As President Jonathan is about to
submit list of ministerial appointees
to the National Assembly for
screening and confirmation,
Nigerian women from different
pressure groups and Non-
Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
are working round the clock to
ensure that they are not left out in
the scheme of things. RAZAQ
BAMIDELE reports:
In different fora, these women, who
have formed formidable
associations will complain to
whoever cares to listen that Nigerian
women are not being given their
dues in the political affairs in the
country. Some of the advocacy
groups formed and headed by high
fly professionals are Yoruba
Women Initiatives under the
leadership of a veteran journalist,
Dr. Doyinsola Abiola, Business and
Professional Women of Mr. Angela
Ajala and International Federation of
Women Lawyers of a lawyer, Dr.
Keziah Awosika.
Others include Nigeria Association of
Women Journalists(NAWOJ),
Women Arise of Dr. Joe Okei
Odumakin, Female Leadership
Forum of Mrs. Comfort Ogunye,
BAOBAB Women Human Rights as
well as Project Alert of Mrs.
Josephine Effah Chukwuma. In an
interview at one of her group’s
events, the founder and President of
Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei
Odumakin told Daily Sun that the
motive behind the establishment of
the forum is to advocate for the
rights of women within the society.
According to her, some women
don’t even know their rights,
explaining that her group is all out to
sensitise them to know their rights
on one hand and to know how to
claim it on the other hand. Dr.
Odumakin, who doubles as the
President of Campaign for
Democracy (CD) further stated that
the Women Arise is always in
collaboration with other like minds
in other women based associations
to advocate and fight for women
rights by organising series of events
like workshop, seminars, symposia,
lectures, protests and retreats.
When recently a One-Day Yoruba
Interactive Forum was organised in
Lagos by Lagos State Gubernatorial
Advisory Committee under the
leadership of a University don,
Professor Adebayo Williams,
former Managing Director of the
Concord Newspapers, Dr. Doyinsola
Abiola was there to make a case for
women recognition.
Dr. Abiola, who is the leader of the
Yoruba Women Initiatives
expressed delight over the
recognition given to the women by
the Forum, adding however that
“the recognition must be in
concrete, practical terms and not
only a lip service because of the
undeniable ability of the Nigerian
women in the scheme of things.”
The erudite scholar and wife of the
winner of June 12 presidential
election unjustly annulled by former
President Ibrahim Babangida made
it abundantly clear that credible,
competent and qualified women
abound for whatever category of
offices that may be allotted to them.
On Tuesday, the women, at a
forum in Lagos still continued the
agitation for their rights, this time
with particular reference to the
affirmative action about reservation
of 35% of political and appointive
positions for the women.
A socio-political pressure group,
More Women Movement (MWM), at
the forum urged President Goodluck
Jonathan not to forget his
electioneering promise about 35%
appointive position for women
nationwide.
The Movement’s Convener and
Secretary, Dr. Keziah Awosika and
Comfort Ogunye respectively urged
the President to “implement
affirmative action by reserving 35%
of all elective and appointive position
for women in his appointment and
in the forthcoming Local
Government elections.”
This, according to the women, was
in line with National Gender Policy
(NGP), which provides for 35%
representation for women in
governance, pleading with the
President “to implement the policy
without articulating any mechanism
by which this can be achieved.” The
Movement also demanded for
“establishment of a mechanism by
which Curricula Vitae of credible
women will be collected, screened
and appropriately fitted for the
appointive positions,” requesting
that “priority be given to women
that lost during the parties’ primaries
and the general elections.”
While appealing to Mr. President to
make sure that the appointment
transcend party affiliations, they
assured him that they were ready
“to make available to the relevant
authorities, Curricula Vitae of
credible women from our data
bank.” The women group lamented
the unprecedented reverses in their
electoral fortunes in the recent
general elections against the
previous ones stating that “we will
in due course investigate and find
out the root causes of the reverses
and then re-strategise and come up
with a workable blue print starting
from the forthcoming Local
Government elections.”
A retired Custom Officer, Mrs.
Mojisola Maciver, who aspired to the
House of Representatives on the
platform of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) in the last election told
Daily Sun that Nigeria could not be
in short supply of competent
women to occupy high political
offices.
She reminded that “the feats the
likes of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr.
Oby Ezekwesili and Professor Dora
Akuyili performed in office as
Ministers can not be wished away,”
therefore imploring the President to
give the women special
consideration in the day to day
running of the country’s affairs.
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