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“Bring Back Our Girls” Protest Ganers Momentum

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From the East to the West,
North down to the South, the Slogan is “Bring Back Our Girls.”
Nothing short of the return of the school girls abducted since April 14 in Chibok Borno State is expected.
To this end Port Harcourt residents Wednesday took to the street to support the on-going campaign for the release of the over 200 school girls abducted in Chibok, Bornu State. With placards reading “Give Us Back Our Future Now”,”Destry The Beast of Boko Haram Now” hand “Bring Back our Girls”, the protesters called on the federal government to ensure the release of the girls.
At the Government House Port Harcourt, the secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr. George Feyii, who received the protesters on behalf of the state Governor, assured them of the support of the executive Governor, toward the release of the girls to their families.
Meanwhile, the protesters had in their message to the federal government appealed for greater caution to avoid the nation slipping into anarchy given the looming fear over the security challenges in the country.
calls and appeals even ultimatums are released on daily basis to those concerned with matters of security to go beyond their limits and rescue these victims of circumstance.
Today, the slogan “Bring Back Our Girls’ has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria. It has  become a major hashtag in the social media. Why?, because the abduction of the over 200 innocent secondary school girls is outrightly a crime against humanity and a crime against humanity is certainly a crime against all irrespective of race and colour .
It is a national calamity, a pain borne by many and sorrow expressed by all. Apart from occasional sectorial calls by concerned  individuals and groups for release of the April 14 abducted girls in chibok, Bornu State, the concern has gradually taken an international dimension and who knows, where salvation could come from?
Biological parents of those innocent girls have cried their eyes out, they have staked their lives to  the rescue of their loved ones all these while to no avail. Calls, appeals and even ultimatums had been made and given to authorities incharge of Nigerians’ security to defend and rescue these girls.
Nigerian workers virtually turned the May Day Celebration into a day of mourning all in a bid to register their displeasure over the incidence and to press for the rescue of the school girls. Meanwhile the Patroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) boycotted this year’s May Day rally at the Eagle Square to identify with the pains and trauma of the parents of missing Chibok Students.
The recent declaration by the extremist militant group to sell its captives (the Chibok School Girls) has attracted the world’s attention and has further agitated as well as mobilised men and women from all walks of life in Nigeria to raise their voices against such inhuman act.
Protesters across Nigeria rallied last weekend to also draw attention to the plight of the girls.
It is barely a month now, victims of Chibok abduction have remained captives of an extremist militant group that has threatened to sell them into slavery. Minutes after the declaration of an intention to sell the abducted Nigerian school girls into slavery by their abductor, Abubakar Shekau, leader of the notorious Boko Haram sect, came another news that eight more girls from Warabe had been joined to the yet-to-be ascertained figure already in the captor’s net, isn’t it really disheartening?.
Pieces of bad news! Exclaims Chibundu Onuzu, a prominent Nigerian author who resides in London. What could be worst than living in an environment characterized by insecurity and acts of impunity by lawless inhuman beings who have  thrown caution to the winds.
What exactly is the bad news? Over 200 girls abducted yet to be found? Or eight more girls abducted under a heated-security- intensified outmosphere?
My worry is not jut that odd things happen, my worry stems from the fact that they happen where they  are guarded against any occurrence and inspite of the stiff security in place there could still be no traceable explanation to how it happened.
The latest kidnapping happened on Sunday night, May 4, in the village of Warabe, still in Borno State, the girls taken were aged between 12 and 15 according to BBC News.
However, more protest were staged Wednesday in Port Harcourt and Ilorin over the abduction of these girls with greater emphasis on bringing them back.
It will be recalled that on April 14, 2014 gunmen abducted over 200 secondary school girls from their dormitories at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.
New Yorker reports that militants dressed in  Military Uniform went into their dormitories and told their victims they were being taken to a safe place. They were placed in trucks and on motorcycles and driven away.
Ever since, the Twitter hashtag ‘Bring Back Our Girls’, has been trending at various points with many users from around the world demanding a swift rescue of the girls.
Although some of the girls have been taken across Nigeria’s borders to nearby chad and Cameroon to be sold into marriage-Associated Press, President Goodluck Jonathan is still optimistic that the girls will come back. In a chat with the press recently in Abuja, the president reassured Nigerians he must do everything possible to secure the release of the captured girls.

