Day NAWOJ resolved to get more women into politics

From left: NAWOJ President, Alhaja Fatimah
Abdulkareem; Minister of Environment, Land
and Urban Development, Hajia Halima Tayo
-Alao; pioneer president, NAWOJ, Mrs. Brenda
Akpan and Senator Grace Bent at the occasion.
Photo: Kuburat Alolade-Ganiyu

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) last week celebrated its 19th anniversary and held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State. Adewale Oshodi, who was there, reports the resolve to seek political positions and sponsor women for political offices in the country.

In recent times, women have realised the enormous power they wield in the society and they have been working at how such influence can be transformed into impacting positively on the lives of the womenfolk generally.

The case was not different when the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) held its 19th anniversary and the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, March 1, 2008 at the D’ Rovans Hotel, Ring-Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

In her address at the opening ceremony, the National President of NAWOJ, Alhaja Fatimah Abdulkareem said she was glad that the NEC meeting was taking place with the presence of past presidents since inception 19 years ago.

Alhaja Abdulkareem said the meeting would afford the union the opportunity to discuss issues that would positively influence the lives of members and women in the society generally.

The NAWOJ president, while giving a stewardship account of her activities since it was inaugurated less than a year ago, stated that her team had done a lot to improve the welfare of women journalists in the country, as well as contribute to the development of the society at large.

“For example, while Nigerians were celebrating the Sallah, Christmas and New year, the association thought it wise to put smiles on the faces of people who were confined to hospital beds on account of ill-health.

“That was when I led a team of women journalists earlier in the year to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, where women and children who were on hospital admission were provided with gift and food items”, Alhaja Abdulkareem said.

“The union has also negotiated with Michael Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies to continually update the knowledge, attitude and practices of members. We also have an agreement with some international agencies on exchange programmes for NAWOJ members.

“Currently, we are working on life Insurance policy for all national officers and state chairpersons with WAPIC Intercontinental Insurance.

“Much still has to be done but we are being incapacitated by inadequate fund”, she said, urging governmental and non-governmental organisations, companies and even private individuals to team up with NAWOJ in order to further improve the welfare of women in the country.

Speaking at the occasion, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) president, Mr. Ndagene Akwu, represented by the Vice President, B Zone, Mr. Rotimi Obamuwagun, said the union was planning to re-present the Journalism Enhancement bill to the National Assembly and if approved, it would provide the necessary professional shelter, as well as ensure the welfare of Nigerian journalists.

The NUJ president, while speaking of indiscriminate sack of journalists by media houses, stated that the union had dragged The Guardian newspaper to the Industrial Arbitration Panel over the mass sack of its workers recently, saying NUJ would no longer tolerate a situation whereby journalists would be sacked at will, as well as the payment of peanuts to journalists as salary.

Delving into the state of the nation, Mr Akwu said things had not changed for Nigerian masses since democracy was restored in 1999. “A bag of rice in 1999 was N3,000, today, it is over N8,000. A bag of cement was N500, today, it is N2,300, what then has democracy done for the common man on the streets?”, the NUJ president pondered.

He stated further that the various poverty eradication programmes were only enriching the officials at the helm of such organisations and not the masses. He thereby charged journalists to work to see that the living standard of the average Nigerian improves. The Oyo State governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaja Risikat Alabi, said Nigerian journalists, being members of the fourth estate of the realm, must ensure the survival of democracy in the country.

Otunba Alao-Akala said nothing could be substituted for democracy as it gives all and sundry freedom of expression. In her own submission, the chairperson of the day, the Minister of Environment, Land and Urban Development, Hajia Halima Tayo-Alao charged women journalists to be at the fore-front of the fight against unhygienic environment.

Hajia Tayo-Alao stated that in the advent of outbreak of diseases, women and children suffer the most in such circumstances, urging media campaign for a cleaner environment. Speaking further, the minister said aside from cleaner environment, other environmental issues of utmost importance at this point in time include solid waste management and climate change.

On the issue of solid waste management, Hajia Tayo-Alao stated that her ministry had been involving local governments, saying if the environment is clean, many illnesses would be eradicated. Wife of the Oyo State governor, Chief (Mrs) Kemi Alao-Akala, represented by the wife of the Deputy governor, Mrs Abiodun Arapaja, said the power to make great changes in the country lies in the hands of journalists and they must not shy away from that responsibility.

Another woman of high repute and member of the National Assembly, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, challenged women journalists to always celebrate womenfolk who hold political offices instead of pulling them down, saying this is the only way women could rise to the top in their political careers.

The senator also charged women journalists to seek political offices. She said by so doing, many women would be represented in decision-making for the country, which would give women a voice in the running of the affairs of the country.

She said women journalists who are now members of the National Assembly like Senator Chris Anyawu and Hon. Abike Dabiri are proving what women journalists could do if they hold political positions.

Senator Bent then said the focus of women journalists now should be how to use the media to help the voiceless, especially fellow women and children; fight for peace and security in the country, as well as for a female president.

The first NAWOJ president, Mrs Brenda Akpan, in her speech, said all past presidents are ready to work for the development of the association, which was why they were all present at the occasion. The guest lecturer at the occasion, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi of the National Assembly, charged NAWOJ to act in order to effect changes in the country by sponsoring their members and colleagues to places of decision-making in the country.

Royal Father of the day, Oba Samuel Adegboyega Osunbade, the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon said he was happy with the activities of NAWOJ under the leadership of Alhaja Fatimah Abdulkareem. Oba Osunbade urged women journalists to push for constitutional review which would give equal opportunities to all in the country, as well as fight against illegal acts of elected or appointed political office holders.