The groups also called on the government to come to the aid of Chioma as its silence is deafening; loudly telling them that consumers cannot voice their opinions about goods they purchased with their hard-earned money.
Over 300 women organisations in Nigeria, united under the aegis of Womanifesto, have called for the immediate boycott of Erisco Foods products over the continued detention of tomato paste reviewer, Chioma Okoli, who was remanded in prison over comments on the company’s product.
SaharaReporters had reported how a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Chioma Okoli to be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre over the review of tomato products made by Erisco Foods Limited on Facebook.
Chioma Okoli was arraigned on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the Federal High Court in Abuja before Hon. Justice Peter Lifu.
Okoli pleaded not guilty to the two counts of conspiracy and cyberstalking levelled against her.
She was remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre till Friday, May 31, 2024, for a ruling on her bail application.
However, the women groups in a statement jointly signed on Friday, called on all Nigerian women to join them in boycotting Erisco Foods products with immediate effect.
The groups also called on the government to come to the aid of Chioma as its silence is deafening; loudly telling them that consumers cannot voice their opinions about goods they purchased with their hard-earned money.
The groups added that in other countries where the health and nutritional well-being of the citizens are paramount, relevant government agencies would be at the forefront of the investigations into all Erisco Foods products and the corresponding labels instead of leaving the issue in the hands of those who prioritise profit to the lives and general well-being of 200 Million Nigerians.
The statement reads in part, "We call on all Nigerian women to join us to #BoycottErisco products with immediate effect, for the following reasons: The continued harassment & detention of Chioma Okoli.
"The insufferable stress & trauma that has been inflicted on Chioma Okoli since September 2023 to date, which has also led to the loss of her pregnancy.
"Loss of earnings and livelihood due to her inability to work and provide for her family as a direct consequence of the ongoing persecution and psychological molestation.
"The apparent risk and threat to her life and flagrant abuse of her human rights.
"For being subjected to constant litigation for exercising her ‘freedom of speech and expression, including freedom to hold opinions, and to receive and impart information without interference’ as granted to her under section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution.
"We are concerned about her ability to get justice in a country with a reputation for compromised justice.
"We salute Chioma's continued courage, bravery and tenacity in the face of intimidation and threats. We will continue to support her quest for justice.
"It is worthy to note that in other countries where the health and nutritional well-being of the citizens are paramount, relevant government agencies would be at the forefront of the investigations into all Erisco products and the corresponding labels. Instead of leaving this landmark issue in the hands of those who prioritise profit over the lives and general well-being of 200 Million Nigerians.”
"We call on the government to come to the aid of Chioma as your silence is deafening; loudly tell us that we the consumers cannot voice our opinions about goods we purchased with our hard-earned money," the statement added.
The statement was signed by the following groups:
Women Advocates and Research Documentation Centre (WARDC)
Ireti Bakare-Yusuf
Purple Woman Foundation
9jafeminista
Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls
Above Whispers Foundation
Action Aid Nigeria
ACTS Generation GBV
Ade Grange Child Foundation
ADEM Community Human Development Foundation
Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)
Advocate for Health and Development Initiative
African Women’s Initiative (AWI)
Ajegunle Community Project
Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation
Alliances for AFAica (AfA)
Amazing Grace Inspirations
Aminchi Women Cooperative Society
Amnesty International Nigeria
ARDA Development Communication Inc.
Arise Nigerian Woman Foundation.
