Features
Promoting Women’s Interests In Nation-Building
Wife of APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Barr. (Mrs.) Elima Peterside, discussing with wife of Executive Governor of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi, during a town hall meeting with women at Emohua LGA
All over the world, women have been clamouring for gender equality, development and peace in the interest of all humanity.
The calls reached a crescendo with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA) put in place in September 1995 under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).
The Beijing Declaration particularly targeted at ensuring that the voice of women everywhere was heard, while recognising the diversity of women, their roles and the circumstances inhibiting women’s interests.
The BDPfA also aimed at ensuring the full implementation of the human rights of women and the girl child as an inalienable, integral, indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
While some developed countries have fully embraced the implementation of the Beijing Declaration which surfaced some 20 years ago, some countries somewhat exhibited some measure of apathy towards implementing it.
For instance, a report on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration in the U.S. indicated that women contributed a lot to efforts to transform the country’s economy.
The report said that nearly half of all the primary breadwinners in the U.S. were women, adding that their labour had contributed a lot to the median family income, thereby expanding the economy.
It also said that President Barak Obama designated 2014 as Year of Action in the U.S., as part of designed efforts to expand socio-economic opportunities for all Americans.
A key part of the agenda was pursuing policies that would specifically promote the women’s interests, in recognition of their growing contributions to the national economy.
Besides, delegations from 21 Latin American countries gathered in November 2014 to unanimously reaffirm their commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The goal of the forum was to remove the barriers which prevent the active participation of women in all spheres of public and private endeavours.
Commenting on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration in Africa, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Ms Ayisha Osori, said that Africa was still lagging behind in efforts to attain the targets of the BDPfA.
She noted that in Nigeria, for instance, the women had yet to secure 35-per-cent participation in the country’s political system and the decision-making organs.
She, therefore, underscored the need for the government to make pragmatic efforts to incorporate women into leadership positions, so as to allow their voices to be heard.
“From the angle of politics, women in Nigeria have yet to attain the 35-per-cent slot set out for them; we are still struggling to attain 15 per cent.
“This is partly because some women shy away from taking up leadership positions due to the cultural and African belief that men should naturally take the upper hand at all times,” she said.
Osori, nonetheless, noted that in spite of the fact that most African countries were still lagging behind in efforts to implement BDPfA, some countries such as the Republic of Rwanda had made remarkable progress in implementing it.
She said that in the central African country, enrolment rate for girls in schools increased to 95.1 per cent and 93.3 per cent for boys in the year 2008, while in 2012, it rose to 98 per cent, as against 95 per cent for boys.
On women’s participation in decision-making organs, Osori said that Rwandan women constituted 50 per cent of the judiciary, 39 per cent of the cabinet and 40 per cent of provincial governors, apart from holding other key positions in the country.
She particularly urged all stakeholders in Nigeria to devise pragmatic plans on how to improve the status and wellbeing of the women in the society.
All the same, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zainab Maina, said that there had been improved collaboration in efforts to implement BDPfA in the country.
Her words: “There have been conventions among different groups and actors involved in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.’’
Maina said that her ministry had initiated multi-sector interventions, which aimed at improving the status and interests of women and girls in Nigeria.
She also said that the ministry had strengthened its partnership with international agencies and civil society organisations to create appreciable public awareness on gender and women empowerment issues.
The minister, however, lamented that poverty had particularly affected Nigerian women, saying: “In spite of several efforts to reduce feminised poverty in Nigeria, poverty among women still remains a major challenge with various manifestations.
“This includes lack of income and productive resources sufficient to ensure a sustainable livelihood; hunger and malnutrition, ill health, as well as limited access to education and other basic amenities,” she said.
Besides, Maina stressed that traditions, customs, sexual stereotyping of social roles and cultural prejudice had continued to militate against the women’s assertion of their socio-economic rights.
She said that reports indicated that the plight of women in the northern part of the country was more harrowing than that of the women in the South.
She expressed dismay at a situation in which women were denied their right to have access to property and inheritance, insisting that such practice rendered the women economically insecure.
In the area of education and training of women, the minister stressed that “gender inequality in education has remained a perennial issue in Nigeria.
“The achievement of equal status in educational attainment by men and women remains a key national development target,” she said.
Maina emphasised that girls who were educated would contribute to the future economic growth of the country, while becoming better mothers to their children.
She, however, conceded that policies and interventions aimed at improving the women’s access to education had received a tremendous boost over the past few years.
Maina also said that women also received support in the area of health care and the fight against high maternal mortality rate via the input of relevant stakeholders.
Nevertheless, the minister argued that violence against women had yet to decline, saying that violence against women was perceptible at different levels and in varied forms.
She said that such violence could be in the form of domestic violence, female genital mutilation, harmful traditional practices, rape and sexual harassment.
“There is a certain level of stigmatisation and fear that characterises issues of gender-based violence due to deep-rooted socio-cultural perceptions.
“These tend to reinforce fear and shame on the part of the victims and have further worsened the adverse effects,” she said.
Maina cited a study by the Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence against Women (LACVAW), which found that one out of three Nigerian women had been subjected to one form of violence or the other.
She, however, said that measures and plans had been initiated to ensure that perpetrators of violence against women were duly penalised.
“There are several ongoing efforts at national and state levels to address the issue of violence against women.
“Some states like Lagos and Ekiti states now have new laws on domestic violence,” she added.
With reference to the economic input of Nigerian women, the minister said that women contribute to the economy and poverty-alleviation schemes via payable and non-payable work at home.
She moaned that these contributions notwithstanding, several gender-specific disparities still existed in Nigeria as far as the country’s economic indices were concerned.
“Nearly six million young women and men enter the labour market each year but only 10 per cent of them are able to secure jobs in the formal sector and just one-third of that figure is women,” she said.
The Director-General National Centre for Women Development, Ms Onyeka Onwenu, said that women’s empowerment was the foremost stride in every effort to attain self -reliance.
Onwenu said that vocational training was a way of developing skills and potential for self-sufficiency.
She noted that whenever women were self-employed and reliant, they would facilitate the government’s efforts to create jobs and employment.
“Women empowerment is the first step to freedom, whereby you don’t need to look up to anyone for survival even in the absence of a white-collar job,” she said.
Onwenu commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for setting aside 60 per cent of the N220 billion earmarked for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises to women in 2013.
She, nonetheless, urged the government to initiate more economic empowerment programmes for women, particularly those in the rural areas.
All the same, analysts underscore the need to ensure the proper implementation of the BDPfA in Nigeria.
They argue that this will strengthen the voice of women and enable them to actualise their dreams, while contributing to the sustainable development of the country in a pragmatic way.
Ndubisi writes for NAN
Ijeoma Ndubisi
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku
