Utomi seeks law to protect widows’ rights in Nigeria as foundation empowers over 200

The Founder, Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Prof. Pat Utomi, has advocated the enactment of law to protect widows’ right in Nigeria.

He made the call at the 30th anniversary of Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre (WSC), a non-governmental organisation that focuses on training and empowering widows, at the weekend, in Lagos.

Utomi stated that what happened in the life of his friend who died of cancer led him into setting up the centre, believing that widows face a lot of ordeals in the society.

“We obviously seek to bring to fore many of the issues around legislation on the rights of women and rights of families.

“So, we seek change of the laws to make sure that those who try to make lives of widows miserable get some consequences for their behaviour,” he said.

He also said the centre had organised entrepreneurship programme for the widows, such as skills’ acquisition in bakery, soap making, cosmetology, ICT, tailoring, among others, adding that the centre also set up widowhood rights programme focused on sensitising widows on their rights.

Also, the Co-ordinator of the foundation, Anuli Nnaemeka, has encouraged widows to have soaring ambitions and engage in entrepreneurship to improve their lives and not see the death of their husbands as an obstacle.

Nnaemeka, therefore, urged corporate organisations to support the centre in the humanitarian cause of improving their livelihood.