Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon Kafilat Adetola Ogbara, has called for a state of emergency on insecurity, trafficking and drug abuse among married women, young girls and the youths in the country.
She made the call at the opening of a two-day North-Central National Women Sensitisation Workshop organised by the committee in collaboration with Osjones International Services Limited.
Ogbara said, “Insecurity, drug abuse and violence against women and children are not isolated problems but interconnected challenges that require a comprehensive and coordinated response. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the suffering and vulnerability of our marginalized populations. It is incumbent upon us, as responsible leaders, to come together, engage in dialogue and develop strategies that will address these issues effectively.”
She added that, “On our part as legislature, we are working assiduously using the tools available to us which are legislative interventions, to ensure that all these vices are reduced to the barest minimum if not eliminated or eradicated completely. The 10th House of Representatives, ably led by Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas is promoting punitive measures to curb all of these vices.”
Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, urged support for the state government in the fight against insecurity that had ravaged farming communities in the state.
The governor, who was represented by the deputy governor, Yakubu Garba, said the state government had recorded successes in the fight against drug abuse among its people but was still battling to end the banditry and terrorism in the state and called for prayers.
He stressed the need for close collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, including women to end the menace of drug abuse, insecurity and other social vices confronting the state and the country as a whole.