Taxes from alcoholic drinks, cigarettes should be allocated to women’s healthcare — Minister

Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has called for allocation of at least one per cent from taxation on alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and others to be channeled towards health care services for women, especially in rural areas to reduce mortality rates.

She stated this on Monday on assumption of duty and meeting with the media in Abuja.

She said: “We need to tax the things that men love the most, like alcohol, cigarettes and others, at least one per cent from the taxes should be channeled towards health care services for women, especially in rural areas to reduce mortality rates.”

She also urged partners and other stakeholders to support the government through an insurance scheme that will enable women and children in rural areas to access quality healthcare services.

Kennedy-Ohanenye further gave an outline of what the ministry would do in 100 days in order to reduce the suffering of women and children, listing improved access to health care services and farming for those in the rural areas, training of women across six geopolitical zones to acquire various skills, to improve their livelihood and the nation’s GDP, and as well as to curb street begging and insecurity.

“These are some of the things I will achieve from now to 100 days in office such as empowering women, teaching them skills, training the trainees for them to empower at least 10 people for us.

“I intend to start training the trainees in the six geopolitical zones, in which we will choose states or ballots to decide the states we will start from.

“If we are able to achieve it in 100 days, we will definitely look for people that will donate the materials for the people trained to start working on their skills, but on condition that each of them will train 10 people, which we will equally empower them,” she stated.

”I am here to motivate the women to work hard, teach them how to fish and protect their children with the little power president Tinubu has given me, that is my job,” she added.

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