300 Ogoni Women Sensentized on Property Rights and Ownership.
Katherine Abayomi
In observance of 16 days of Activism, Lokiaka Community Development Center held a day sensitisation training for Ogoni Women on the right to Inherit Family property.
The Event gathered over 300 Ogoni women from the four Local Government Areas—Khana, Gokana, Eleme, and Tai. It examined women’s rights regarding family inheritance.
Executive Director of Lokiaka Community Development Centre, Martha Agbani, stated during the session that the conversation was apt with the right timing, noting that despite the law passed by the Rivers State Assembly in 2020, its enforcement and implementation are unremarkable in the region.
“We are looking at laws passed in 2020 by the Rivers State House of Assembly that talk about the Rights for Women to have access to or inherit property. If you go through the customary Courts, especially the Ogoni Customary Courts down to the Customary Appeal Court, most of the cases they have there are landed cases, cases that have to do with spousal denial, widowhood issues that affect them, and you see women losing their rights to inheritance”.
“In the family, there are women whose customary rights or practices don’t allow them to own landed property. This is a challenge, and it’s causing a lot of problems,” she retorted.
Agbani further stated that women, even in their reproductive stage, endanger their lifes in the cause of having a male child to inherit father’s property, in the process the women sometimes loss their life.
“We also see beyond this that women who are within the reproductive age stress themselves so much to get male children to earn them an inheritance. There is a need to explore and make them understand the content of the law, their rights, and the issues that affect them.”
The Executive Director Of Lokiaka Community Development Centre calls on the government to intentionally sensitize and train the locals and ensure the enforcement of the laws.
“The call to the government is sensitization because if we do not apply these laws, it will not aid the people; hence, the sensitization of the people and exercising authority over the law makes it enforceable for people. There is a need to know that state laws supersede customary laws or local laws passed. The government needs to sensitize the grassroots more so that people know these laws exist.”
She noted that the Capacity Building for lawyers shouldn’t be left out.
“Beyond the sensitization, they also need to build the capacity of lawyers to handle these matters because even when they know that these laws are there because of interest in making money, they seem to jettison that law and go as far as suffering these women.
Agbani further advised that the sensitization should be strategic by the government, and they should see to its enforcement.
Okorite Yobo, a legal practitioner, consultant, and panelist who spoke at the training, eulogized the topic and described it as timely.
Yobo, who shared the intricacies of the law on the subject matter, advised women to speak up when faced with life’s issues.
“There are Many cases to talk about but fortunately they are answers, they have seen the light. There is a way you will have issues, and you don’t know what to do, but now you have issues and have been told there are solutions and possibilities, so that’s a beautiful thing. A lot of lives are turned around.I was glad to hear women talking about having properties so I can write a will, and someone asked, “Is it right as a married woman to write a will? And we explained that based on the law, yes, your first a human being then been a woman, so why not”. She stated.
The Consultant advised women to speak up when faced with issues of life, especially abuse.
“I was glad to hear women talk about having properties so I can write a will. Someone asked, “Is it right for a married woman to write a will ?” We explained that based on the law, yes, you are first a human being and then a woman,so why not? “
The Consultant finally advised women to speak up when faced with any issue of life, those abused to explore offices that have been made known to them, and that the Government, Media, and all hands should be on deck to help the woman fight for her rights.
A participant from Mogho, in Gokana LGA, described the programme as an eye-opener. She promised to act on what she had learned and appreciated Lokiaka Centre for the exposure.
“My name is Nuvalobar Gbigha. I am from Mogho in Gokana LGA. From this program, I have understood that women have the right to inherit their father’s property. In my village, if your father has property, you are not entitled to it, giving the men the right to own the property.”
Charity, a participant from Khana, also thanked the program’s organizers and promised to spread the message in her community.
“So many things are happening now in OGONI LAND. You see, brothers and sisters fighting over your husband’s property, and you will be moving around, no help, women do not know what to do. I have arranged with other women that came with me from my community that we’re going to organise and call women for a town hall meeting and lecture them on what is happening because some of them have not to cross Bori to anywhere they don’t know what is happening especially those our women that we’re not here” Charity stated.
The program ended with a one-on-one session between participants and the panelist, during which professional advice was given regarding their issues.
