North East: NAWOJ to partner Army in peace building

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists said on Tuesday it would partner the Nigerian Army in peace building process in the North East as normalcy gradually returns to the zone.
NAWOJ National President, Ifeyinwa Omowole, said this in Maiduguri, Borno State when she led executive members of the association on a courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.
The zone had since 2009 been tormented by the Boko Haram terrorists group and lately Islamic State West Africa Province.
Omowole said NAWOJ would soon embark on a campaign to sensitise people of the zone on the need to educate the girl-child.
She said statistics had shown that Borno was the lowest in the country in girl-child enrolment, a situation which had been made worse by the kidnap of school girls both in Chibok and Dapchi.
She, therefore, requested the Army to assist the organisation by providing it with security and other logistics to enable it embark on the campaign.
The NAWOJ president noted that women and children had borne the brunt of the almost 10-year old insurgency which ravaged the zone.
Omowole, however, expressed happiness that peace was returning to the area.
She said: “We have come to see things for ourselves.
“We are here to identify with the military, Nigerian Army and Chief of Army Staff in particular.
“Women and children are most affected by the insurgency.
“Bringing peace to the North East is a job well done.
“We are happy with you.
“Engage us – NAWOJ, in the peace building process.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in the last one week, the Army had rescued no fewer than 100 women and 95 children earlier abducted by the terrorists in different parts of Borno State.
Responding, Buratai, who received the women at the Command and Control Centre, assured them that peace had return to Borno and the North East.
He promised to take the women to the once dreaded Sambisa forest, which had served as the command and control centre of the terrorists, whenever they visit Borno State again to prove that normalcy had returned.
Buratai also promised to support them in the campaign to sensitise parents in the zone on the need to educate the girl-child.