l am highly delighted to welcome everyone here present to this propitious programme organized by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Bayelsa state Branch Law Week/ AGM2022.
FIDA Bayelsa Branch is made up of women Lawyers and our core mandate is geared towards the promotion, protection and preservation of the rights and welfare of women and children, to advocate for legislation that will promote the advancement and protection of women and children; realizing that their well-being depends on the happiness of the home and the strength of the society to provide free legal services, counseling, and alternative dispute resolution services to indigent women and children; to establish friendly international relations based on eguality and mutual respect for all people as provided for by the FIDA Uniform Bys-Laws (AS amerided) 2020.
Our FIDA secretariat is at the multi-door court house, High court complex, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. Section 30 of the Uniform Bye-laws (AS Amended) 2020 made provisions for the branch to hold an annual FIDA WEEK, a programme which as part of our work plan for the year includes, lectures, which will be delivered by distinguished resource persons addressing relevant and topical issues and mainly to create further awareness of the organization’s activities and objectives.
Followed by an Annual General Meeting during the week. The theme for this year’s FIDA WEEK is Human Right, Women Rights In the 21″ Century, Our Realities
The theme is centered on the fundamental constitutional Rights of every person as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria.
In other words. 21″ Century must be the Century of women’s equality which is the United Nation’s Standard of Human Right.
For us here in Bayelsa State and since assumption into office exactly one year ago as a case study on a daily basis at our FIDA Secretariat, we receive and handle complaints on gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls, abandonment without means of sustenance which is very rampant, rape, defilement. domestic, psychological violence, uncivilized widowhood or succession rights, frustrating investigation etc which are offences in our laws such as the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, Bayelsa State Violence Against Persons (Prohibited) Law, 2021, criminal code law, Bayelsa State, Bayelsa State Child Right Law. 2016, Bayelsa State widow and widowers law 2015, these law provide punishment to cover levels of all the above mentioned social vices and more.
In other words, to do justice to this year’s theme is our distinguished resource person and key not speaker, Boma Alabi, OON, SAN, an erudite learned silk with many years wealth of experience in the legal field.
Also, we have a team of panelist/discussants that will further take us on divergent views regarding the paper which will be presented by our learned silk.
In conclusion, I want to thank you all once again for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedules to attend this FIDA week as we can do nothing if we stand alone, but can only move forward if we stand strong together, as there’s a saying that ‘if you want to go fast go alone, however If you want to go far, go together”.
Therefore, we must speak up for the voiceless and stand strong for the down-trodden in our society to ensure that they get the justice they deserve.
Finally. it is my prayer that by the end of today’s programme we would all leave this place determined in our hearts to jointly move our dear state and society forward by making of a better place
