By Thompson Yamput
The Wife of Kogi Governor, Amina Bello, has urged the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Kogi to sustain their committment towards defending the rights of women and children.
The governor’s wife made the call at the opening of the 2023 FIDA Week in Lokoja on Thursday.
The week is with the theme: “Combating violence against women and children: New skills and strategies.”
Bello, who is also the grand patron of FIDA in the state, urged the federation to be more committed towards tackling the wave of inhumanity against women and children.
She noted that it was appalling to see women and children being violated and abused with impunity.
”The issue of violence against women and children should worry all of us. It is a global crisis that calls for global action.
”We must all rise to tackle this challenge. We must evolve the right strategies to effectively combat violence against women and children.
”We need to do this in order to create a safer and more just society for everybody to live in,” she said.
She described the theme of the week as well-thought-out, given the need for collective effort to protect women and children from abuse.
The governor’s wife said that the message should be taken to the commubuties in order to create the right awareness about women and children rights protection.
”Let it be know that violence against women and children will remain hidden unless we expose and punish the perpetrators.
”We need to report every incident so that the right actions are taken. Perpetrators must be made to face the law,” she said.
Also speaking, the Kogi Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Majebi, said that critical steps must be taken to deepen the message against women and children rights violation.
Majebi said that the courts were doing their bests to tackle the issue of violence against women and children.
”I know that FIDA is also playing a frontline role in the state. I join others to urge them to do more,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairperson of FIDA in Kogi, Ajuma Lilian-Okolo, pointed out that the theme for 2023 FIDA week was a demonstration of the body’s committment toward addressing injustice.
”The theme reminds us of our responsibility as lawyers and members of civil society to stand up against injustice and to protect the vulnerable,” she said. NAN
