Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the Christian Association of Nigeria in Borno State has declared fasting and praying from Monday (today) to Wednesday to seek divine intervention for the release of the abducted students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok.
Also, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Nigerians to pray for the release of all the abducted schoolgirls by members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.
About 129 students of the school were kidnapped by members of the violent Islamic sect, just as 44 students had reportedly regained their freedom.
Amaechi, who made this call in his Easter message on Saturday, also urged Nigerians to pray for the unity of the country.
The chairman of CAN in the state, Rev. Titus Pona, announced the fasting to newsmen on Sunday in Maiduguri.
“We are calling on all Christians in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and even beyond to begin a three-day fasting and praying session to seek for God help for the release of the abducted girls.
“The continued stay of these girls in the abductors’ camp has created worry in the minds of the parents and other well-meaning Nigerians.
“We believe that through prayer, God will touch the hearts of the abductors and they will release them,” Pona said.
Pona also urged the insurgents to dialogue with government if they had any grievance.
“We call on the insurgents to please put down their arms and dialogue with the government, either at the state or at the federal level.
“They should release the girls in the name of God because only 43 girls were reported to have escaped from the abductors.”
Pona also appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more troops in rural areas in Borno, following increased attacks by the insurgents.
“Since the insurgents are increasingly attacking villages and rural communities, government should draft more troops to the areas to safeguard lives and property,” he said.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Amaechi urged Nigerians to use the Easter period to embrace peace, love and harmony.
He stated that Nigeria was in need of sacrifice, forgiveness and love, adding that the country could not achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of rancour.
Explaining that Easter should be seen as a period for sober reflection, forgiveness and togetherness, the governor expressed the need for Christians to emulate Jesus Christ
“Nigerians should pray for the release of the abducted schoolgirls in Borno State by the Boko Haram Islamic sect. We should fervently pray for peace and unity in the country.
“Jesus Christ died, so that we could live. We must endeavour to emulate the selfless life and sacrifice of Christ. As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, we must fully appreciate the significance of this very important event in the Christian calendar.
“Let me call on all Christian faithful to emulate Christ in all their dealings and also remember to love one another. We should realise the fact that we cannot achieve meaningful development in an atmosphere of rancour and acrimony,” the governor said.
On the 2015 elections, Amaechi appealed to Nigerians to pray to God for a peaceful exercise, even as he specifically urged politicians to exhibit decorum and tolerance ahead of the poll.
He said, “Let me also call on politicians in our dear country to recognise the fact that for our nascent democracy to survive, we must abhor and avoid all practices that will impact negatively on the polity and begin to do things properly and justly, most especially as we approach the 2015 general elections.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, has said the abduction has brought to the fore the need to introduce appropriate defence measures for soft targets such as schools and hospitals among others from terrorist attacks.
The minister, who in a statement on Sunday lamented the abduction of the students, said this should not be allowed to be repeated and as such adequate measures needed to be put in place to check against this evil act.
Wakil, while condemning the increasing assaults on innocents students as inhuman and unIslamic, insisted that “attacking women and children as part of a soft target strategy is both condemnable and reprehensible.”
The minister in the statement he signed called for “concerted efforts to secure the release of the remaining female students and a new strategy to contain attacks on soft targets such as schools and hospitals.
He said, “We must now pay close attention to schools, hospitals and other soft targets. As the insurgents are now avoiding well defended hard targets, we should design new approach to securing identified soft targets.”
