Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, representing Anambra North in the National Assembly has one wish as the country celebrates Children’s Day 2020 and that is that Leah Sharibu, one of the girls being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents would have been set free to celebrate the Day in 2021 with other children.
She has, therefore, called on relevant authorities to expedite action to ensure Leah Sharibu’s release from captivity.
In her message to commemorate the Day (May 27th), Senator Oduah wrote, “I am sadly reminded that 828 days ago, an innocent Nigerian child spent the morning dreaming of a future blessed with groundbreaking exploits and immense possibilities but by the end of same day, those dreams rudely turned into an unending nightmare that saw her abducted with other children and made to face the worst forms of indignities known to man.
“The years have come and gone with some of the children released but Leah Sharibu’s continued incarceration remains a deep cancerous sore that constantly serves as a painful reminder of our failure to protect our young and I am using this opportunity to call on the relevant authorities to expedite action to bring this beautiful child home.
“We have often heard the phrase “children are the future”, but I doubt if we truly understand its deep import and the huge responsibility it places on our shoulders to pave the way for a glorious Posterity.
“Yes! Our children are the future and whatever the future portends will largely depend on how we prepare them for it.
“This explains why I had committed time and resources on scholarships and specialized training schemes targeted at the young with a view to imparting them with skills that would set them on the path of self sufficiency even before I joined Politics.
“Our MaxLife Foundation which is at the forefront of positively impacting thousands of lives, mostly focuses on the young for we know the importance of such empowered children with regard to their nation building role in the future.
“In this Covid-19 era, we must remember that children are a most overlooked and understated demographic when discussions about safety measures take center stage and so it behoves on parents, schools, caregivers and all those directly responsible for their well-being to remember that they also need Facemasks, washing of hands/sanitizing, to maintain social distancing etc.
“Our children must be protected from the scourge of this virus.
“Finally I wish every Nigerian child a most memorable Children’s day celebration whilst hoping and praying that by this time next year, Leah Sharibu would be back to celebrate with us!”
