Countdown to the third anniversary of the abduction of219 students of Girls Secondary School Chibok, by Boko Haram terrorists, on thursday 14 April, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to hasten negotiations to secure the release of the remainder of the girls that are still held captive.It also mandated its Committee on Women Affairs to ascertain the condition and level of rehabilitation so far carried out on the 21 girls released in October 2016.The call sequels the adoption of a motion for the Federal Government to expedite action towards the release of the remaining Chibok girls, moved by Hon. Asabe Vilita Bashir.In her debate, Hon. Bashir reminded the House of the Federal Governments promised to build on its successful negotiation with Boko Haram, which resulted in the release of 21 girls in order to see to the freedom of another 83 students still held by the group.She impressed on that the Federal Government intensify its efforts as the continued captivity of the girls will expose them to even more harm.Thursday 14th of April 2017 will mark three years since the abduction of the school girls, yet, 195 of them are still in captivity and negotiations for their release seems to be taking too long.We are concerned about the safety of the abducted girls as three years is too much a period for them to remain in captivity considering they risk being subjected to more untold hardship, slavery, molestation, abuse, rape, pregnancy and forced marriage in the hands of their abductors, she said.Similarly, Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje who called the need for the Federal Government to intensify its effort to get the girls released, maintained that the Federal Government must see to the full execution of a rehabilitation program for the girls and the children they return to with, saying it would be the only way the girls and their children many of whom are products of sexual assault are fully reintegrated back into society.The House yesterday also urged the Nigeria Police and personnel of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to immediately disperse traders who use pedestrian bridges in Abuja as stalls, so as to ensure the security of users across the country.In a motion seeking investigations into unwholesome use of the bridges, and moved by Hon. Sergius Ogun, the members also directed the House committee on Federal Capital Territory to liaise with the Department of Outdoor Advertising and Signage to devise ways of repositioning billboards mounted on the bridges to avoid them constituting risk to pedestrians.The motion according to Ogun, followed media reports earlier in the year, where a student of University of Abuja, was knocked down and killed while trying to flee from robbers, who attacked her on the pedestrian bridge close to the university gate.He noted the need to decongest the bridges to allow pedestrians move freely on and use them at all times, especially those established around busy roads.
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