By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Abuja (Sundiata Post)-ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, an international organization in a Rally organized in Abuja today decried all forms of corruption at the Federal Government level and called on government to engage in responsive investment in all forms of economic and education and health care infrastructure to affect the lives of Nigerians positively.
In a Rally tagged, “ No to Racism, Black Lives Matter & Nigerian Lives Matter” the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ms Ene Obi in her address said that the rally was organized to amplify the Nigerian catalogue of miseries that are not yet remedied.”
“We cannot but address these recurring issues which include infrastructure deficit, corruption and the cynical ways it sometimes manifests.”
Speaking on the slogan, “Nigerian Lives Matter” obi said that there is need for government to engage in more purposeful gender responsive investment in education, employment schemes, real, comprehensive, and equitable health care services and less expenditure on public offices, adding that corruption has become wholesome in the country.
Speaking about the various mysteries in the country lately, she said, “Our core messages on this day are that: Corruption is choking Niger experienced, we cannot breathe. All states need to domesticate Violence against Persons Prohibition Act Now! Fathers are violating their daughters, Women and girls can’t breathe!
AAN also used the Rally to mark the 2020 Day of the African Child to celebrate the African Child and to reflect of what African children are facing across the world and what they are facing on the continent.
It called for domestication of the Child Rights Act. ‘’Child marriage is child molestation; we must end child marriage now. We also demand maximum sentence for rapists and paedophiles.’’
It further lamented that after Nigeria’s 21 years of democracy experience, Maternal and Child Mortality and number of out- of- school children are still on the rise, adding that the Almajiri system must be stopped, while urging government to declare a state of emergency on Gender Based Violence in Nigeria.
AAN further used the occasion to condemn all forms of racism in America and the African continent following the recent killing of George Floyd, the America citizen who was killed by a policeman in eight minutes of neck suffocation.
ActionAid Nigeria said, “We join other activists and protesters, both in and outside of the country to say that “Black Lives Matter,” and we also say “Nigerian Lives Matter”.
George Floyd, of blessed memory is a huge reminder of what African Americans are going through and sad reminder of what is going on in terms of leadership on the continent of Africa, ANN stressed.
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