Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo wednesday tasked Nigeria’s military and intelligence agencies to explore all avenues including cultivating international partners to rescue women recently abducted in Borno State.
Osinbajo, according to a statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, last night said ongoing efforts by security agencies such as the move to establish additional military and police bases in some parts of the country and improve intelligence gathering would continue as he commended the breakthroughs they had recorded in the battle against societal ills.
He condemned what he described as the atrocious and cowardly abduction of some women in Borno State and sympathised with the families of the abducted women, assuring that the federal government would work hard to ensure the safe and speedy return of the victims.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) has appealed to the federal government to increase its investment in the development of women for promotion of peace in the country.
Making the appeal while answering questions from journalists after a courtesy call on Osinbajo in the State House, Deputy Secretary General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, said she led the UN team to Nigeria to discuss the implementation of agenda 2030 and 2063 and see how Nigeria could be supported on women development.
Mohammed, who until her appointment was Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, canvassed the need for the federal government to give women prominence in its activities.
“All our regional heads are partnering together with the Ministry of Women Affairs and the support of the minister of for national planing.
“It’s an exciting time to be here because really, we are talking about the implementation of the agenda 2030 but also 2063 and for us, it’s about how do we support Nigeria? And it’s a very difficult context to do more and to do scale so every body feels it.
“We know that there are many lessons that we have learnt and there are challenges that we have but we have some successes from the North-east all the way to the South.
“We want to make sure that we do more so that we can see the scale of this, particularly from the women at the center. In our discussion with the acting president, it’s been about how to increase investments in women, peace and development to ensure that women are a central part of what we do.
“And we will see the difference as he said it’s not just the question of the morals or rights but it’s an economic one as well,†she said.
