AWLA In Collaboration With Nigeria Immigration Service Celebrates International Day of The Girl Child

The Rivers State Chapter of African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) in collaboration with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and also the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Person (NAPTIP) has today being 11th of October, 2022 celebrated the International Day of The Girl Child at the Institute of Legal and Global Studies, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, profjaysblog gathered.

Recall that, the United Nations had on the 11th of October, 2012 declared the recognition and celebration of International Day of The Girl Child across the globe to raise awareness on the importance of equal opportunity for girls, girls’ health, and girls’ safety and protection; showing that girls have more power and potentials than the world realizes.

So, it was on that note that, the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) had decided to celebrate the girl child with the theme; “Our Time Is Now, Our Rights, Our Future”.

The Committee Chairperson for the International Day of The Girl Child, Owamagbe Kate Ighoomo, ACArb, AICMC during her speech posited that, the history of the place of the girl child was given so much focus in the Beijing declaration of the December 19th 2011, which was one of the first globally accepted declarations that adequately addressed the rights of the girl child. She further opined that, the United Nations later did an apt follow up by adopting the October 11th annually as the Day of The Girl Child and this year’s celebration marks the 10th years since after it was adopted in 2012.

She went further to state that, it is however saddening to note that, in spite of the various measures and mechanism that have been put in place to checkmate that exploitation of the girl child, their average lot has continued to revolve around subjection to male preference, female genital mutilation, sexual abuse, exploitation, child labour, servitude, child trafficking etc.

The Port Harcourt Command Comptroller of Immigrations, Abdullahi Jaafar Kwasau, pcc, fsi, fdc, MNIM spoke extensively on the negative effect of illegal migration in Nigeria. He posited that, illegal migration can be seen as migration of people across national borders and can be described as unauthorized or undocumented immigrants.

He noted that, some of the causes of illegal migration could be linked to over population, poverty, amongst other causes.

Abdullahi Jaafar further stressed that illegal migration has some consequences such as political, economic and cultural consequences.

The comptroller while speaking gave some recommendations to curb or reduce the level of illegal migration amongst the youths as public awareness, sensitization by recognized establishment, collaborations, provision of opportunity for employment, fight against corruption, peace education in schools curriculums in Nigeria.

Also at the speaking at the event, Mrs Nwamaka Ikediashi who’s the commander of National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), talked about the menace of Human Trafficking, causes and the consequences. It was an eye opener speech for the students, and other participants of the program.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Rivers State Coordinator of AWLA, Dr Hilda Desmond Ihekaire, Ph.D, MCArb, stated that, the international day of the girl child is one of the international day celebrated to bring to fore the problems that the beautiful girls in our society. The united nations brought out this day to call to light and to make sure that girls fulfill their potentials. Because, we know that in this partrichial world, a lot of things inhibiting girls from achieving their potentials ranging from femisized, rape, domestic violence, discrimination, etc

We want to let the girl child know that, they can be whatever they want to be irrespective of the faavts that, they are female.

One thing that makes this year’s celebration very unique especially in Rivers State is due to the passage of the coternment of prohibition of females from inheriting landed property, so, it means the women have overcome a very big hurdles holding them behind in Rivers State.

So, as we are celebrating this year’s International Day of The Girl Child, I want to use this opportunity to tell girls that, they can be whatever they wish to be. They should look at these women despite being in this men dominated world, people like Kamala Harris, Angela Michael, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chimamanda Adichie. These girls that turned into women have been able to cross the hurdles and they are where they have planned to be today.

Going further, she advised the girl child that, nothing will stop them and aim for the sky ands achieve whatever they want to be irrespective of their God given gender. To be female is fine and the future is female, she concluded.