By LEON USIGBE, Abuja

The First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has broken her long silence to express sorrow at the continued abduction of women and girls by insurgents and bandits in the country.

In a message she released to mark the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day on Monday, she said that she is not unaware of the impact the action has on reversing the gains already made on girl child education.

She stated: “Away from COVID-19, women and girls in Nigeria have continued to suffer abductions both in the hands of insurgents and bandits.

“As a mother, I share the sorrow and agony of the victims and their families. I am also not unaware of the impact that these abductions could have in reverting many successes we have hitherto achieved, especially in terms of girl-child education and early marriages.

“I call on all stakeholders to continue to exert their different levels of influence and bring these abductions to an end and to assure us that girls are safe anywhere they may find themselves.”

Mrs. Buhari, who has been out of the country for many months and had not been heard about, observed that the 2021 edition of International Women’s Day offers yet another opportunity for humanity to review and reflect progress made on issues of women and girls.

She observed that this year’s theme: “Women In Leadership: Achieving on Equal Future in a COVID-19 World,” is a strong call to appreciate the efforts of women and girls in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that COVID-19 has had a huge impact on women, disrupted education and careers, job losses, descent into povert, and proliferation of domestic violence.

The wife of the president added: “Many have also died or suffered due to lack of access to basic information on the pandemic. It is therefore important, not just to continue spreading the message of the COVID-19 protocol, but to also remember and support those who have been affected negatively by the pandemic in one way or another.”

She expressed her best wishes to women all over the world for their resilience, hard work, and commitment to the progress of humanity. (Nigerian Tribune)

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