- Urges governors to prescribe capital punishment to check menace
- Charges women to raise their children appropriately
- From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
First Lady of Nigeria Oluremi Tinubu has called on State Governors and Lawmakers to prescribe capital punishment for kidnapping.
According to a statement issued by Busola Kukoyi, she made the call Friday during a meeting with the National Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House, Abuja.
Mrs. Tinubu described as heart wrenching, the act of kidnapping innocent children, who are the future of the nation.
She described the kidnappers as coward for majorly taking hold of women and children saying they are inhumane and should be treated as such.
“They are cowards. Our hearts bleed. I call on the state governments that once we take hold of them, they deserve capital punishments. Why can’t they take men of their size, why are they touching women and children.
“What they are doing is that they are trying to kill our future, we all know that when parents are old, we rely on our children, we see them as our investments that have not gone to a waste especially when they are successful.
“Why will you now take them from their schools? Right now, I think enough is enough. As a former lawmaker, I believe that any one of them captured deserves capital punishment.
“I believe most mothers will support me on this because we carry our children for nine months, and we cannot watch what we love to wither away”.
Mrs. Tinubu told the women that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, places a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for women to thrive economically, socially, and politically.
“As women, we constitute a significant portion of our society, and it is vital that our voices are heard and our contributions acknowledged. As women leaders, your role is very crucial to our nation’s development.
“You are the eyes and ears of the Government at the grassroots. I therefore encourage you to set a robust agenda for empowerment, inclusion and welfare of women within our Party and across the Nation”.
The First Lady speaking on the International Women’s Day hailed Nigerian women for their courage, resilience and doggedness.
According to her, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) was established to focus on championing women’s causes and implementing various programmes and initiatives nationwide with our motto, which states, “towards a better life for families”.
“Accelerating progress in any endeavour requires that women have to be more involved, that is why I see investing in women, not as charity, but a crucial strategy to build the future of our dear nation, Nigeria.
“Empowering women with education, resources and opportunities to unlock their full potential, such as, supporting women’s businesses, investing in women’s health, agricultural programmes for women, and creating pathways for women in science and technology will help in dismantling economic and social barriers that women face.
“Therefore, my charge to you all is to be each other’s keeper, let us all come together, bond and love one another. Each of you should commit to pull a sister up, one at a time. You will all be amazed at what we can achieve collectively.”
Earlier, the group, led by its National Women Leader, Mary Alile, her Deputy, Hajia Zainab Ibrahim and members of the Executive, thanked the First Lady for her impacts on the lives of Nigerians through her various interventions on the platform of RHI.
The group also requested the First Lady to help them by press for more inclusion in the activities of the current government.
“We highlight the remarkable achievement of the RHI spearheaded by our first lady across the country; the RHI has brought about transformative change through various programme which include the Elderly Support Scheme, National Scholarship Programme, Women in Agric Support Programme and many others”.
The delegation included APC National woman leader, her deputy, the 6 zonal leaders and the women leaders of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.