 

Port Harcourt residents demand release of the Chibok abducted girls in Port Harcourt, recently.

Port Harcourt residents demand release of the Chibok abducted girls in Port Harcourt, recently.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

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The Desire Of Every Woman In Marriage

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A woman needs a man that is honest,  trustworthy,  nice,  loving and financially stable.
There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, If there is no money,  it is always difficult.


Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3:Your desire  shall be unto you……..
That is one aspect  the woman expects her husband to take care of.
A woman wants a husband that is not lazy,  at least helping to do one or two things.   A man that is educated and intelligent.
She knows that there is a trait that her husband has.  Traits of taking care of people,  giving freely to people and caring for her family.
A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family,  remembering his family even as he is away from home.
A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.


According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that the women builds her home.
It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit.  Don’t be a monitoring spirit.  Don’t allow anything to take your joy.
Don’t loose trust in your husband.
The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.


The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man.  A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.
Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.
A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

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What Women Want In Yet-To -Be Husbands

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What women want in their yet-to- be husbands matters a lot as far as marriage is concerned.
A woman desires a good fnancial prospect. Interestingly, some modern women place a man’s financial potential as more desirable than they have in the past.
Many decades ago, women ranked it lower on the list. It still comes in after items like love and maturity, but perhaps today’s women realise that a good economic partner is good husband material.
Good health has been an important characteristic for women through the 20th century and remains so these days. One might argue that because we’re living even longer, health plays a huge role in the success of a marriage. Women are anxious to know that their partners are healthy to be able to run the family together.
You discover that in most faith based organisations, would- be couples are mandated to go for medical tests to ascertain their health status as it concerns HIV/AIDS, Genotype and other related ones. This according to stakeholders is to ensure that couples raise healthy families.
Ambition has become less important to women over time, though it still being considered even if women nowadays are thriving in the workforce competing with the male folk. It may be because more women are thriving in the workforce, they want a husband who has earning power but are not looking for him to be the sole provider.
More women want husbands with pleasing disposition. They may not want a man who is always moody. A man who is always cheerful is whom they desire.
Surprisingly, a man’s likes do not rank as high on women’s list of wants as it used to. Until recently, women are more willing to accept a man for who he his, despite the inevitable mood he may be.
Sociability from both men and women rank very high on their marriag material list. And for both sexes, it has been steadily moving up the list for many years. The rise of the “love marriage,” a partnership based on attraction rather than practicalities (like wealth or status) might mean that married couples are more likely to be friends and have mutual circles of friends.
A lot of couples want to associate with others and then socialise. Attending parties of other friends forms part of their marriage requirements.
Women have placed education and intelligence top making it one of their most desirable male traits for decades. This timeline coincides with more and more women receiving college education themselves. Once education becomes important in women’s lives, it is a more attractive trait in potential husbands.
Of course when a woman is educated, she is likely to go for an educated man. When they are gainfully employed, their income boost the family affairs faster.
Today, women are much more attracted to men who are interested in home and family than they ever have been. Men who have desire for their home and children is whom they desire.
After a days job, a man will come home to ensure that his children are comfortable. Because most women today are expecting to be in dual-earner relationships, they want husbands who will be happy and willing to contribute at home. More women today even report that they hope he will take the lead at home.
A woman wants a man who is emotionally stable and mature. Growing big physically is not the issue but maturity in the heart.
Men, too, place a heavy emphasis on a potential wife’s emotional maturity, signaling that it is a key quality for a stable partnership. Women seem to look past appearance to the heart of the matter.
A woman wants a man who is not easily provoked. Dependable character is what some women want in marriage.
Women want husbands that they can count on, and this has not changed in recent years. Yes, women look to their spouses to be lovers and friends, they also want them to be supportive and trustworthy. They want to know that their husbands will be there and remain loyal. Men, too, desire dependable character from their yet-to be wives.
Mutual attraction and love from the first appearance is what they want till they become old.
The highest-rated characteristic women seek from men is mutual attraction and love. Some no longer look for a man who will provide everything, afterall they are also educated and are gainfully employed, they want to be in love.
For some women, even when the man do not provide household needs, the love shown on her is enough. When women had no job prospects and needed to marry, they desired love . The women’s movement has not only helped women pursue careers, it has also given them more choice in love.

