Address Rape, Food Security, Inflation, NAWOJ Tells FG

By Jide Afolabi

National Association of Women Journalists has called on the federal government to address increasing rate of rape and domestic violence across the country, food security and unprecedented inflation.

The association made the call in a communique issued at the end of its meeting held in Gombe last Friday, signed by Umo Bassey Edet (Cross River NAWOJ), Fatima Paga (Yobe NAWOJ) and Ifeoma Amuta (Enugu NAWOJ)

NAWOJ advocated for the need to protect women and girls against rape and domestic violence. They “condemned the increasing rate of rape and domestic violence across the country and called for urgent steps to reverse the trend.

Concerned about high cost of food and other consumables in the country, the association called on “federal government to take urgent steps to improve food security, control prices of goods and check increasing rate of inflation in the country”.

The association frowned at non-payment of salaries by some media organisations and state governments. They “called on the federal government to urgently look into the issue of non-payment of salaries by some media establishments with a view to putting up stringent measures to address the situation”. They stated that the matter should not be left for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) alone.

Despite the Paris Club loans refund, NAWOJ expressed disappointment at some state governments who failed to use the fund for the purpose it was disbursed by the federal government. They “totally condemned non-payment of salaries to workers in some states of the Federation and urged the federal government to publish allocations to states from the Paris Club loans refund and ensure judicious use of the money by states in the payment of arrears of salaries and pensions”.

In the wake of recent judgement which directed Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) to put necessary warning labels on its products, NAWOJ  expressed concern over the “health hazards Nigerians are exposed to by manufacturers of beverages, drinks and other food items and called on the Federal Ministry of Health as well as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to wake up to their responsibilities to ensure public health of the nation by monitoring activities of manufacturers and importers of products which contain chemicals that are injurious to health”. They also urged the federal government to review its policies on drug supply and put in place a machinery to boost local production.