Seeking End to Gender Based Violence

The first lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule, recently led female folks across all works of life from the state on a street walk to seek an end to Gender Based Violence, writes Igbawase Ukumba

On December 13, 2021, Hajiya Silifat, the first lady of Nasarawa State and wife of Governor Abdullahi Sule, led a powerful walk across the streets of Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, expressing anger of the Nasarawa women against some Gender Based Violence (GBV) being perpetrated by some individuals across the state.

Hajiya Silifat was supported during the walk by the wife of the State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sheila Tosan Akabe; the wife of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Balarabe Abdullahi; wives of chairmen of Local Government and Development Areas of the state, as well as wives of political appointees and elected officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Giving his consent to the commencement of the walk against GBV in Nasarawa State in the Government House, Lafia, Governor Sule told the mammoth crowd, who thronged out to accompany his wife, Silifat on the street walk, that their decision to that order was in consonant with the policies and programmes of his administration.

“I thank you for supporting this initiative and supporting the girl-child. I think this is what is best for our country. As you know this administration is attaching a lot to the education of our youths, especially the girl-child. So, with what you are doing, you are in support of this administration,” Sule told the women before their departure for the Walk Against Gender Based Violence.

Addressing members of the state House of Assembly when the Nasarawa women arrived at the state assembly complex, the state first lady said as women in the state, they were not in support of Gender Based Violence, hence they were at the state House of Assembly to let the lawmakers know, and if possible pass that bill against the abuse of girl-child into law.

The Nasarawa State first lady, who spoke through the wife of the state deputy governor, Mrs. SheilaTosan Akabe, continued that women of the state were not happy with what was going on where there were many forms of abuse of the girl-child in the state.

“That is why we are ending our 16 days activism with a walk right from the Government House to the state House of Assembly to register our grudges and to also register our presence here with the speaker of the state House of Assembly,” Silifat maintained.

Receiving the women at the assembly complex, speaker of the House, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, expressed gratitude at the Nasarawa State first lady’s consistency in ensuring that there is an end to the abuse of the girl child’s right in Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole.

The Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Daniel Ogah Ogazi, received the first lady with her women campaigners on behalf of the House speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi said: “The House of Assembly is following your (first lady’s) programmes. You have gone to police stations and courts to ensure that you secure judgement for that abused girl-child in the state.”

The speaker maintained that the state House of Assembly would support the Hope Foundation of the state first lady in its fight against Gender Based Violence in the state. He continued that the House is to protect women and girl-child against all forms of violence to build an egalitarian society for peace and progress to thrive.

Balarabe Abdullahi, however, lamented that violence against women and girls has affected their lives negatively and the development of the society, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to end the menace.

“We want to commend Her Excellency in her fight against rape and all forms of Violence in the state. Her Excellency’s efforts and continued fighting is to ensure that there is no violence against women and girls in the state. We are happy with her initiative and movement. We will give you all the legislations and other necessary support to end violence against women and girls in the interest of peace and for the overall development of the state,” the Nasarawa House of Assembly speaker assured the women folks.

Balarabe Abdullahi then called on security agencies to bring perpetrators of rape and other forms of violence against women to book to serve as detterent to others.

“The House of Assembly is with you, and it is in this vein that Mr. Speaker has sponsored a bill in that direction and it has been passed by the assembly and as well assented to by your husband, the governor of the state,” the speaker disclosed to the Hajiya Silifat.

Perhaps, it will not be out of place to note that Hajiya Silifat has girl-child education and training of more women, especially widows, as her major preoccupation as she serves the women folks in Nasarawa State. Hitherto, speaking recently in Abuja at a meeting of her Silifat Abdullahi Sule (SAS) Hope Foundation, Silifat said education and empowerment of more women would reduce the number of abuses and also help in the state and national development.

“I am not happy about what girls and women, especially widows are facing in this country. Some people will marry widows just because of their money and when they have finished with their money, they then drive them away. We want to take action on that. So, we are working hand in hand with traditional rulers, community leaders and religious leaders in Nasarawa State in order to tackle this matter,” the first lady lamented.

She added that she had included girl-child education in her Silifat Abdullahi Sule Hope Foundation (SAS) Hope Foundation, and that she has presently about 200 girls that were being sponsored, which most of them were orphans. She also said she had empowered about 150 widows that she trained in skills acquisitions and were also offered N20,000 each to start a business.

Similar efforts earlier put in place by the Nasarawa State governor’s wife towards salvaging the wellbeing of the women folks in the state could be attested by her offsetting of hospital bills of raped victims in the state. Hajiya Silifat had offsett the medical bills of the raped victims when their parents paid her a visit in her office in the Government House, Lafia recently.

Acccording to her, “my office is working in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice to ensure that those involved in the act of rape are prosecuted according to the law of the country.”

Nevertheless, in a bid to support the vulnerable in the society, especially women and children, Hajiya Silifat Sule recently sponsored the educational needs of over 500 orphans across the state. This was stated in a statement issued to journalists in Lafia by the first lady’s media aide, Mr. Lamino Ishaq, in commemoration of the 2021 International Widows Day celebration.

The statement read in part: “The first lady has also provided skills acquisition training for widows, orphans and people living with impairment, and the beneficiaries were provided with take-off grants after completion of training. The foundation has continued to encourage girl-child education by providing learning materials which has increased school enrollment, especially of the girl-child.”

The statement maintained that Silifat remained unrelenting in her commitment to the fight against Gender Based Violence as well as the right of the girl-child and women through enhancement of their welfare in the society.