From Olukayode Idowu, Abuja
The Federal Government has expressed its willingness to support the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in its efforts at training Community Paralegals with a view to providing first responders and vanguards in cases of threatened violation of rights and abuses within the communities.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stated this when a delegation of the Abuja branch of the Association of International Federation of Women Lawyers in Nigeria (FIDA), led by their Chairperson, Mrs Rekiya Adejo-Andrew paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the move would ensure a just, peaceful and equitable society for all Nigerians.
The Minister, while commending the role of women in the socio-economic development of every stable nation, applauded FIDA’s efforts at providing free legal counselling, paralegals training as well as the empowerment of the less privileged.
He said: “We will support your programmes and actions because they are tailored towards empowering the less privileged in the society.”
The Minister commended the association for seeking the Ministry’s support in the areas of programme for shelter designed to serve as safe home for victims of violence and sexual abuse.
He said: “No Society can develop without women, there is therefore the need to respect women,” while noting that he decided to support FIDA programmes and actions in the areas of empowerment for the less-privileged, paralegals training and free legal counseling of inmates because they are akin to the Ministry’s mandate .
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mrs. Rekiya Rachael Adejo-Andrew, commended the Minister’s giant strides in the formulation and implementation of policies related to diverse internal security and other ancillary services which are highly quantitative, efficient, courteous and transparent to both Nigerians and foreigners alike.
She said that the vision of FIDA Nigeria is to have a just, peaceful and equitable Nigerian society where women and children‘s rights and interests are guaranteed and protected and also have the freedom to choose and live their own future.
She said “to actualize this vision over the years, FIDA has deployed strategies such as legal services to women and children, advocacy, campaigns, workshops, seminars, press conferences, litigation and alternative disputes resolution such as rights and gender friendly laws like Violence Against Rights Act.”
In a related development, Special Adviser to the Minister and Chairman, Expatriate Quota Administration in the Ministry, Mr. Bola Ilori commended the legal services being rendered by FIDA in the custodian facilities across the country.
He advised the International Federation of Women Lawyers to look into the rate at which women are into drug addictions which often resort into violence in the society.