There was a mild drama at the briefing on President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard in the last seven and half years in office at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Briefing State House correspondents on the success recorded by her ministry, Women Affairs Minister, Dame Paulen Tallen wept over the fate of the remaining kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls and Leah Sharibu.
The minister, who broke down in tears while responding to a question on Leah Sharibu and the other abducted girls, said the Federal Government was doing its best to secure the release of all the victims in captivity. Tallen, who brought out a piece of white handkerchief to mop up her tears, said President Muhammadu Buhari was mindful of what the abducted girls were going through, She said: “I want to assure you that we are all concerned. If you come to the office, you will see pictures. I’ve visited Leah Sharibu’s parents. I’ve reached out, I’ve supported them. Any request I put before Mr. President to remember them, he does.
“You saw in the pictures over there, the helicopters and the security that Mr. President gave me to go to Chibok. I’ve been to Chibok three times. I went twice and the third time was to commission the Chibok Secondary School. “Leah Sharibu’s parents are not in Chibok but we made arrangements when I got there to meet me in Yola at the Air Force Base due to security reasons.
“We are doing our best. As a mother, my heart is with them. We feel for them and all Nigerian women are praying. Mr. President is mindful of what they went through. All hands must be on deck. Security issue is not just Mr. President’s issue. Neither is it only my issue, nor the minister of Information’s issue. “Security is everybody’s business. When you see something, say something. I pray that Nigerians will be sincere enough to support our security chiefs with the right information for us to get these girls. I am touched as a mother. “This is a season that we should show love and remember those in captivity. Our prayers are with them and I know very soon, God will release these children.” The minister had earlier berated all the political parties for being unfair to women on nominations for the 2023 general elections. She alleged that men had been “domineering and self-centred” because they don’t want to give space to women.
