By Ayodele Oni
Not less than 500 Women Groups which cut across professions and religion have flayed the prolonged holiday by the national assembly in the wake of insecurity in the country.
The women groups, which include NAWOJ, Amnesty International, Nigeria, Center for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities (CEEGA); Centre for Alternative Development and Self-Enhancement (CEADESE NG)
Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA); Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN); Centre for Peace Education and Community Development; Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN)
Change Managers International Network; Center for Women’s Health and Information and Centre for Media and Development Communications among others cane together under Womanifesto.
Womanifesto, condemned the recent wave of insecurities and kidnappings in Nigeria whichit said negates Section 14(2b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which says the welfare and security of the citizens shall be the primary purpose of the government.
It added that ‘The Constitution also guarantees the right to life, liberty, and personal security of every Nigerian citizen.
“The safety and security of Nigerian citizens, especially women and children, which should be the top priority of the government, has been rigorously threatened for years and has now come to a climax where citizens are being kidnapped from their homes in broad daylight.
“Nigerians have felt the burnt of this crisis and have had to crowd fund ransoms payable to criminals. Despite this, victims of kidnappings are still being murdered by criminals, leaving the nation in a dire state of distress.
“In the midst of this crisis, Womanifesto finds it unimaginable that the National Assembly extended its holiday after a 3-week Christmas and New Year recess.
“This action, we believe, reeks of non-chalance and lack of empathy by those elected to represent the interest of Nigerians. This action is grossly unacceptable to us. We demand that the National Assembly calls off this recess and resumes plenary immediately.
“The constant threat of violence and kidnapping has left many Nigerians feeling unsafe and vulnerable. Women and children are particularly at risk, with reports of kidnappings and sexual violence on the rise. This is continued holiday is unacceptable and must be addressed urgently.
“While we applaud recent efforts by security agencies in rescuing some of the kidnapped victims, we demand that the government takes concrete steps to ensure the safety of its citizens.
“Our security forces must be anticipatory rather than reactionary.
This includes increasing security measures, providing support to victims of violence, and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. We also call on national lawmakers to prioritize this issue and take swift action to address it.
“The people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and security, and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that this is the case. We urge national lawmakers to take immediate action to address the insecurities and kidnappings in Nigeria.”
