As the security operatives are still battling to free the 273 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok who were abducted a week ago by the Boko Haram fanatics, the National Coordinator of ‘Nigeria Mothers Pray’, Pastor Esther Okorie has called on Nigerian mothers to rise up and pray for the safety of the girls and the peace of the country.
In an open letter made available to newsmen in Abuja, Pastor Okorie regretted that “the nation, the only one we call our own, the only nation in which we all have equal stake, the one in which you are either a mother or about to be; is in serious danger of being destroyed.
“Which woman will fold her arms and watch her child at the brink of destruction and not do all in her power to salvage that child, not even the mad one. But it seems that most of us have become too busy to hear the cry of our child of destiny – Nigeria!
“Please dear women of Nigeria, let us put away Religious, Ethnic, Political sentiments and Status in life and unite together in prayer and positive action to salvage our country before it becomes too late for all of us”.
Continuing, pastor Okorie asked: “Which nation can take us (170 million people) as refugees should we allow another civil war in the country? Women remember we are worst hit in any unrest – you may lose husband or children; you may suffer rape or your daughters; your life is not also spared. Arise Nigerian women and hear the cry of your child (NIGERIA)”.
While calling on women to become Vanguards for change, she maintained that every woman can make a difference in her very corner.
Mrs Okorie while lamenting the recent bombing of bus station in Abuja, which claimed the lives of many Nigerians, urged Nigerians not to forget in a hurry the Rwanda experience which she said happened about 20yrs ago.
According to her, “if we have forgotten the Nigerian civil war which started in 1966, we should not forget the Rwanda genocide of 1994.
“Rwanda is planning and holding many activities for the 20th anniversary of the genocide of almost a million Rwandans. The Rwandan genocide was 100 days plus of killings of fellow citizens. It started in April 1994 and did not end until sometime in July 1994, Nigerian women should not allow the experience of Rwanda to repeat in Nigeria.
“I am writing this letter to you my fellow Nigerian women to warn us! We cannot afford to find ourselves in the situation Rwandan women found themselves in 20 years ago! We just can’t afford it!
“The truth of the matter (regardless of which ethnic group you may come from) is that women and children always end up being the worst affected victims of genocides and wars. We end up paying a high price for these conflicts that we did not cause! We end up being offered as the sacrifice for the fighting amongst our people. We end up becoming collateral damage in the hostilities.
“I am really upset with my fellow Nigerian women. I can see that our country Nigeria seems to be heading in the same direction Rwanda was 20 years ago. We just cannot afford to allow that to happen! We just cannot afford to let our country continue to slide down that slippery slope of disaster. Please let us do whatever we can to stop the downhill ride to tragedy, ruin and catastrophe! We must do something now to stop it! And do it with a great sense of urgency!
“We Nigerian women must read the handwriting on the wall. For how long are going to continue to watch while our children are massacred? Not long ago, about 59 of our children were murdered in their sleep in their hostels. Our children and husbands are slaughtered on the altar of politics and wanton killings. We have to stop the madness now! We have time to stop the madness going on in our country. Now is the time to stop it!
“All mothers should rise up in prayers, Queen Esther prayed in the Bible and the fate of her people was changed, we are the Esther’s of our time. And the time to pray is now”.
