The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), FCT Chapter, on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at its Congress, desecrated the State of the Nation and raised issues of concern, including the ongoing party primaries for the 2023 general elections.
According to a press release jointly signed by NAWOJ Chairperson, Comrade Annah Daniel, and Assistant Secretary, Comrade Gloria Josiah, they said the Congress in session applauded Nigerian women for participating actively in the primary elections, even as the women journalists commended the increased number of women who have emerged as their party flag bearers.
While commending all Nigerian women who dared to contest for elective offices, NAWOJ FCT particularly congratulated those who won in the primary elections.
The women journalists called the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allegations of inducement of delegates and urged the Commission to live up to its responsibilities to Nigerians by ensuring that politics is not monetized by ensuring aspirants conform to stipulated spending for their various positions.
The NAWOJ FCT Chapter also condemned in strong terms the seeming partisan move by the electoral umpire by shifting the date for submission of the list of candidates, thereby giving the ruling party an undue advantage over other parties.
The Association, while felicitating the Nigerian children on the occasion of Children’s Day, raised concern about the poor state of the Nigerian child, which is further deteriorating with the falling standard of education compounded by perennial industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Congress in session decried the fact that the youth, who have been left idle, may have turned to crime, leading to a rise in rape, kidnapping, petty, theft, and other violent crimes.
The women journalists maintained that the 2003 Child Rights Act, which is yet to be domesticated in some states, and also the recent family court that has been established in 16 states of the nation by the ministry of women’s affairs, urges the public and the media to monitor the implementation more closely, especially where it concerns women and children, and also urge the government to help enforce this right on other states that are yet to domesticate this right.
On the issue of security, NAWOJ lamented over the state of insecurity in the country, citing the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, which happened over two months ago, with the victims, including women and children, yet to be rescued, even as the terrorists have threatened to kill them if their demands are not met.
They called on the federal government to live up to its constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of its citizens.
