The President of Ijaw Diaspora Council (IDC), Professor Mondy Selle Gold, has promised that the group is poised to stop flooding in the Niger Delta.
Professor Gold made this known on Saturday (16/9/2023) in London when she spoke at the Ijaw Women’s Association of United Kingdom’s Culture and 36th Anniversary celebration, stated that a fund raising committee has already been established for the purpose.
He also talked about the need for gender equality and for political parties to filed in more women in elective positions.
He said: “Embracing Gender Equality and Empowerment & Solidarity and Progress: I hold a fervent commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality, making it all the more disheartening to witness the barriers preventing women from realizing their fullest potential.
FLOOD: See fotos of how flood take scata oil-rich Polobobu community for Delta sta
He said: “The Ijaw Diaspora has initiated a fundraising strategy, which we hope would assist to combat flooding and its adverse consequences. Collaborating with international partners, the team at Ijaw Diaspora Council, led by Dr. Antonia Garner, Dr. Festus Odubo and Dr. Patience Kio, prioritizes environmental conservation and restoration.”
“My commitment is evident in IDC’s demand to the Nigerian Political parties to sponsor women to the post of President/VC President of Nigeria and other key positions in the past 2023 election. Yet, this very challenge fuels my determination to contribute wholeheartedly towards dismantling these barriers against women and their empowerment. The onus lies on each of us to drive profound and authentic change—a change that isn’t just necessary, but obligatory. My fervent hope is that everyone present here today shares in this sentiment. We need more women in key positions of leadership!
“To facilitate transformation across the Ijaw Nation and address the issues identified by former presidents of Ijaw National Congress, the participation of women in decision-making, leadership, governance, innovation, and technology must be absolute. The time has come for us to collectively reshape our perspectives, attitudes, and mentalities. We must recognize, appreciate, and value the contributions of women to Ijaw development—in politics, economics, business, and society at large. Ijaw Diaspora Council is with you in this fight.
“Greater solidarity among women is essential, with a commitment to standing up for ourselves. We, including and especially men, must challenge deeply ingrained cultural and social norms that perpetuate gender-based discrimination and stereotypes against women within the various Ijaw communities. Courageous men, raised by incredible mothers, inherently support women, understanding that women’s liberation leads to their own liberation.”
He also condemned oil spillage which leads to environmental degradation in Ijaw lands saying that it is high time these things come to an end.
Prof. Gold added: “Today, we stand united to proclaim that environmental degradation, underdevelopment, and poverty can no longer persist due to division, miscommunication, and bias. We must continually demonstrate our ability to keep the memories of previous atrocities in Ijaw territory alive. It is our duty to strive for a better Ijaw Nation, one where dialogue, awareness, and knowledge unite us all in pursuit of peace and progress.
“Therefore, we must join forces, leverage our skills and insights, and channel our creativity towards catalyzing fundamental change.”
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