Catalyst for Global Peace Initiative (CPI) in partnership with Realm of Glory International church and other civil society organisations (CSOs) yesterday reiterated its call for the release of the remaining girls who are still in Boko Haram captivity.
Joining the clarion call were the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR), Bring Back Our Girls Movement (BBOG), Our Mumu Don Do Movement (OMDD), the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), and Citizens Monitoring Group.
Speaking in one accord at the Lagos Headquarters of Realm of Glory International church, they sought to reawaken the government and the world towards the agony currently being faced by the abducted girls in the embattled Northern part of the country.
They further called for quick intervention by all stakeholders involved, under the banner of ‘Not Forgotten; Not Forsaken’
In a rather pensive atmosphere, the event started with an awareness march to the venue of event by the various groups involved respectively, with each of them able to draw attention the attention of onlookers to the messages carried in their displayed placards and banners, before the speech session kicked off officially.
In his introductory remarks, the Convener CPJ, Catalyst Abraham Aiyedogbon said, “It’s my conviction, that Nigeria will not remain the same after this movement, because it has been said, that all that evil needs to triumph, is for good people to watch and do nothing, say nothing, and pretend like they see nothing.
“But now that there is a forth coming election, there is a great effort to awaken the Nigerian people, the Nigerian youths from their slumber; it is time to bring back the real change; not the change that have changed.
“So on behalf of CPJ, it is our pleasure to welcome you all to this great occasion. I think the fact that this event is holding in the premises of a church, speaks volume.
“For a long time, the church has been like an army parked. Being armed; either properly, or not sufficient; but not deployed, you and I will agree, that if religious people have been mobilised, and they have been right there deployed, and informed about their civic responsibility, and of the fact that the office of the citizens is higher than any political office in the nation, about the fact that power belongs to the people and not to the government.”
as it’s the citizens that make the government and not the government that makes the citizens, you will discover that these political looters, or executive thieves would have long been over-throne.
“And the theme Not Forgotten; Not forsaken is to let every girl child out there currently suffering one form of abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuses or molestation by these insurgents, or from their cruel guardians know, that though it seems nobody cares about them or they are voiceless, we will be their voices and they are not alone.
“To those that we have lost, we will not forget, and for the others still suffering it, we will not forsake them.”
Founder, OMDD, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, popularly known as Charly-Boy the Area Father in his charge, admonished participants on the need to realise that if they keep silent about their plights, the oppression and insurgencies would continue to triumph in Nigeria.
Noting that it was just a matter of time before it spreads to other major cities like Lagos, in Nigeria if people fails to sincerely come together and mount pressure on the government to be more responsive to the killings in Borno State.
He further declared a minute silent for the departed soldiers who lost their lives weeks ago, in the fight against insurgency.
In her address, Mobilise BBOG Movement, Aisha Yesufu, heightened the tempo of the atmosphere as she shed light on the plights of some of the young girls who have lost their lives through several forms of abuses aside, insurgency.
With huge reference to 13-year-old Ochayan who was sexually molested by her uncle figure and cousin from age eight till 13 when she passed on, when she couldn’t withhold it any longer.
She ended by given a strong warning that there are several Ochanya’s out there waiting to be heard and rescued. “Since they are regarded voiceless due to their poverty state, Nigerians should rise up to their rescue”.
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