Leah Sharibu’s Father Reacts With Mixed Feelings To Bukola Saraki’s Gesture Towards His Family
President of the Eighth Senate, Bukola Saraki, last week, asked the National Assembly management to distribute his severance allowance to the families of three victims of the insurgency being perpetrated by the BokoHaram terrorist group in the North-East geopolitical zone. The outgoing Senate president listed 16-year-old Leah Sharibu as one of the beneficiaries of the largesse.
The schoolgirl’s continued detention by the dreaded BokoHaram group has caused national and international outcry after she and other girls were abducted from Dapchi town in Yobe State, but the other over 100 girls were later released while Sharibu continued to be held because she would not renounce her Christian faith.
Leah’s father has now reacted to the donation made by the former Senate President, who gave out part of his severance allowance to his family.
According to Premium Times, Nathan Sharibu, a civil servant, appreciates the gesture but insists nothing compares to having his daughter back home. While commending the gesture, the distraught father says, every time his daughter’s name is mentioned in the media, his hopes are high and he imagines that she is about to regain her freedom. Still, he acknowledges the thoughtfulness of the senator for not forgetting his daughter.
Mr. Saraki had instructed that 20 percent of what is due to him as severance allowance be given to Leah Sharibu’s parents. He had also instructed that 20 percent is also to be paid to the family of Hauwa Liman, one of the two aid workers brutally murdered by Boko Haram after she was captured in Rann, the headquarters of KalaBalge local government of Borno state.
Another 20 percent is to be donated to the family of the second aid worker, Hussain Ahmed Khoisan, also murdered in the same circumstance, by Boko Haram.
According to him, the remaining 40 percent should be used by the National Assembly management to set up a Trust Fund that would assist children of deceased members of the eight Senate who are in financial need for their education.
“We read it on the internet last night and we were struck with mix feelings.
Each time we hear the name of our daughter mentioned in the media, our expectation is to hear the good news of her release. But, yesterday, we heard what the Senate President said should be extended to Leah’s family.
We thank him, not necessarily because he is giving out money; no. But for the fact that he still has our daughter in mind; and that gives us a lot of hope that Nigeria has not forgotten her.
Money is good, but what can be compared to having our dear daughter back in our arms? That means a lot to us.”