We promised we would not forget the Chibok Girls - Stephen Twigg MP
Agnes Chambre
| PoliticsHome
International Development Committee chair Stephen Twigg spoke to Agnes Chambre ahead of his debate on the missing Chibok school girls.
Earlier this year the International Development Committee went to Nigeria to scrutinise British aid spending. One of the things they looked at was the security situation, worsened by the activity of terror group Boko Haram. As part of this they met campaigners who are trying to bring back the 219 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.
The campaigners hold an almost daily vigil in solidarity with the girls. They have not given up hope and the MPs promised them the girls would not be forgotten.
Stephen Twigg, chair of the committee, was invited to speak – something he describes as “humbling”. He says the whole experience was “very emotional” and has left him with much food for thought.
Today he has secured a Westminster Hall debate on the topic to try and raise awareness.
“What the campaigners said was that they wanted us to keep a focus on this. They wanted us to say to our own government and to their government 'Do not forget the girls' and I think that's the really important message that we wanted to get across.”
The 2014 kidnapping was put on the global agenda when the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign went viral.
The hashtag was championed by influential figures across the world, including Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education activist, and Angelina Jolie.
Two years on, the issue is barely mentioned in the news, but Mr Twigg and his colleagues are trying to change that.
“The hashtag was backed by prominent public figures. There were images of famous people holding up signs, I think that was really important.
“But now we all have a responsibility, so I think those who spoke out on this early deserve credit but now all of us, whether we are high profile public figures or whoever, should because we have a duty. This is such a basic issue of taking away people's liberties.”
The Labour MP is also keen to talk about how the case would have been treated by the media if the girls had been from the West. He uses as an example the terror attacks in Baghdad and Paris in November 2015 – and how Western media gave prominence to the atrocities in the French capital.
“I think it is vitally important that we treat appalling atrocities like this the same wherever they happen. It's really important we are equally concerned because all lives should be treated on an equal basis.
“If something like this, the scale of this kidnapping had happened in our own country or in another Western country the coverage would be enormous and I think we owe it to those girls to show we care just as much about a Chibok girl who's been kidnapped as much as we would if a girl was kidnapped in our own country.”
A rough translation of Boko Haram is Western Education Forbidden, and the militant group is targeting Nigeria’s school system. Mr Twigg says he has serious concerns about the effect the kidnapping would have on the education system.
“It would be perfectly understandable if a family has a fear that sending their child to school might mean they never see them again.
“That's why the whole issue of safety in schools is so important, so one of the things the UK has done through our support for Nigeria is to back their safer schools initiative which is about trying to improving security.”
The Labour MP says there is “no doubt” it is still possible the girls will be released, but the UK Government must keep drawing attention to the issue.
“We need to do everything that we can to keep the spotlight on it and to say to our own government that they mustn't forget. Also our government should work with others to support the Nigerians to support President Buhari to do what he needs to do in order to secure their release.”
Although the Nigerian response was originally slow, with the previous administration initially denying the kidnap, Mr Twigg does not hold the government responsible.
“I always think in situations like this that the responsibility lies with those who took the girls so the culpability, the responsibility is with Boko Haram. Then the Nigerians with our support should do all they can. President Buhari, who is still a relatively new president, has committed himself to doing that so the sensible thing for us, as British parliamentarians, or more generally as British people, is to give us support to every effort being made.”
After today’s debate, Mr Twigg intends to ensure the government continues to do all that it can to keep the issue alive.
He says at some stage he would love to go back to Nigeria but thinks it will be a while until his committee returns.
“But if there's an opportunity go back at some point - I would love to go back when the girls have been freed.”
