#2015: Over 280Days and Still Counting..... #BringBackOurGirls: #ChibokGirls deserve continued attention

When a vicious militant group kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls in April, much of the world was outraged. The Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls went viral, spawning broad concern from people around the globe — and smug derision from critics of digital advocacy.

Four months later, about 60 of the girls have managed to escape and the rest remain missing. The world has mostly moved on, distracted by such events as wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the shoot down of a Malaysian jetliner and the immigration crisis at the U.S. border.

But amid all the horrors that regularly compete for the world’s attention, this one shouldn’t be forgotten.

For one thing, the teenage captives are symbols of the importance of educating girls. They were all seized after returning to school in a dangerous area to take their final exams. Among them are future lawyers, doctors and teachers — women who could someday help lead their country.

USA Today, in an editorial on Tuesday, queried President Goodluck Jonathan’s response to enquiries about the Chibok girls at the ongoing U.S.-African Leaders Summit in Washington DC. As far as the newspaper is concerned, the president’s response does not inspire confidence

Please #BringBackOurGirls #ChibokGirls #BringBackOurGirlsNowAndAlive