The United
Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, on Wednesday joined the global
community to restate his calls for the rescue of the over 200 abducted Chibok
schoolgirls held captive by Boko Haram for over 100 days.
Ki-Moon in a
statement issued in New York and emailed to the BringBackOurGirls group in
Abuja on Wednesday, expressed full support for the vigils taking place on
Thursday (today) across many countries for the release of the girls.
The National
Coordinator of the BBOG in Abuja, Oby Ezekwesili, who read the statement to the
coalition members, appreciated the support of the UN scribe for the campaign to
free the Chibok girls.
The former
Education minister expressed happiness over the meeting President Goodluck
Jonathan had with the escaped girls and Chibok parents, saying the parley would
reinforce the search for the girls and also lend a strong voice to the campaign
for their freedom.
The UN
Secretary General in his statement said, “I stand in solidarity with all those
taking part in vigils today to demonstrate that the world has not forgotten the
girls who were so cruelly abducted from their school 100 days ago in Chibok,
Nigeria.
“I repeat my
call for their immediate release and for an end to discrimination, intimidation
and violence against girls whose only wish is to gain education. Only by
shielding them from harm and enabling them to realise their full potential can
we usher in a better future for all.”
Around the
world, supporters are expected to light candles and stand in solidarity in
Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States.
In New York,
supporters would assemble outside the Nigeria Mission to the UN and walk to the
UN.
Vigils are
also scheduled to take place in Lahore, Lome, Togo, Dhaka, Jaipur, Bradford,
Pedroucos and Illinois.
Groups
including The Global March Against Child Labour in Africa,
Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi in Pakistan and Bachpan Bachao Andolan in India are marking
the 100 days by holding vigils, according to Ki-Moon.
The UN
scribe said that ‘Girls Not Brides’ were also asking their supporters to stand
in solidarity and ‘A World at School’s Global Youth Ambassadors’ was
spearheading the campaign across the world.
The
‘BringBackOurGirls’ group is leading the charge in Abuja with its daily
sit-outs.
Ki-Moon said
that a new online petition by ‘A World at School’
www.aworldatschool.org/100days <http://www.aworldatschool.org/100days>
would also call for the safe return of the girls and all messages of support
would be passed to Chibok community leaders and families of the girls.
The
petition, will also be sent by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education,
Gordon Brown, to President Goodluck Jonathan and Ban Ki-moon.
The Chibok
Girls’ families are also expected to sign the petition and offer their full
support for the Safe Schools Initiative, a fund set up to pilot 500 safe
schools in northern Nigeria. The fund total currently stands at $23m.
The United
Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of
Britain, Gordon Brown, has said despite the fact that 100 days has passed since
the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, the world will not forget
them.
He also
appealed to people around the world to show public support for the families and
girls’ education
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