At the four-day annual conference of the Diocese on the Niger Women Conference in Onitsha, Anambra State, excruciating hunger, graduate unemployment, and alleged disrespect for women were the focal points of intense discussion.
The women raised their voices on Saturday, July 13, 2024, expressing fears that these socio-economic issues could be perceived as deliberate attempts to exterminate Nigerians. Through their leader, Dr. Elsie Nonyelum Nwokolo, they articulated these grievances in her 84-page Presidential Address at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Omagba, the conference venue. They described the prevailing hunger as the most catastrophic phenomenon threatening the entire population of the country.
“If nothing seriously urgent is done to arrest the situation, hunger is likely to bring Nigerians to extinction,” they warned.
The conference passionately appealed to the Federal Government to urgently implement feasible strategies to address this unprecedented crisis. They also observed with dismay the increasing rate of criminality among youths in the country, attributing it to the geometric rise in youth unemployment.
“Some of our academically intelligent but impatient children have unreasonably taken to crimes due to unemployment. Invariably, there is now a very high rate of insecurity. People are no longer free to move about as stories of killings, kidnaps, cyber-crimes, money rituals, and human trafficking remain the order of the day,” they remarked.
The document called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to find lasting solutions by reviving some of the country’s defunct companies, establishing new ones, and providing startup capital to willing youths.
The women also protested against what they observed as “an annoying disrespect to womanhood.” They lamented that women are often portrayed as sex objects in advertisements, films, music, and novels.
“As we vehemently reject this practice, we seriously appeal to governments and relevant agencies to henceforth stop any person, group, or corporate body from using or portraying women or their photographs as cheap sex objects. Women and womanhood ought to be treated with beauty, dignity, honor, and great respect,” they demanded.
The conference, themed “Christian Stewardship,” stressed the need for faithful service to God and humanity, calling for the practical application of this theme. They urged Christians to aspire to high fidelity levels, explaining that every form of fidelity would be rewarded.
“Idleness and unprofitableness in the Lord’s service are sufficient to condemn unfaithful Christians,” the address warned.
The address presentation was attended by a large cross-section of dignitaries from within the state and beyond, including government officials, business executives, politicians, bishops, and women representatives from more than 50 Anglican Dioceses.
