PRESS RELEASE FIGHT CULTISM, DRUG ABUSE, FCT MINISTER CHARGES FOMWAN

The Honourable Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has charged members of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) to restore family values in the society by working hard to eliminate the vices of cultism and drug abuse especially amongst children and women.

The Minister made this charge during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the FCT branch of the Association led by Hajia Bola Usman, Amirah of the FCT branch.

In his words, “One of the main areas of concern to us is the issue of drug abuse and cultism in our schools. He continued, “We used to know of cults in the 70s at the university level. Now you have cults in primary schools and we wonder how do they even get to go there?”

He called on FOMWAN to use its vantage position and the fact that it has been in existence for 35 years to focus on matters concerning children as well as women, especially as it relates to drug abuse and cultism.

Also speaking at the event the Honourable Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu commended FOMWAN for its activities over the years but also reminded them to re-inculcate the family value system which, she said, is being eroded in society.

She said there was an obvious challenge of proper parenting as parents had lost control of their children, “In her words we all know that parenting does not stop until we are dead. We had our mothers speaking to us even as we are aging and they remain the voices of caution that will say stop if we are going wrong. But now to our children, nobody can say stop anymore. They exchange words, they retaliate. This is not the culture under which we were brought up.

She then called on FOMWAN to work together and inculcate in children the values under which they were brought up.

Dr Tijjani Aliyu also decried the rising cost of marriage in Northern Nigeria which she said had the potentials of leaving many young girls without husbands, a situation she described as “scary”. She, therefore, called for community action by FOMWAN to tackle these vices.

Speaking earlier, the Amirah of FCT FOMWAN Haji Bola Usman disclosed that the 35^th anniversary of FOMWAN is scheduled hold in August in Abuja and called for the support of the FCT Administration for the success of the event.

ANTHONY OGUNLEYE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

FCTA/OCPS/099

20/02/2020

PHOTO CAPTION

1. Honourable Minister, FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello (5th left), Honourable Minister of State, FCT Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu (6th left) and members of FOMWAN during the courtesy visit

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