Politics
MRS Salamatu Gbajabiamila, wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday called for equal opportunities for the girl child as well as the recognition and protection of her rights.
Gbajabiamila made the call during a programme to commemorate the 2022 International Day of the Girl Child in Surulere, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by House of Representatives Members Spouses’ Association (HORMSA),PAD UP Africa , and Gbaja 4 Tinubu /Shettima Presidency Project 2023, a support group.
The Speaker’s wife, who chairs HORMSA, said the girl child is important to nation building, and conscious efforts must be made by all to give her access to education, health and other life-impacting services.
“As we commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, it is important to pay attention to her because girls are important to nation-building and they make up a significant percentage of our population.
“So, as a nation, we must recognise the girl child, and to recognise the girl child is to recognise her rights, her needs and potential.
“It is to give her access to education, access to clean water, essential services, sanitation, hygiene and access to digital services to make her participate in an increasingly global world.
“To recognise the Nigerian girl child is to recognise her limitless potential to be a change agent, progressive citizen, a leader and all she deserves for herself,” she said.
She advocated support for the girl child in embracing her uniqueness, talents and capacity.
Gbajabiamila said that the girl child should also be supported to surmount the challenges she faced on the course to achieving her goals.
While saying no nation develops without investment in the girl child, the Speaker’s wife said Nigeria should pay greater attention to her welfare and wellbeing, for a better future.
She said HORMSA, with other partners, organised the programme not only to celebrate the girl girl but also also to empower her.
The Speaker’s wife said the programme also aimed at promoting the menstrual health of the girl child to give her confidence.
“Part of what we are doing today is to train girls in Surulere on how to make re-usable sanitary pads and donate some to them to boost their confidence,” she added.
Also, Mrs Ibukun Otesile, Director, Hope for Second Chance Foundation (HOSEC), a girl child advocacy group, said besides celebration, there was the need to do more for the girl child to secure her future.
“Apart from celebrating today, we should ask ourselves: what have we done to better the life of the girl child.
“The girl deserves the best; we should invest in her education as a nation and other things to make her live her best,” she said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Lukman Lawal, co-ordinator of the programme, said the girl child is an asset to any nation .
He, however, said the girl child was faced with many challenges, making realisation of her dreams difficult.
He said if the country must realise its development goals, the challenges facing the girl child must be converted to opportunities.
“Yes, there are enormous challenges, but we must be quick to transform these challenges to opportunities that must be well explored to the advantage of these young angels of God.
“In light of the above realities, we call on all governments at all levels to act on providing opportunities for the girl child.
“We must create robust policy shifts, improve legislation and build the right synergy across all relevant stakeholders to ensure a virile girl child development framework, that will stem the tide of non-education of the girl child.
“We must address the problems of female genital mutilation, teenage pregnancy, abortion, drugs and substances abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking,” he said.
In her contribution,Mrs Barakat Bakare-Akande, Leader of Surulere Local Government Legislative Council, urged girls to aspire for the best in life.
She said by dint of hard work, they could become whatever they wanted in life.
“Today I am the leader of the legislative council here; I am a lawyer and I have a couple of degrees.
“I am here because I dreamt and worked to be here. You can do much more by dreaming and working hard”, she said.
NAN reports that Gbajabiamila’s wife donated books and sanitary pads to students of New Era Girls Secondary School ,Surulere, venue of the programme.
The students were also trained on how to make re-usable sanitary pads to improve their menstrual health.(NAN)
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Tags: Alhaji Lukman Lawal Barakat Bakare-Akande Ibukun Otesile Rep.Femi Gbajabiamila Salamatu Gbajabiamila
