Zulum calls for measures to tackle poverty, insecurity

Zulum

Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umaru Zulum, has called for an increase in social welfare activities as a way of pulling many Nigerians out of poverty and tackling insecurity.

The governor made the call on Thursday while speaking as the special guest of honour at the closing ceremony of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) themed: “Spring Forth, Stand Out.”

Prof. Zulum, who was represented by the Borno State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hauwa Abubakar, said this could be accomplished through women empowerment which is one of the key objectives of the COWLSO.

According to Zulum, “Issues of social welfare as a way of pulling many Nigerians out of poverty and tackling insecurity must be increased through women empowerment.”

The governor, while calling on government at all levels to campaign assiduously against the trafficking of young women and children with a view to preventing the ugly trend and inhuman activity, equally appealed to government at all levels in the country and donor agencies to encourage and assist women empowerment programmes in order to bring about the much needed development.

He said that individuals, groups and organisations and government at all levels must collaborate and “strive hard to improve the situation of young women in Lagos and Nigeria.”

Governor Zulum described the occasion as a historic one, saying that there was an “urgent need to take action to empower women but also to handle all the forces that stifle the development of many enterprising young women in Lagos State.”

Speaking further, the governor lamented that women were usually confronted with socio-cultural hurdles that prevented their participation in governance and development, saying that these hurdles, “undermine women’s ability to fully contribute to societal development, which is exacerbated by poverty and lack of skills and formal education in our communities.”

“We must strive hard to improve the situation of young women in Lagos and Nigeria by collaborating with well meaning individuals, groups and organisations. We must, therefore, recognise community leadership and civic engagement skills as essential tools that will enable young women to participate in governance and development,” he said.

“It is vital to empower young women by supporting them to handle their educational and professional lives so as to enhance their ability to raise their voices against violence,” he added.

To ensure that young women were established, Zulum said that skills acquisition centres where women are taught different trades should be increased and managed well just as it was done in Borno State.

He, therefore, urged all the state governments to create and facilitate conducive environment for young women to realise their potentials.

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Obafemi Quadri Hamzat, urged women to use their power as nation builders to restore Nigeria to the path of developmental trend by voting the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sanwo-Olu described women as extremely significant to nation building, saying they must exert their power by voting for Tinubu who he said had the required precedents to build the country.

“No woman no nation! What then that means is that if we want to build the nation, we must go out, pull our husbands and children to go and vote for Tinubu,” he said.

“If we want to build our country, we must mobilize our family members and friends to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We are not sentimental, we want to move our country forward.
The future of the black race rests on Nigeria,” he added.

Chairperson of COWLSO and wife of the state governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said it was time for women to lend their voice to insecurity issues and poverty eradication in the country.

The governor’s wife, while noting that the country had about 261 borders, with over 137 said to be porous, said such situation demanded firm contributions from all strata of the society to address the challenges.

“The situation demands firm contributions from all strata of the society to address the challenges.

“Women, we need to talk with a lot of confidence. It is time for women to lend out our voice and not leave it only for our men to make sure everyone is a security person. Everyone must be interested in the security issues. We have 261 borders, we have 137 of these borders that are porous.

“It is time for us to lend our voice out there to ensure that this country is safe; to ensure that poverty is eradicated. It is only when poverty is eradicated; it is only when insecurity is eradicated that people would want to come into Nigeria to come and invest,” she said.

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