Treat Maternal Mortality as National Emergency, Group Tells FG

The federal government has been told to treat the issue of maternal mortality which is high in the country as a national emergency.

The Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) in a communiqué issued at the end of its 19th National Women Conference held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos on Wednesday, urged the federal and state governments to prioritise issue of maternal mortality, which it described as “national emergency,” even as it called on the government at all levels to empower women, saying there was strong need for women to maximise their capacity.

 The committee said the high maternal mortality does not augur well for the country, urging all stakeholders, especially the government, to initiate actions that would address the problem and stem the growth.

According the communiqué, “Maternal mortality is abysmally high in Nigeria, and we regard the death of a woman in preventable circumstances as unacceptable. The issue of maternal mortality has been taken for granted in Nigeria when it is supposed to be seen as a national emergency.

“An empowered and educated woman would raise responsible children. As a country, we need to invest effectively in maximising the capacity of women.

“All stakeholders-families, schools, religious bodies, communities and government-must unite to address this scourge. Women need to be protected against artificial conditions that can shorten their lives. They need to be empowered to be able to nurture children to be upright, hardworking, result-oriented, focused, organised and godly.”

The committee urged women to take advantage of opportunities in entrepreneurship to improve their lives, while also urging them to join hands with the Lagos State Government in the effort to engender value re-orientation in combating disobedience to road regulations and traffic laws.

The communique read further: “Government at all levels must continue to partner the private sector to develop and implement strategies that will showcase the country’s potential in entertainment and tourism to the world.

“Every society must seek to evolve its legal instrument through the culture of voluntary compliance with the laws of waste and traffic management.

“Also, well-being is a satisfactory condition of existence and wellness is more than being free from illness but a dynamic process of change and growth.”

It equally urged women to strive to be a ‘total woman’, adding: “A total woman is a profitable daughter, an extraordinary woman, a celebrated mother and award-winning woman.”

COWLSO convener and First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said she was satisfied that the conference made positive impacts on the attendees, urging the participants to make good use of the lessons learnt.

“It has been three days of mind shifting training and brainstorming on how to equip women and position them to key into the emerging opportunities in our dear state. Several papers have been presented on the main theme which centred on unlearning, learning and relearning, as well as other topics.”

Closing the session, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended the COWLSO members for the event, admonishing women to be the ambassadors of his administration.

The governor was represented at the closing ceremony by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Folashade Jaji.

On his part, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, congratulated COWLSO for the success of the conference, urging women to ensure that the knowledge and skills acquired at the conference are put to good use.

Various prizes, including two houses, cars, return tickets to London, Dubai and Ghana, cash rewards, deep freezers, cooking gas, television, washing machines, exquisite beds among others, were won by some of the participants at the conference.