ASWHAN
ATATA Development and Empowerment Foundation (ADEF)
Affirmative Action Initiative for Women (NCAA)
Association of Nigeria Women's Business Network (ANWBN)
Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture (AWITA)
AWEP
ANWIB
AWFAN
FEBWE
FEDAN
BLECCA Foundation
Bring Back Our Girls
Briskila Emefesi Women Foundation (BEWOF)
Baobab for Women’s Human Rights
Cece Yara Foundation
Cedar Seed Foundation
CEE-HOPE Nigeria
Center for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities (CEEGA)
Centre for Alternative Development and Self-Enhancement (CEADESE NG)
Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA)
Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)
Centre for Peace Education and Community Development
Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN)
Change Managers International Network
Center for Women’s Health and Information
Centre for Media and Development Communications
Civil Resource Development and Documentation Center (CIRDDOC)
Citizenship and Human Development Initiative
Charity Women Spring of Salvation
Chedal Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society
Child Care and Adult Protection Initiative (CCAPI)
Choung-Dung Women Association.
Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)
Christian Women in Nigerian Politics
Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR)
Community and Youth Development
Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative (CEAPDI)
Community Initiative for Healthy and Peaceful Society
Community Life Project (CLP)
Community Rescue Initiative (CRI)
Community Women Initiatives (CWI)
Country Associates Network (CAN)
Courageous People Health and Development Initiative (CPHDL)
Crestville Development Foundation (CDF)
CWEMA
Daria Media Foundation (DMF)
Development in Practice Gender and Entrepreneurial Initiative (DIPGEI)
Diaspora Womanifesto2019
Dinidari Foundation (DF)
Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF)
Dream Alive Women and Orphans Support Foundation (DAWOS Foundation)
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili
Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives
Edo Women's Development Initiative
Education As A Vaccine (EVA)
EiE Nigeria
Emerge Women (EW)
Empowerment and Action Research Centre (EARC)
Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)
Equity Advocates/ The Woman Today Newspaper
FACICP Disability Plus
FAME Foundation
Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON)
Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN)
Federation of Paralegal Network (FEDPAN)
Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
Fembridge Development Initiative (FEDI)
FIDA Nigeria
First Future Leadership
FOMWAN
Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FACE-PAM)
FRED
FEDAN
Gender Action Awareness Trust
Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN)
Gender and Development Action (GADA)
Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI)
Gender Awareness Trust (GAT)
Gender Development Initiative
Gender Equality Center
Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre
Gender Technical Unit (GTU)
Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI)
Girl Child Advocacy and Education Initiatives
Girl Child Africa
Girl Child Education, Care & Rehabilitation
Girl Education Rehabilitation and Care (GERAC)
Girls Power Initiative (GPI)
Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation (GLOHWOC)
Green Spring Development Initiative
Gender Awareness Trust (GAT)
Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN)
Habiba Dangana (Hadis) Foundation
Heal Disability Initiative
Health Education and Human Rights Advocacy Initiative
Health Reform Foundation Of Nigeria(HERFON)
HEIR Women Development (HWD)
Help Initiative for Social Justice & Humanitarian Development
Hope for New Life (HNL)
International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)Nigeria
Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)
Inter Africa Committee (IAC)
Inter Gender Peace Foundation (IGPF)
International Action Network on Small Arms Women Network (IANSA)
International Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida Nigeria)
International Hairstylists, Barber and Body Therapists (IHSTOBAN)
International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH)
International Women Communication Centre (IRIAD)
Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation (ICCF)
Jamatul Nasir Islam, Women Wing
Jana Health Foundation (JHF)
Julie Oyegun
Foundation for Justice Development and Peace (FJDP)
Justice Development and Peace Mission (JDPM)
KMashi Gamji Women
Kebetkache Women Development And Resources Centre
Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND)
Kungiyar Tallafin Mata Development Initiative (KTMDI)
League of Queens International Empowerment (LQIE)
League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV)
