Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education on Friday, expressed optimism that the over 234 school girls that were kidnapped on April 14, 2014, from Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram terrorist group will be released before July 22, 2014.
According to Leadership, Brown, who made the revelation in a
statement also called on the world to show support for the abducted
girls.
“We, of course, hope that the Chibok girls will be released before July 22,” Brown said.
Brown, who is expected to commence his new term as special envoy this month, promised that he will never abandon the girls.
“We are reminding people that we are in the mind-set of a global civil rights struggle,” he said. “Girls’
rights should be taken seriously and they should have the right to be
at school free of intimidation and violence. We will mark the 100 days
by pledging to rebuild their Chibok school and by
calling for
international support for safe school across Nigeria.”
The UN special envoy also hinted that, vigils would be staged on
behalf of the captives at the same time in Africa, Asia, Latin America,
Europe and the United States under the banner #BringBackOurGirls.
According to the statement, Brown is calling on civil society and
youth organisations to come together in solidarity with the Chibok girls
by sending letters of support, demanding the safe return of the girls.
He said that all messages of solidarity will be channeled to Chibok
community leaders and families of the girls through an online platform
http://www.aworldatschool.org/page/s/100daysBBOG.
The statement further disclosed that Brown will also send the
petition to President Goodluck Johnathan and UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon,
and that the girls’ families are required to sign the petition and offer
their full support for the Safe Schools Initative, which is a fund set
up to pilot 500 safe schools in northern Nigeria.
He explained that the programme is expected to bring the federal
government and Nigerian business leaders together with the international
community in order to make sure that all children are secure when
learning.
Meanwhile, Gordon Brown, had on July 3, 2014, criticized the United Kingdom, UK, for not doing enough to help the Nigerian government on the school girls abducted in Borno State
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