Ever since the abduction
\nincident at Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, our nation, Nigeria, has never put on any stable posture. The stage has been that of confusion and uncertainty. This is probably because the country had never been through this magnitude of terror or its military had suddenly sheathed its sword and had gone after civilian affairs.
\nThe ripple effect of this ugly story is not only limited to wars of wit among authorities that are supposed to find solution to the security challenge, nor a crack in the unity of our country. No! But a potential loss of interest in the girl-child education in Nigeria.
\nHowever, one piece of encouragement that keeps me going is the biblical verse that enjoins Christians not to be ignorant of the devices of the enemy.
\nSomehow, I am forced to reflect on the mission of the notorious Islamic insurgents that have constituted itself a thorn in the flesh of the nation, which of course, is not primarily to kill citizens and throw the nation into pandemonium, but to eradicate \u201cwestern education,\u201d which according to their name, \u201cis a sin.\u201d The consciousness of this will not only guide us in waging the war against the insurgents, but it will help us not to lose focus of their intent, so we don\u2019t succumb to their antics.
\nBoko Haram is one of many groups that threaten the efforts of girls worldwide to go to school and to change their circumstances.
\nGiven the dimension the insurgence has assumed, it is becoming glaring that the insurgents would likely stop at nothing in getting their mission accomplished; \u201ceradicating western education.\u201d
\nAccording to the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, during a plenary to mark the Children\u2019s Day in Abuja recently, children all over the world represent the wealth and resource of every nation.
\nThey can be a resource only if they are educated. Without education, the children, rather than being a resource, will become a burden on the society. We must not also forget the fact that our future can only be assured when the supposed future leaders are given the basic education with which to be self-reliant as well as fend for others. They cannot be leaders when they cannot differentiate their left from their right.
\nThe place of the child in nature\u2019s scheme can never be over explored, this accounts for why the United Nations saw the need to adequately protect their future by way of taking care of their \u201ctoday\u201d which is the duty of all and sundry.
\nFor the girl-child, the quest to measure up with her male counterparts in education could be likened to a liberation movement and no liberation effort had been without a hitch or opposition. However, the girl child has come a long way in trying to develop herself hence, any attempt to puncture such effort or possibly halt it will definitely hit the rock.
\nWhat happened in Nigeria on April 14, where over 200 school girls were abducted from their dormitories at night, was not an isolated incident. It is almost an everyday story as girls all over the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions. They are so determined to move to the next level of their education, so they could one day build careers of their own and make families and communities proud.
\nThe determination of the Nigerian girls to rewrite their educational history could be seen in the resilience of the Chibok girls to return to the school to take their exams in spite of the original closure of the school due to terrorists\u2019 threat. There is no doubt that many of the parents may have been hesitant to send their daughters off to school, fearing that harm might come their way, but they took that risk because they believed in their daughters\u2019 promise and wanted to give them every opportunity to succeed.
\nIt is actually regrettable to note that, at a time when strategies for promoting the girl-child education and close the gender gap in education are yielding significant results, the country is being taken aback by the activities of the insurgents. However, the Minister of Women and Social Development, Hajia Maina, urges parents not to be distracted from their commitment to the girl-child education.
\nMalala Yousafzai, a Pakistani school girl, spoke out for girls\u2019 eduation in her community and that became her own offence. Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while in a school bus with her classmates. Fortunately, Malala survived and guess what? Malala, so determined and passionate about education, has made \u201cgirl education her life\u2019s mission.\u201d
\nIn her address to the United Nations, Malala said \u201cthe terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.\u201d
\nThe courage and hope embodied by Malala and girls like her around the world should serve as a call to action.
\nThe American First Lady, Michelle Obama, in her message to mothers, mentioned that \u201ceducation is truly a girl\u2019s best chance for a bright future, not just for herself, but for her family and nation.\u201d She said \u201cright now, more than 65 million girls worldwide are not in school, yet, we know that girls who are educated make higher wages, lead healthier lives and have healthier families.\u201d
\nMrs Obama is of the view that when more girls attend secondary school, their countries\u2019 economy will eventually be boosted.
\nLike Malala who has launched the Malala fund, which raises money for girls education initiatives globally, the Chibok girls should embody the best hope for the future of our world. The entire world is committed to standing up for them, not just in times of tragedy or crisis, but for the long haul, up to giving them the opportunity they deserve to fulfil every bit of their God-given potential. The world owes it a duty to give every girl on this planet the education that is her birthright.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever since the abduction incident at Chibok Girls Secondary School, Borno State, our nation, Nigeria, has never put on any stable posture. The stage has been that of confusion and uncertainty. This is probably because the country had never been through this magnitude of terror or its military had suddenly sheathed its sword and had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n