By Emmanuel Acha
Enugu – The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) says it is prepared to collaborate with development partners and donor agencies to promote gender-based issues in the South-East.
The South-East Zonal President of NAWOJ, Mrs Ngozi Mbah, said this on Wednesday during the opening of a zonal meeting of the state chairpersons and secretaries of the association in Enugu.
Mbah said that such a collaboration had become necessary due to the increasing violation of rights of the less privileged, especially children, the girl-child and women in the area.
She said that the association had previously collaborated with UNICEF and other agencies to address issues that bordered on rights violations and “dehumanising cultural practices” in the area.
Mbah said that the successes recorded by the association in the past had been eroded due to infighting and disobedience to constituted authority by a few members of the association.
He, however, said that the zonal meeting would help to usher in a new dawn for the association, adding that they were ready to sort out their differences.
“The association has been in comatose in the Southeast due to infighting and all manner of crises. We felt there is the need to resuscitate NAWOJ in the zone.
“The impression is that we are crises-ridden. However, we are here to chart a new course for the association,” Mbah said.
He said that NAWOJ in the zone was poised to carry out campaigns aimed at promoting the welfare of women and children, especially the girl-child.
In a goodwill message, the South-East Zonal President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Ken Oforma, said that the meeting provided a veritable platform for members to address issues affecting the association.
Oforma said that the union was willing to work with the associstion to restore its lost glory.
He recalled how the immediate past zonal president of the association, Mrs Chibota Edozie, was indefinitely suspended by the national leadership of the association due to anti-union activities.
“We know the circumstances that led to the emergence of the current leadership of NAWOJ in the zone.
“I urge you to take this opportunity to seek for peace and build cohesion among female journalists.
“We want to bring back those golden era of NAWOJ. You need to begin again to push the course of the less-privileged women and children in collaboration with development partners,” Oforma said.
Also, the NUJ Chairman, Enugu State Council, Mr Rex Arum, commended the new leadership of NAWOJ for starting on a good note.
Arum said that with the new leadership in place, “the days of bickering are over”.
“Our expectation is that all members will be brought together to drive your programmes,” he said.
(NAN)
