By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has charged the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to be more vocal on the worrisome trend of violence against women and children in the country.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the group to her office at the Lagos House, Ikeja, she commended them for promoting the rights of women and children in the state.
According to her, “For a long time many defenseless women and children suffered in silence because nobody stood up for them, a situation which has caused many broken homes, emotional breakdowns and psychological trauma among others”.
Mrs Ambode assured the group that the state government was doing everything possible to ensure that the rights of every citizen in the state were protected.
Earlier, chairperson of the association, Lagos State branch, Mrs Ngozi Ogbolu, applauded the Lagos State government for the proactive steps taken in adopting and enacting laws that protect, promote, and preserve the rights and interests of women and children, citing the 2015 Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of Lagos State.
She disclosed that the overriding objective of FIDA was in line with the vision of the pet project of the state Governor’s wife, ‘Hope for Women in Nigeria Initiative (HOFOWEM)’, which sought to impact the lives of underprivileged women, widows and expectant mothers, while also seeking to help rehabilitate vulnerable children and encourage their education.
Recall that FIDA has been in existence in Nigeria for the past 52 years, providing free legal service for less privileged people in the society.
Adedapo Adesanya