President Muhammadu Buhari, has expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to support the fight against women and child abuse in Nigeria.
President Buhari said this on Saturday while speaking at a one-day National Workshop on War Against Abuse in Nigeria.
The Programme was organised by Mrs Aisha Buhari’s NGO, the “Future Assured Programme’’ in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Abuja.
Buhari, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, said abuse against women and children was a major source of concern to the federal government.
He said that the topic of the workshop was in line with the goals and agenda of the Federal Government to address the problems associated with women and child abuse in Nigeria.
He also reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to support the fight against women and child abuse in Nigeria.
“The government and people of Nigeria are grateful to the wife of the President for her enormous life-changing support and contributions to human life,’’ he said.
He commended Mrs Buhari for establishing a maternity and children’s clinic in Daura to cater for the health needs and to enhance the rights and privileges of women and children.
In his remark, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, represented by the Senate Deputy Majority leader, Sen. Bala Ibn Na-Allah, said the National Assembly was committed to provide relevant laws to support the victims of abuse in Nigeria.
“We are committed to the welfare and safety of our women and children and would enact relevant laws in this regard.’’
Also speaking, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, represented by his Deputy in-charge of Operations, Mr. Habila Joshak, said, women and children were most vulnerable, hence the need to adequately protect them.
Idris said that the police force had created a gender-based department within the Force Criminal Investigation Department to deal with gender-based violence related cases.
For his part, the Minister of Justice and chairman of the occasion, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), said abuse and violence against women and children was a serious crime against humanity.
He stressed the need for concerted efforts of both governmental and non-governmental organisations to tackle the menace.
Malami said that the Federal Government had already mandated the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to address issues relating to human trafficking.
He listed the issues to include child trafficking, child labour, domestic violence against women and young girls, as well as modern slavery.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, who was represented by Professor Salisu Shehu expressed worry about the rising cases of abuse, especially among young girls.
“Any human abuse is a negation of the honour done to man by his creator; waging a war against abuse means development and the biggest underdevelopment to humanity is the inability of society to educate its citizens.
“Any nation that fails to educate her citizens is guilty of all forms of abuse,’’ he said.
The Emir commended Mrs Buhari for organising the workshop.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) representative, Mr Terry Durnnia, noted that Nigeria had, over the years, provided necessary support to the agency to fight all forms of violence against women and children.
Durnnia also noted that Nigeria had demonstrated strong commitment to assist the agency to identify and punish the perpetrators of violence against women and children.
The UNFPA scribe, therefore, reaffirmed the readiness of the agency to support Nigeria in her effort to eradicate the menace. (NAN)
