The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria on Monday commended the Federal Government for facilitating the release of 21 of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014.
The girls were among over 200 students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, kidnapped on April 14, 2014 in Borno State.
The Deputy President of NAPTAN, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the Federal Government had proven that it was responsive to the plight of Nigerians.
Ogunbanjo said the release of the girls last week had restored the hope of the common man in the present administration.
He urged the government to intensify effort on the release of the remaining girls.
Ogunbajo said: “The federal government must be commended for this effort.
“The Bring Back Our Girls group also deserves commendation for being persistent.
“The group was resilient in its demands for the release of the girls for over two years.
“In the past 12 weeks, the group had been telling the government to do something and the government has finally proved that it is a responsive government.
“Beyond that, we are happy as parents that the government has taken up the education and rehabilitation of the girls; this is also commendable.
“It is a good development, we commend the federal government for this effort.”
Ogunbanjo also lauded the government for involving the Swedish government and the Red Cross in getting the girls out of the hands of their abductors.
He said: “It is a good development that the President asked for international support, which yielded positive result.
“The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over the weekend, said the Federal Government would work towards releasing more girls in the next batch.
“We are going to hold the minister to his words and we are waiting for the safe return of the remaining girls.”
The deputy president also said the association would collaborate with states and federal government in providing adequate security in both public and private schools in the country.
He said the issue of security in schools had become a national problem, which should not be left to the government alone.
NAN recalls that the Boko Haram insurgents on Thursday morning released the 21 Chibok schoolgirls.
The minister said the release of the girls was “a product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides”.
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