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Echoes Of IWD : Need To Invest In Women

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As this year’s Internatinal Women’s Day (IWD) has come and gone, there are calls from different quarters on the need to invest in women so that we can achieve accelerated growth.
It was, indeed, a thing of joy when Rivers Women Unite For Sim, took delivery of large quantities of sanitary towels and some bags of rice provided them for this year’s celebration.
Many young women expressed joy that they got such gesture since some of them have financial problems getting sanitary towels whenever they are on.
Some secondary school students were also lucky to have a share of the benefits. They also got some sanitary towels.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs organised a platform to celebrate and honour the women for the remarkable jobs they perform in their homes and society.
Addressing women on the occasion, the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, noted that women from time immemorial have been great pillars in achieving remarkable heights and stressed that IWD across the globe is pivotal all women for the roles they play in bringing, nurturing and sustaining life.
Dr. Uranta said that IWD, which started in 1911 and celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day that provides women a platform to address economic inclusion, participation in political and public life.
She said the day was set aside to look into lack of access to education for the girl-child, gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, harmful cultural practices as well as other challenges facing women around the globe.
The Hon. Commissioner, who described March 8 as a day to celebrate the socio-economic, cultural and political achievements of women, emphasised that it is a day that offers women the opportunity to reflect on progressive achievements.
Noting that it is an opportunity to call for change, she stressed that it is also an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and every achievement made by ordinary women who did extraordinary things and are remembered in history.
She noted that the IWD2024 theme:”Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress”, is timely and apt because according to her, to achieve gender equality, we must ensure that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women do not elude them.
Her words: ” We must see investing in women as a human right issue and consider investing in women as a social tool to eradicate poverty since women are helpmeet in the homes while a handful are breadwinners in their respective families”.
The commissioner urged women to uphold the deliberate act of investing in themselves, be it furthering formal education, developing a new skill as well as learning a trade.
“Shun idleness, always find something positive and productive to do, regardless of your age, social status and financial capabilities”, she said.
In a paper presentation, Dr. Dabota God’swill Jumbo, reiterated that investing in women would attract good and positive dividends to herself and the society at large and noted that it is essential in addressing poverty, hunger and climate change.
The guest speaker said women need more opportunities in elective and appointive positions, hence the need to encourage and support them in politics.
According to her, when you invest in women, they will be able to create safer environment devoid of gender-based violence.
In a goodwill message, the spokesperson, Rivers Women Unite For Sim, Mrs Charity Deemua appreciated the organisers for making it possible for women to gather and celebrate themselves.
She commended those who created a day like March 8 of every year to celebrate women and regretted that the girl-child was seen as a second-class person decades ago.
The former commissioner, Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, described those who taught it wise for women to celebrate as conquerors, tough and strong.
International Association of World Peace Advocates, a world-class organisation with the United Nations, honoured different categories of women.
In Cross River State, 150 women were empowered with about N15m to boost their small and medium scale businesses.
According to stakeholders, the women empowerment is vital in addressing social, economic and political challenges and will make them self-reliant.
An NGO, Association of Professional Women Engineering Technologists (APWET), said it’s aim is to promote professional excellence among engineering personnel, advocating for women and girl-child education.
With what we saw in terms of response to women’s call on issues affecting them from relevant authorities, we are optimistic that the women will do better whenever they are empowered.
If we must kick out cervical, breast and other forms of cancer in women, underage marriage, prostitution, we must invest in women.
There were goodwill messages from National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC, Nigeria Association of Female Journalists (NAWOJ), among others.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode

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