatory for the state government to ensure the speedy return or release of the girls and it is the sole responsibility of government to see that these our children are back home without politicising the matter.

'This is not politics, there is no need to play politics with the abduction of these children. We have children and we know what it is for these girls to be missing. We are human beings and should have feelings.

'The security responsibility of the state is not with me under the emergency rule. Everything is in Abuja. People just sit down there and begin to doubt that these girls are abducted or missing when we all have children and we know what is it to get have a child missing and nothing is being done to rescue them before harm is inflicted on them. It worries me and it is so painful,' Shettima said.

The governor disclosed further that his Administration has been consoling the traumatised parents of the abducted girls, saying : 'We have been directing the Chibok Local Government Chairman and other community leaders to help us talk to them, appeal to them and console them on our behalf before we will also come and also appeal to them too and console them again over the delay in the release of their children.'

According to Shettima, 'We are not unmindful of the trauma and plight they have been exposed to. The parents are suffering. The students too are suffering. Some do not even sleep because of their children.

'We called you here to appeal to you to exercise some restrain and be patient. We are doing our best and we shall not relent in our effort to cushion your suffering and ensure quick release of our daughters.'

The Chibok Council Chairman, Baana, however told the governor that he could only come with 27 students out of those freed and 32 parents because some of the students have been relocated to other parts of the country by their parents while some of the parents have since left Chibok.