By Yunusa Isa, Gombe
TEKAN Peace Desk has appealed to wives of the Gombe State legislators to advocate on its course, by intimating with their husbands to promulgate more policies and laws that promote peaceful coexistence, human rights and democracy in the state.
TEKAN Peace Desk Coordinator Mrs Helen Philemon Haggai made the appeal during an advocacy meeting with the wives of the legislators in Gombe.
She said the essence of the meeting was to brief wives of the lawmakers on the activities and successes of TEKAN’s Faith for Peace (F4P) Project being executed across six communities of three benefitting local government areas it operate.
The coordinator stated that “The legislature being key policy and law making arm, can greatly shape the socioeconomic development of Gombe State by enacting relevant laws and suitable policies”.
Mrs Philemon said in its interactions with local communities, TEKAN Peace has identified issues of disenfranchising young ladies access to education.
“In one of our engagements in Kwami, we discovered that young ladies are not going to school on the basis that when they study further, they become uncontrollable by husbands”.
She lamented that “We equally identified issues of human rights violations among families, where husbands dodge their primary responsibilities and left the family burden on wives”.
While stressing the imperative of education especially to girl-child in societal development, the coordinator noted that with suitable policies and laws in place, women and young ladies can have more access to education for social security and prosperity.
She encouraged the participants to intimate with their husbands in promulgating policies and laws that can provide more access to girl-child education and empowerment opportunities for women and youth in the state.
“Help us reach out to your husbands, you know your ways, make them understand what’s actually happening at the grassroots. Let them ensure suitable policies and laws are made to encourage religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence, protection of human right and more opportunities to education especially that of the girl-child”, she appealed.
Mrs Philemon rolled out some of the activities carried out by TEKAN Peace in the three senatorial zones of the state to include advocacies, peace engagements, trainings, psychosocial support and livelihood trainings, financial literacy workshops amongst others.
She said the 30 months projects which began in April 2023, is soon graduating in September 2025.
In her address, wife of the Deputy Speaker, Gombe State House of Assembly Hajiya Maryam Saddam, appreciated TEKAN Peace for organizing the meeting, assuring to do everything possible to ensure their husbands legislate on relevant policies and laws that promote peace, human rights and democracy in the state.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, wife of the member representing Pero-Chonge Constituency Mrs Deborah Gayus, said the meeting has been so insightful, assuring to actualize the lessons learned.
She promised to encourage her husband being the Chairman House Committee on Judiciary to ensure active policies and laws are made that promote and encourage peaceful coexistence, human rights and democracy in the state.
Faith for Peace Project is being implemented in Gombe State by TEKAN Peace Desk co-funded by Bread for the World and European Union.
The initiative is geared towards empowering local actors to promote peace building, human rights, democracy and religious tolerance in Kwami, Malamsidi, Deba, Kunuwol, Ɓilliri and Kalmai communities of the state.
