Semenitari Advocates Media Blackout Of NASS Members

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, has called for media black out against members of the National Assembly who voted in favour of early child marriage in Nigeria.
She made the call on Saturday during the maiden edition of the South-South Zonal Conference of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Port Harcourt.
Mrs Semenitari explained that such law will further enhance retrogression in the lives of such girls, not only to the health of the girls, but also to the state and nation.
The state Information and Communications boss who was delivering her keynote address with the theme, “gender balancing,’ the role of education”, further explained that such a bill coming at this point when every thing is being done to encourage the girl child to aspire for higher education, can only hamper the development of such girls involved in the marriage.
She therefore, urged members of NAWOJ in Nigeria to declare a media black out on the National Assembly members who voted for early girl child marriage in the country.
While declaring the conference open, the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawerence-Nemi had emphasized the importance of education for every one in the society, including girls.
Education has been seen as the foundation of all forms of development. It is an entry point to other opportunities. As much as education is important for every one in the society, it is especially significant for girls and women”, she said.
The state education boss who was represented by the Director of Higher Education in the Ministry, Mrs Mac Solomon, buttressed her statement with the popular quote by Dr James Emmanuel Kwegyir of Ghana that, “ If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a women you educate a nation”.
Towards achieving education for all in Rivers State, therefore, the state education boss said, the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi has achieved various milestones.
These, she said, include the signing into law of the state Child Rights Act, operation of a free education policy from primary to secondary school levels in the state with provision of free books, school uniforms, sandals, stocking and school bags.
It also includes the employment of 13, 000 teachers for the300 primary model schools that have been built and 24 model secondary schools currently at different stages of completion in the 23 local government areas of the state.
Earlier in her welcome address titled Gender Balancing: the Role of Education, the state NAWOJ chairman, Dr Enale Kodu had enumerated the achievement of NAWOJ towards the education of the girl child and women in Rivers State.
According to her the state NAWOJ has currently secured four plots of land, two each in Omoku and Ahoada West for the establishment of information technology communication and Adult education resource centres.