By Oziegbe Okoeki
The Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) has called on both federal and state governments to see maternal mortality as a national emergency that must be seriously addressed with a view to reducing the high rate.
This was part of the communique issued at the end of COWLSO’s 19th National Women Conference which ended yesterday at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
It also called on governments at all levels to empower women, saying there was strong need to invest effectively in maximizing the capacity of women.
According to COWLSO, “Maternal mortality is abysmally high; the death of a woman is more grievous than the death of a man. Maternal mortality is taken for granted in Nigeria and this must be seen as a national emergency.
“An empowered and educated woman would raise empowered children, as a nation we need to invest effectively in maximizing the capacity of women.
“All stakeholders – families, schools, religious bodies, communities and government must, therefore, play active roles in nurturing the child to be upright, hardworking, result oriented, focused, organised and have the fear of God. Moulding a child is a collective responsibility. Every child should have access to quality education.”
While noting that there are limitless opportunities in entrepreneurship, COWLSO also urged the people to see it as a vital way out of financial difficulties, just as the Committee admonished residents to imbibe voluntary compliance to laws, and well-being.
Read Also: Aisha Buhari to declare COWLSO’s national women conference open
“Government at all levels must continue to partner with the private sector to develop and implement strategies that will showcase the nation’s potential in entertainment and tourism to the world.
“Every society must seek to evolve its own legal instrument through the culture of voluntary compliance to the laws of waste and traffic management.”
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the COWLSO executives and members for putting a brilliantly impactful conference together, and urged women to be the ambassadors of his administration.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by commissioner for home affairs, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf urged women to ensure that the knowledge and skill-sets acquired at the conference are put to good use.
Several prizes including two houses, cars, return tickets to London, Dubai and Ghana, cash rewards, deep freezers, cooking gas, television, washing machines, exquisite beds, among others, were won by some of the participants at the conference.
Leave a Reply