African First Ladies stand in solidarity with Nigeria on Chibok girls

The President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dame Patience Faka Jonathan, has expressed the organisation’s deep appreciation of the support and solidarity that has been extended to the Nigerian government by world leaders and global institutions in the ongoing effort to resolve the challenge of terrorism in Nigeria and ensure the safe return of the innocent girls who were abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014.
Dame Jonathan, in a statement, thanked the international community for sending out a strong message consistent with the objectives of the AFLPM and its efforts to promote peace and stability.
She said the entire world stands in solidarity with the government and good people of Nigeria against injustice and impunity at all times and in all places and will always uphold commonly accepted global values that promote justice, stability and peace in all nations.
The First Lady believes that a combination of the contributions of the international community and Nigeria’s committed, loyal and patriotic security forces will further strengthen the search and rescue effort and help to bring the current situation to a happy ending.
The statement added: “She reaffirms the total commitment of the African First Ladies Peace Mission to the collective effort to ensure that the abducted girls are brought back safely and that schools remain safe for all students because the education of the girl-child and of all children is central to the human capacity building process in all African countries, and to safeguard Africa’s future, we must ensure that our children receive quality education, and that nothing is allowed to encumber or violate the right of every child to proper upbringing.
“Dame Jonathan and the AFLPM share in the pain and grief of the affected mothers as well as the families of victims of terrorism and pray that Nigeria will soon overcome the scourge of terrorism and insecurity.
“We appeal to all political parties in Nigeria to rise above partisan interests and focus at this time on the national interest and the urgent task at hand to bring back our girls.
“The AFLPM strongly condemns the abduction of the Chibok girls by a terrorist organization, Boko Haram, and terrorist activities in other parts of Africa as callous, retrogressive and totally unacceptable.
The Organisation calls on mothers and women across Africa to continue to pray that ongoing efforts to rescue all the abducted girls will be successful.”