Plateau women, through the platform of the Voice of Women in Nigeria Leadership Initiative, are making a plea to both federal and state governments to confront the long-standing security challenges, hunger, and economic hardships currently gripping Nigeria.
Mrs. Lois Gotom, the state coordinator of the group, voiced these concerns during a peaceful protest held in Jos over the weekend.
Gotom stressed that the ongoing economic downturn and insecurity have brought significant suffering to Nigerians, especially impacting women and children.
Worried about the loss of lives and property amid the current challenges facing the nation, the coordinator implored President Bola Tinubu to utilize his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ to provide aid to the populace.
‘It has become imperative for us to organise this peaceful protest as concerned women because the worsening hunger and insecurity are affecting both the young and old, with women being the most hit as managers of the home front.’
‘The Voice of Women in Leadership Initiative is one of the many groups in Nigeria that is deeply concerned over the bad situation in the nation.’
Read also: Nigerian Reps To Hold Security Summit Over Plateau Killings
‘The government’s inability to control prices of commodities is leading to acute hunger and starvation; the scourge of hunger and insecurity in our dear country is a sad reality.’
‘We, therefore, call on government at all levels to put machinery in motion to check price control and this will help in this daily indiscriminate rise in prices of goods and services,’ she said.
Reiterating Nigeria’s wealth in natural and human resources, Gotom appealed to leaders at all levels to harness these potentials to improve the quality of life for the populace.
‘It is no longer news that we wake up every day with different news; the daily increase in prices of goods and services, transportation fares, kidnapping, armed robbery, and killing of innocent citizens.’
‘During his campaign, President Tinubu promised Nigerians a lot; in fact, he promised to improve the security of lives and property and invest the funds from the removal of subsidy to better the lives of Nigerians.’
‘Sadly, women and children are dying in their numbers; in 2023, for instance, fifty to sixty per cent of our land was not cultivated due to insecurity,’ she claimed.
‘So, this peaceful rally is a way of speaking on behalf of millions of ordinary Nigerians to have their voices heard,’ Gotom noted.
However, the coordinator emphasized the importance of Nigerians supporting and praying for the nation’s leaders to address the current situation.