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BringBackOurGirls

The #BringBackOurGirls coalition has dissociated itself from a planned fundraising event being put together by the first daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hadiza Buhari-Bello.

The President’s daughter plans to lead a rehabilitation programme for the 21 Chibok girls just released. The programme according to her, will cover free medical tests on the girls, with the names of the tests given as Hepatitis B and C, Malaria and Sugar Level. Working through her NGO, the Africa Support and Empowerment Initiative, AFRISEI, she is working in collaboration with the Peace Corps of Nigeria and the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.

On Monday, the programme was officially inaugurated and a Memorandum of Understanding on the endowment fund project between the PCN and AFRISEI signed.

Said Hadiza at the event: “Considering the present economic situation that the country is passing through, it is necessary for the government to be assisted in ensuring that funds are raised to champion the cause of rehabilitating the released Chibok girls to a concluding success.

“It gives me great honour to be present here today for the signing of the MOU of an endowment fund for the rehabilitation of the released Chibok girls between our organisations.”

BBOG’s quarrel with the event was that its name, without prior consent, was associated with the fundraising and was copiously printed on the backdrop of the banner.

In a statement signed by BBOG’s Co-ordinators, Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yusuf, the group said: “We state categorically that we are not part to the said event and have absolutely no information of its origin. We urge the general public to disregard attempts at linking our movement to this highly suspicious event.”

BBOG described itself as a well-organised and disciplined global movement which is completely self-funded. It also said: “After 902 days of advocacy for the release of the abducted Chibok girls, it was disheartening to see attempts by external actors to use our name for selfish purposes.”

The coalition also called the fundraising programme a “highly suspicious event” and urged the public to disregard attempts to link it with it. BBOG said it had already contacted its lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN and was considering an appropriate response to the development.