Why Nigeria Needs Global Support Against Boko Haram -Mark

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-says we have contained Ebola

By Emmanuel Adesuji, Abuja.

President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator David Mark on Tuesday brought to the fore the atrocities of Boko Haram ravaging Nigeria and solicited the support of the global community to end the menace as quickly as possible.

The terrorist groups including Boko Haram, he opined have the capacity to wipe out nations if urgent and collective efforts are not taken to contain them.

Senator Mark told a gathering of the Inter – Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference holding in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday that Nigeria was taken necessary measures to ensure that the activities of the terrorist group is brought to an end but desires support from the international community.

Addressing the 131 st session of IPU titled “Achieving Gender Equality, Ending Violence Against Women” , Senator Mark said all hands must be on deck to end violence of all kinds especially against women and children ” because they are the greatest casualties of meaningless mayhem on the Nigerian state.”

Senator Mark who spoke through the Chairman, Senate Committee on Inter- Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Abdulazeez Usman, stressed “Nigeria welcomes the efforts of international partners and friends who have stood by us in this trying time.”

As a country, he said Nigeria commends the efforts of International Community especially on the London Conference held last June on ending Sexual Violence against women .

According to Mark :” Whereas institutional and policy efforts to combat gender imbalance continue to yield result, the Nigerian state is convinced that the result must not only be sustained but must also be multi-sectoral and integrated.”

To this end, he said Nigerian government has embarked on massive re- orientation and education to end violence against women.

He listed efforts by the Nigerian legislature against violence to include; elimination of violence from society, violence against persons bill, Gender Equality Bill and Women Empowerment Bill as well as Girl-Child Marriage and female circumcision (Prohibition) law among others.

Senator Mark told the audience that Nigeria has been able to contain the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease ( EVD) but was still on red alert against any eventuality.

He submitted that EVD demands global attention to tackle because of the danger it posses to human existence.

Over 141 countries are attending the 131st IPU which ends on Thursday in Geneva, Switerland.