The wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Betty Akeredolu-Anyanwu, has revealed the reason why women should be allowed to retain the deputy governorship position in Nigeria.
Mrs. Akeredolu-Anyawu, who revealed this during a conference, organized by a non-governmental organization, Imo Women Matter, in Owerri, Imo state capital, on Friday, requested that deputy governorship slots in Nigeria be solely reserved for women, so as for equity to thrive, in the country’s political system.
Complaining about women’s positions in politics, Mrs. Akeredolu, who was the convener of the conference, stated that women are being marginalized in almost all walks of life, including politics, and called for more women’s participation in governance.
“Women have been made the endangered species because of their gender. Nothing is left to their benefit, ranging from the families, politics, churches, economy and what have you.
“Take a look at the just concluded Imo state house of assembly election, no woman was elected of the 27 members of the assembly. The three senatorial seats in Imo state were won by men.
“Women should be given a chance to contribute to the country’s political growth. They should be at the decision-making table of the nation.
“Enough is enough! Enough of this boy’s brigade lineup in Nigeria’s political landscape. It is killing our nation. We should not continue undermining the powers of women in effecting great changes.
“Go and check any institution that is manned by a woman; there must be a difference. Evidence of women driving this country to a greater height abounds.
“Look at the likes of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who is currently the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, the late Dora Akunyili, and of course the legendary Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. These are great women of substance who have the wherewithal to effect change.
“We demand that the deputy governorship slots of all the 36 states in Nigeria be exclusively reserved for women so that they can also have a voice like the men.”
The governor’s wife, who also hailed from Imo state, said there are lots of careers for women to pursue, outside the kitchen, noting that academics, law, and medicine, among others, are there for women to pursue, to place themselves at the top like their male counterparts.
“We are uniquely gifted by God. Why are we being suppressed? Nobody should be less empathetic about this serious issue. Women need to be delivered from socio-economic extinction,” she said.
“Unfortunately, the efforts of several women bodies including the Nigeria Council of Women Society have yielded little or no good results because of the marginalization meted out to them. It is high time this was put to a permanent stop.”
Advising women to take charge of the country’s political space, the Ondo First Lady expressed optimism that their efforts will soon be yielding results in the governance of the country.
