Buhari’s Germany Comment: Women Demand Apology

Women in Niger Delta region are demanding from President Muhammadu Buhari, an unreserved apology to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and the entire women folk in the country, because of the remarks by Mr. President that the First Lady’s job revolves around her kitchen and bedroom.
In an interview with The Tide, yesterday, the Director on Feminine Matters, Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC), Mrs Dema Kierama, said that Mr. President’s restriction of the responsibilities of Aisha to kitchen and bedroom was not only embarrassing to women folk in the country but shows the inconsequential regard the President has for women in the country.
“By reducing the role of women in the development of the nation to kitchen and bedroom matters makes a caricature of respected women in view of our huge contributions to the growth of the nation.
“President Buhari, with all respect, should apologise to Aisha, who we hold in high esteem, and by extention to Nigerian women, failure to which, we shall take all necessary actions to let him know how badly injured and embarrassed we feel about his comment”, she said.
She explained that while campaigning during his presidential election, the President’s wife went all campaigning to women groups, and after the election, Aisha initiated laudable projects to improve the lot of children and women, adding that women had dutifully invested their energies far beyond kitchen and their masters bedrooms.
She noted that for Mr. President to reduce the women’s role to kitchen and bedroom amount to insult.
The group equally supported Aisha’s opinion that all is not well with the leadership of the country under President Buhari, as according to her, a good number of those serving in the Federal Executive Council have no business being there and should be removed for the nation to progress.
“Just take a critical look at some of the strategic sectors of the economy, you find out that some of the ministers are square pegs in round holes, and Nigerians are really suffering because of their actions and inactions”, she stated.
Kierama called on Buhari to immediately shake up his cabinet, remove the deadwoods, and replace them with women who are ready to deliver to save the nation from what she termed unncesssary hardship.
“The world holds Nigerian women in high esteem and at all levels of government and human endeavour, we have proved our worth. We will no longer accept insult where we deserve praise. We shall never, ever watch President Buhari take lead in insulting Nigerian women”, she said.
Kierama advised Buhari to be careful of comments he makes, especially during his foreign trips, stressing that records have proved that most of his comments put the image of Nigeria in bad light.

Chris Oluoh/Obusele Mirian