WOMEN from the four local government areas of
Gokana, Khana, Eleme and Tai in Rivers State have kicked against forceful
takeover of their farmlands by both state and federal governments, as well as
oil multinationals.
The women, under the aegis of Women Alliance
Against Land Grabbing, WAALAG, are calling for the abrogation of the Land Use
Act which, according to them, has deprived them of their ancestral lands,
leading to untold hardship.
During a one day workshop organised at the
Lokiaka Community Development Centre in Wiiyaakara community, Khana LGA, to sensitize
women against land grabbing, the women said
they formed the alliance so they could come together to discuss ways of giving
support to their families in land matters. Speaking during the workshop, the
executive director of the centre, Martha Agbani called for the abrogation of
the Land Use Act so as to enable people reclaim their farmlands. She said: “We
are in Ogoniland; looking at how land has been impacting negatively on the
socio-economic lives of women. “In the first place, even the Land Use Act does
not allow for women participation.
This group brings women together like a vote
voice to help fight for other women that are impacted negatively in the area.”
Some of the women who spoke to Nigerian Pilot at the programme lamented untold
hardship following their inability to have access to their ancestral farmlands
for cultivation, due to land grabbing by government and multinational companies
forces.
They said since their lands were sold out
without their consent, their children continued to suffer as farming is their
major source of livelihood. Speaking, the leader of WAALAG, Mrs Nwaanam Gloria
said, “Since 1976 when our land was taken by the government, there have been a
lot of hunger in the land. This is because that land is the only vast land we
have in this community; and when they took the land, we were expecting that
they were going to build factories to employ our youths in the village, but
nothing like that was done.”
Credit:
Nigeria pilot
my opinion
if women can unite together in one mind, i think they can reach any level in life.
women let's unite and speak with one voice, one heart and common goal.
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