LEDAP
Lift Initiative
League of Queens International Empowerment
Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against Women Initiative (LACVAW)
MBULA Women Association
Media &Teens Network
Media Concern Initiative for Women and Children
Media Concern Initiative (MediaCon) for Women and Children
MODAC
Mothers United and Mobilised (MUMs)
More Women in Politics
My Voice My Future NGO
Nasrul – Lahi-L- Faith Society (NASFAT)
NAWE
NNEW
NAWORG
Nigerian Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)
National Centre for Women Development
National Council of Women Societies (NCWS)
NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women
Neighbourhood Care-Well Foundation
Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria, NRHJN
Next Initiative for Gender Actions (NIGA)
NEWA
NGAS Women Farmers’ Cooperative Society
Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)
Nigeria For Women Project
Nigeria Labour Congress, Women Committee
Nigerian Express
Nigerian Women Politics Forum
Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NTWF)
Ogayem Merciful Care and Support Initiatives (OMCSI)
Ogun Women Alive
Okwuzi Women Forum
Olive Community Development Initiatives
Onomese Foundation
Open Arms Initiative for Sustainable Development (OPAISD)
Osi Joe Touching Lives Initiative
Ovie Brume Foundation
Partners West Africa
Peasant Dragnet
Princess Olufemi-Kayode
Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI)
Project Alert on Violence Against Women
Ray of Hope Community Foundation
Relief Development Initiative Kaduna
Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative
Sesor Empowerment Foundation
She Forum Africa
Safe Space Initiative
Save a Child Lend a Hand Foundation
Sheforshe Africa Initiative
She Mentors Initiative
Shout Global Health
Small-scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON)
South- South Professional Women Association.
Stand to End Rape (STER)
Stephanie Peace Building Development Foundation
Support For Needy Children and Women Initiative (SUNCHI)
TechHerNG
THR Media
The Inclusion Project (TIP)
The Priceless Jewels Foundation
THR Media - HERFESSIONS INITIATIVE
Tonia Bruised but Not Broken Foundation
Transformation and Development Center (TDC)
Transition Monitoring Group
Tunde & Friends Foundation (TAFF)
UC Women Commission
UTO Foundation
Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI)
Voice of Ogun Women (VOW)
West African Network for Peace
WEWENETWORK AFRIQUE
WEPDN
Widows Development Organization (WIDO)
Woman-Being Concern Nigeria (WBC)
Women’s Leadership Group (WLG)
Women &Youth Awareness Empowerment Network (WOYAEN)
Women Advocacy, HIV Prevention and Other Diseases (WAHPOD)
Women AT Risk International Foundation(WARIF)
Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
Women Aid Collective (WACOL)
Women in Mining
Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative
Women Youth and Children Upliftment Foundation (WYCUT)
Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
Women education advocacy and development Initiatives (WEADI)
Women Empowerment and Initiative Development
Women Empowerment and Reproductive Health Centre (WERHC)
Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI)
Women Environmental Programme (WEP)
Women Farmers Alliance (WFA)
Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative (WOPEGEE)
Women for Women International (W4WI)
Women Foundation Initiative (WFI)
Women Foundation of Nigeria (WFN)
Women in Action for Positive Development and Gender Enhancement Center (WAPGADEC)
Former Women Action Organization (WAO)
Women in Africa Initiative (WIAI)
Women in Agriculture (WIA)
Women in Mining (WIM)
Women in Politics Forum (WiPF)
Women Information Network (WINET)
Women Initiative for Democracy and Empowerment (WIDE)
Women Law and Development Initiative (WOLDI)
Women Law Development Center of Nigeria (WLDCN)
Women Lead Agric (WLA)
Women League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Women of Vision Development Initiative
Women Protection Organization (WOPO)
Women Wing of The Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN)
Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI)
Women, Youths and Children Advancement Program
Women Optimum Development Foundation-WODEF
Women Right to Education Programme (WREP)
Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri
Women’s Rights and Health Project
Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP)
Working Moms Africa (WMA)
Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)
Women Initiative on Climate change
Women in Politics Forum (WIPF)
Women in Management Buisness and Public Service (WIMBIZ)
WISCAR
Women Democracy Network Africa – Nigeria
WomenPreneurs (AWEBO)
Yiaga Africa
Youth Future Savers Initiative (YFSI)
Zonta International Club of Lagos 1
50MAWSP
100 Women Lobby Group (100WLG)