Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has challenged Nigerians at home and in diaspora to look inward in tackling Nigerian problems rather than imported ideas that has done the country worse than good.
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo dropped the charge, while speaking as chairman of the occasion at the 25th year Silver Jubilee of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WATCLEF) on Monday in Abuja.
Obasanjo who was full of praises for the vision of wife of former Vice – President of Nigeria and Waziri Adamawa, Alh. Atiku Abubakar Atiku said, Hajia Titi Abubakar’s vision and undaunted commitment that led to the establishment of WOTCLEF now restoring the dignity of Nigerian womanhood, should be an eye opener to Nigerians that solutions to Nigerian problems lies in hands of Nigerians.
Obasanjo said “I am highly thankful to the founder, Hajia Titi Atiku Abubakar for her lofty dream and the support of her husband Atiku Abubakar that single – handedly established WOTCLEF.
‘” if you go to Europe, you can see the danger, the indignity, dehumanization Nigerian girls are going through so, with the establishment of WOTCLET 25 years down the line. with limitless achievements, we have learnt that if all Nigerians come together, we can solve all Nigerian problems without looking elsewhere for solutions.
The founder and chairperson of Women Trafficking and Children Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), Hajia Titi Atiku Abubakar who went through the memory lane explained that, she earlier conceived the idea of restoring the dignity of womanhood from dehumanization as a lecturer then, at Kaduna State Polytechnic, Zaria, after seeing it nakedly in Italy, and so prayed fervently for an opportunity to restore woman dignity and so wasted no time to do so in 1999 as Vice President’s wife.
“When i started the WOTCLEF project in 1999, little did I know it was going to be so much impactful and it was a herculean task initially, getting the needed support. I owe much to President Olusegun Obasanjo who became a motivator and who gave it presidential assent. My husband, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, my darling, my oxygen was a great supporter for all my achievements today. Former Senate President, Sen. Pius Anyim Pius too was very supportive and allowed passage of the bill to an Act that established WOTCLEF.
“We had series of engagement, sensitization with the governments. National and international partners, Governors, National Assembly, Judiciary, NYSC, Women organizations and the rest and the project scale through and by God’s grace we succeeded.
The initiator and founder of WOTCLEF, Hajia Titi Atiku Abubakar could not cancel her joy for the success of WOTCLEF project that gave birth to National agency for the Prevention of Trafficking In persons (NAPTIP) in Nigeria, as her monumental life achievement which she attributed to God’s divine will.
She therefore called on the governments, local and International partners, women organizations, youth, students and the public to continue to support WOTCLEF as an organization and its board members to continue to champion the course of promoting dignity and freedom of womanhood not only in Nigeria but in African continent and indeed, globally.
The event that took place at Maryam Babanjida National Center for Women Society recorded a pool of dignitary, among whom were First lady of Nigeria, Her Excellency Sen, Oluremi Tinubu represented by Hajia Nana Shetima, Governor of Adamawa State, former governors, senators, retired chief Justices, traditional rulers, women leaders and respected Nigerians.
