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August Meeting: Gov. Nwifuru tasks stakeholders, women to guard against abuse
The Ebonyi Governor, Mr Francis Nwifuru, has called on Chairpersons of Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state to use lessons learnt from the annual August Meeting of women to the well-being of women in their rural communities.
The August meeting is an annual congress held by Igbo women in the month of August. It is a massive homecoming whereby Igbo women in the diaspora and the cities travel back to their matrimonial villages to meet with their local counterparts to discuss matters about community development, Conflict Management, and human development.
Gov. Nwifuru, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Patricia Obila, gave the charge during the 2023 Ebonyi Women August Meeting, held at Pa-Ngele Oruta Township stadium, Abakaliki.
Nwifuru urged the stakeholders to educate people on the ills of human trafficking, gender-based violence, give positive ideas, as they go home for the annual event.
He commended his wife’s efforts so far in curbing youth restiveness and saving lives of Ebonyi children outside the state, used as househelps.
He advised women to contribute positively at home and in the society for the growth and development of the state.
The Wife of the Governor, Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, tasked women to monitor activities of their wards and children to prevent any form of social vices and abuse.
She noted that women had played critical roles in sharping society with their compassion, wisdom and determination.
She added that the assembly, with the theme: “Mother, where is your child”, was a call to action for mothers to be vigilant and proactive in save guarding the welfare of children.
She harped on the need for women to be committed in training their children to reap the benefits.
“As the first lady, it has been my massage to all others to train their children themselves and not send them outside for others to train.
“Ebonyi children need to be saved from abuse and trafficking,” Nwifuru said.
Mrs Josephine Elechi, Chairman of the Occasion and Wife of the Former governor of the state, urged traditional institution and other critical stakeholders to increase actions to add moral values to the society.
Meanwhile, Mrs Felicia Nwankpum, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, expressed confident that the assembly would instill passion for mothers to be responsive to children and families.
“The administration has the mandate for the realisation of the needs of people in the state,” Nwankpuma said.
The convention was inaugurated by Mrs Nwifuru.
NAN also gathered that the state government, through Mrs Nwifuru, empowered about 2,000 widows and youths with grinding, sowing and water pumping machines and food items to boost their sources of livelihood.
Also, the event featured lectures on breastfeeding, ills of human trafficking, gender-based violence, among others by resource persons.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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