RSG Tasks Media Women On Girl-Child

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry-Banigo (right), with State Chairman of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs Lilian Okonkwo, during a courtesy visit in Port Harcourt, recently
Photo: Ibioye Diama

Women in the Infor
mation Industry have been advised to make their voice heard against societal vices especially such that defile the right of the girl-child.
The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Banigo , gave the advice recently when members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State branch paid her a courtesy call in her office in Port Harcourt.
Dr Ipalibo Banigo had seized the occasion of the visit of the female journalists in the state to advise them on the need to speak out against societal ills perpetrated against womanhood.
She highlighted ills such as rape, early marriage, child trafficking, street hawkin, female genital mutilation, widowhood practice and forceful marriages when preferred to education of the girl child among others as societal cankerworms that have and are still destroying the very fabric of the well being of the female folk.
She therefore, charged the female journalists to use their privileged position as the voice of the society to expose issues of violence against the female folk to the world as well as follow it up to ensure that suspects are prosecuted and cultists made to face the pang of the law.
Reacting to the charges, the leader of the delegation, Mrs Lilian Okonkwo-Ogabu, Chairman Rivers State branch of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists explained steps her association had taken to ensure that the girl-child is given a pride of place not just in Rivers State, but in Nigeria as a whole.
She however, sought the state government’s assistance in giving members of her association enabling environment to discharge their duties effectively.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi