April 14, 2016
MISSING BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Today, I bring to you heavy-hearted greetings from Africa. April 14th 2014, it is exactly two years, the Boko Haram terrorists brutally and cowardly abducted 276 schoolgirls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State North East of Nigeria. 57 of these girls luckily escaped. But 219 still remain missing till date. Since then hundreds have been further abducted. Whoever kidnaps a girl child kidnaps a future. 219 in captivity for 639 days is an assault on the future of humanity. Not less than 17 of their parents have reportedly lost their lives as a result of the trauma. Many are living in daily agony.
IndustriALL Africa salutes the leadership of the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) and international labour movement for keeping the memory of the girls alive.
An injury to these girls is certainly an injury to all of us. It is not over until these girls are liberated from the clutches of the criminal abductors.
IndustriALL Africa calls on Nigerian government and indeed the United Nations to intensify the security measures to liberate the girls. We acknowledge the commendable efforts of President Buhari administration of Nigeria to smash the dens of the Boko Haram terrorists. Today no known territory of Nigeria is under the heel of the criminal gangs masquerading as religious crusaders.
However the war against terror in Nigeria and anywhere should not be the war to reclaim territories but to regain and restore lives in this case rescue the Chibok girls to return to their homes and schools.
CHIBOK GIRLS ARE NOT MERE STATISTICS
To us in the labour movement, 219 missing girls are future workers, mothers not just statistics. Those who abduct 219 girls out of school have definitely criminally abducted communities of future workers, doctors, nurses and leaders. We must therefore join forces with the forces of progress and development world wide to join forces for the liberation of our beloved girls of Chibok.
TERRORISM AND PRECARIOUS WORK
Increasingly global terrorism is making the world of work more precarious. Thousands of workers in Nigeria, France, Belgium, Syria, Iraq had been brutally abducted and killed by terrorists who see defenseless workers as “soft targets”.
ILO must therefore redouble efforts with all the international agencies to rid the world of terror. Social dialogue and negotiated settlements are tested ILO’s mechanisms for resolving social conflicts, not senseless violence in which innocent Chibok girls are victims. Nothing justifies criminal abductions. Chibok girls are missing but they are not forgotten until they are rescued.
Issa Aremu, mni
CHAIRPERSON, IndustriALL Global Union Sub Saharan Africa
