By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Guyana’s Female Parliamentarians have joined with the government and other states across the globe in condemning the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls by the Islamist group – Boko Haram.
Speaking in the House on Wednesday, May 21 Minister of Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford said the recently established Women Steering Committee remains extremely concerned and join in condemning what she said was an of terrorism against humanity.
Dr. Westford added that it was also a violation to the right to access education. She expressed support for all efforts, both international and by the Nigerian government to retrieve the girls.
“We still hope for their safe return.” she said. President Donald Ramotar himself had joined in condemning the act and expressed the hope and support for the safe return of the girls. Other local political groups and human rights body had also spoken out on the issue.
It was reported that more than 300 girls and young women were kidnapped from a boarding school in the remote northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state and about 80 miles south of Maiduguri, on April 15. A total of 53 escaped and an estimated 276 remain in captivity, according to the police.
Nigeria’s military insists that it is diligently searching for the girls and says near-daily aerial bombardments of the forest that began in mid-January were stopped to avoid accidentally hitting the girls.
