The Amalgamation of Northern Women Association in Nigeria, has said the country cannot afford another civil war because of its attendant negative effects, especially on women.
Hajia Hadiza Adamu, the National Coordinator of the association, said this at a rally on Saturday in Abuja.
Adamu said that efforts aimed at ensuring peace in the country should supersede interests of individuals and groups, adding peaceful coexistence is necessary to ensure national development.
“We are the amalgamation of northern women from all parts of the North, North Central, North West and North East.
“We as mothers, are always at the receiving end of any war, insurrection, killings and acts of terror.
“When our men are killed, we are raped and our children rendered orphans, we have nowhere to run to,’’ she said.
Adamu said that women carried the burden of war, insurrection and terrorism, saying that when the country went through the civil war from 1967 to 1970, the men died and left women to cater for the children.
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“The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left scars in our hearts and on our bodies; it is for this reason that we come together today to say we don’t want another war or another insurrection.’’
The national coordinator decried the killings and destruction of property in the South-East and other parts of the country.
“State’s infrastructure are no longer safe, service personnel in Police and army are not safe, INEC offices and other symbols of democracy in the country are being destroyed on daily basis.
“It is in the light of the above that we are saying enough is enough,’’ she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the women carried placards with different inscriptions such as “enough is enough’’, “stop the killings’’, “we don’t want another civil war’’ and ‘we want a united Nigeria,’’ among others. (NAN)
