Ololade Adeyanju/
Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos Chapter, marked the International Women’s Day yesterday with a call on governments at all levels to ensure that women are given special treatment in education, health, politics and other areas of human endeavour.
The group also commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration for what it observed as great works going on in Lagos especially in curbing domestic violence, but urged the state government to enforce the law on motorcycle-riding by clamping down on motorcyclists popularly known as Okada riders who flout the existing laws especially in areas like Iyana-Ipaja-Ikeja expressway, Ketu, Ojota, Apapa among other routes in the state.
In a communiqué released after the March congress and signed by the Chairperson and Secretary respectively, Hajia Sekinah Lawal and Ms Ifejola Otun, the association also called on the state government to address the Apapa gridlock due to the commercial activities in the area and its importance to the state in particular and the nation in general.
In addition, the group commended the whistle blowing initiative of the Federal Government and enjoined all citizens to get involved.
The group said the initiative had really helped the country in exposing those who had stolen money while calling on more citizens to be part of the exercise.
The congress also prayed for good health for President Muhammadu Buhari in “order to take the nation out of the evil consequences of corruption”.
It frowned at the inability of the present administration to put a “stop to outrageous salary being received by some political officer holders who had served in their various states in the past and are now collecting bogus pension as well as salary for their new political appointments in the country including our Senators, members of House of Representatives and States’ House of Assemblies.
“This is unacceptable especially when pensioners who had served the country could not be paid their pensions as at when due without stress.”
NAWOJ called for the stoppage of “this obnoxious act in the face of economic downturn in the country where pensioners are dying to collect their stipend while few individuals are smiling to the bank”.
The group urged Nigerians to take their destiny into their own hands by ensuring that political office holders are made accountable to the citizens such as carrying placards and protesting the unwarranted huge take-home of political officers ensuring its reversal.
On xenophobic attacks in South Africa where Nigerians have been victims, the congress condemned the act and stressed that the victims should be compensated. It urged the Federal Government to step up on the compensation issue while putting all needed things in place to ensure that Nigerian citizens have no reason to be running away from their country.