CITIZENGO, a Spanish organization has been the target of serious attacks in Nigeria.
Project Alert, a non-governmental organization based in Abuja, Nigeria, with offices in all 36 states of the federation, said on Tuesday, May 21 this year, that police officers allegedly raided the Marie Stopes Clinic in Lagos:
According to the NGO, health workers and patients were allegedly harassed and, at the end of the day, agents took files containing confidential information from clients.
This author notes that Marie Stopes offers free and affordable family planning services for women and men, pregnancy testing, prenatal and postnatal care, sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment and services, HIV testing, and ultrasound and laboratory services.
However, Gabriel Akinremi, CLEEN Foundation Information Director, AN ARM OF Project Alert, the clinic staff are trained to offer counseling and treatment, especially to those who cannot afford the costs of private hospitals.
His words: “To break into a center that provides these services is to send a message to women and girls, as well as men and boys, that they are not safe in health centers and that they do not deserve access to quality health services without fear no judgment. ” “.
This is happening in a country that contributes 10% to the global burden of maternal deaths that ranks fourth after Sierra Leone, Chad and the Central African Republic.
Safe spaces where women can access confidential and non-judgmental sexual and reproductive health services are vital and we do not have enough to reduce the risk of maternal death.
Just before the raid in Lagos, the Minister of Health was testifying before the Nigerian Senate about the overloaded healthcare system, the deplorable state of the General Hospitals in the country and the need to revitalize the primary and tertiary care system in Nigeria. .
Women and girls are dying preventable deaths due to lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health services. Recently released NDHS 2018 data indicates: “Unmet need for family planning decreased from 20% in 2008 to 16% in 2013 before increasing to 19% in 2018.”
Family planning is people’s conscious choice to limit or space out the number of children they have through the use of contraceptives. And 19% of married women in Nigeria have an unmet need for family planning services, according to the survey.
Marie Stopes should not be punished for offering a variety of services, including family planning, to those who need and want it, especially women, married and single.
The work done by organizations like Marie Stopes is necessary to dispel myths, provide advice on the correct modern method of birth control, and help women and men space their children.
The National Strategic Health Development Plan 2018 – 2022 recognizes the importance of this work, so one of its pillars is to “Promote universal access to comprehensive quality sexual and reproductive health services throughout the life cycle and reduce maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health “. Morbidity and Mortality in Nigeria “.
Marie Stopes’ work is supporting the government to ensure that Nigeria can achieve the goals of reducing morbidity and mortality, which means improving the health and well-being of women and girls in Nigeria. We should celebrate their efforts, not intimidate them.
Ten percent (10%) of maternal deaths in Nigeria are due to unsafe abortions. Access to safe abortion is restricted in Nigeria and can only take place in circumstances where a woman’s life is in danger.
Although safe abortion services are restricted, access to postabortion care (a service for women and girls who have medical complications as a result of unsafe abortion) is not restricted. Nigerian laws and policies uphold the rights of women and girls to post-abortion services, a much-needed service offered by Marie Stopes.
Service providers who are implementing these policies and guidelines should not be subjected to harassment and intimidation for doing their job. These health workers provide care and save lives; actions that should be praised and promoted.
These efforts to demonize and block access to legal services are being funded in Nigeria by a Spanish organization called CitizenGO.
CitizenGo is a member of a hate group designated by the SPLC World Congress of Families and the city of Madrid has banned their activities calling for their campaigns based on hate.
CitizenGo and its extremist partners have been organizing trainings in Nigeria and Kenya for the past 18 months, trying to block women’s access to critical healthcare.
Women who make informed decisions about their health and health workers who are provided life-affirming services should not be allowed to instigate harassment. They are a bigoted group and they are bringing their hate speech to Nigeria.
This group has set up a camp in Nigeria and is spreading false and baseless sensational narratives in places like Enugu, Imo and Nairobi under the guise of religious and moral obligations.
They must not be allowed to instigate hatred and oppression in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Hate is not part of our culture and we reject the importation of intolerance by foreign organizations.
This is a coordinated attack on the rights of women, girls and marginalized people and we must say NO to their oppressive tactics.
Some of the NGOs and activists who signed the document were:
Education as a vaccine
Nigeria Feminist Forum
Partnerships for Africa
Crisis Center for Women
Project alert
Vision Springs Initiative
The Equal Rights Initiative
Women’s Health and Equal Rights Initiative
Equality Hub
Ake Book and Arts Festival
NoMore Campaign
About whispers
9jaFeminsta
Stand to End Monkfish
International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights
Autamaimasa Health Foundation
Drug-Free and Preventive Healthcare Organization
Iheoma Obibi
Olabukunola williams
Fadekemi Akinfaderin
Maream S. Muhammad
OluTimehin Adegbeye
Lesley agams
Ayodele Olofintuade
Akudo Oguaghamba
Josephine chukwuma
Lola shoneyin
Ngozi Juba
Manre Chirtau
Pamela goodbye
Bisi Fayemi
Azeenarh Mohammed
Funmi juba
Ireti Bakare
Hauwa Shekarau
Wana udobang
Charmaine pereira
Fisayo Owoyemi
Amy Oyekunle
Oluchi Ogwuegbu
Itoro Eze-Anaba
Karo omu
Chioma Ogwuegbu
Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi
Uche Umolu
Oseyi Etomi
Sylvia Ekponimo
Rita muse
Chika Ibeh
Toyin Chukwudozie
Otibho obianwu
CitizenGO is a community of active citizens working together, using online petitions and action alerts as a resource, to defend and promote life, family and freedom. We work to ensure that those in power respect human dignity and people’s rights.
