*Urges women to engage in income generating activities
Wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari has called on the Kano State Government to ensure that six-month-old Khadijah Bashir, a rape victim, gets justice.
Hajia Aisha Buhari, who visited the baby at Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano on Saturday, condemned the act and urged the judiciary to do justice to the case by punishing the perpetrator according to the provisions of the laws.
She said, “Government should follow this case to its logical conclusion until the man who did the heinous act is punished according to the provisions of the laws. You should leave no stone unturned in the course of handling this case.”
In a related development, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi ll, who also paid a special visit to the girl shortly before the wife of the president’s visit, charged Kano state government to ensure that
the man who defiled the little girl was punished accordingly.
Sanusi also urged parents of the victim to consider the incidence as an act of God and continue to take good care of the little girl.
“You should view what happened to your little daughter as a destiny and accept it in good faith. You should continue to take good care of her, I am sure God the Almighty will come to your aid,” he said.
Speaking to newsmen, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso said, Kano State Government would shoulder all the medical bills of the little girl.
He said government had already offset all her medical bills at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital where she was first admitted and would also do same at AKTH.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammadu Garba, said Kano state government is canvassing life imprisonment for the man that raped Khadijah.
The commissioner, who disclosed this in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Kano, said government, would not allow the case to be carpeted.
“Government will make whoever is found guilty the first to pay the supreme price of life imprisonment. Whoever is involved in this sordid sexual crime will be prosecuted under the relevant provision contained in the Kano State Penal Code Amendment Law referred to as the
“Principal Law’ as amended under Section 283. The law says; ‘whoever commits rape, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for any lesser term not below fourteen years and shall be liable to a fine of N200,000 and in addition thereto be required by Court to pay compensation to the victims,” he said.
It would be recalled that the 8-month-old baby was raped by husband of her mother’s friend while she was six months old. The rapist has been arraigned before a state high court and subsequently remanded in prison custody.
…Urges women to engage in income generating activities
Also, the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, who was in Kano mainly for the graduation of 1000 women freshly trained in the first batch of skills acquisition by Future Assured programme, also during the visit urged women to engage in income generating activities, so that they could live better, more productive and fruitful lives.
Hajia Buhari, who also flagged off the second batch of 1200 women for the same skills acquisition, at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano venue of the event, on Saturday, revealed that the turn-out for the training was indicative of the interest of women to get involved in income generating activities, while the passion they exhibited during the training programme, she said, justified its success rate.
She said, “The only way that we can make a breakthrough in this area is when privileged Nigerians come out to support the cause of women empowerment.” Said Mrs. Buhari.
“I wish to call on leaders, both political and corporate, to assist these graduating women with startup funds, so that they can engage in income generating activities. Specifically, I am making compassionate appeal to the distinguished Senators and honourable members of House of Representatives from Kano state to consider providing small capital to these women.” She added.
She congratulated the second batch of women selected for this training and urged them to take advantage of this opportunity, while reaffirming her commitment that through the Future Assured programme, she will continue to champion the cause of women in the area of education, health and empowerment, particularly those in disadvantaged position.
Mrs Buhari promised to train another 2000 in the next three months.
Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, who was present at the occasion thanked Mrs Buhari for this humanitarian gesture and called on the beneficiaries to multiply the benefits of what they have learnt.
Wife of the Governor of Kano state, Dr. Hafsat Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said her happiness knew no bounds because the training of 2200 women will translate to more economic activities for the women of Kano. She said knowing the commitment of Mrs. Buhari, she had to ensure that the training was a complete success.
