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A Woman Can Be President In 2023 -Barasua

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As Nigerian women joined the global community to celebrate the International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8, 2021, Hon Anengi Barasua, Vice Chairman, Bonny Local Government Council, Rivers State shares her thoughts  in this interview she granted in Port Harcourt.
Excerpts:
 What does the International Women’s Day mean to you?
 To me it means Women Liberation; a day to celebrate the success story of women; a day to highlight what women have achieved. And of course, it is worth celebrating, coming from where we as women are coming from. We are coming from the backstage and we’re trying to take the front stage.  I’m not saying we’re trying to take power from the men but we’re indeed pushing forward to see how we can collaborate with the men and make the nation and the world a better place.
That is what the International Women’s Day means to me: pushing women forward and women pushing themselves forward to develop and bring a lot of achievements to the nation.
 Politically speaking, would you say women have achieved much for the development of this country?
 I must say that, to an extent, women are doing well. I am a politician and a women – I know the challenges I face as a woman. It’s not easy to swim in this ocean that is filled with men and come out head high. This is because whatever you have to do they don’t see your achievement as being the result of your intellectual capacity. They see it as ‘oh because she’s a woman’. Some will even say ‘Oh because she has compromised. They have a way of tagging your success to something, not really your ability, not really concentrating on your own competence.  They always want to put it under and make it look like if there was not a man, she would not have succeeded.
So, I will say that women are doing well, we’re trying especially in Africa and Nigeria in particular because the political ground is dominated by men. To tell you the truth, our men are not yet ready to accommodate women in this field. But I want to thank God for people like the governor of Rivers State (Chief Nyesom Wike). He actually made women surface and take the centre stage in his tenure. Recall that when he came on board, he insisted that the 23 local government areas vice chairmen must be women and that brought a lot of women onto the forefront in politics. That brought me as Vice Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area to the forefront. And that’s applaudable. It’s like giving women the platform to showcase their capability, their competence.
Some people feel that the place of a woman, no matter how educated, is in the kitchen but today we’ve seen that its’ not true. Even the likes of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the much celebrated woman today, has proven that women are brilliant, women are intelligent and women can do what men can do as long as it has to do with mental capacity.
I want to dedicate this year’s International women’s Day to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She’s the first woman to become the Director-General of the world Trade Organisation. That alone speaks volumes of what women can achieve.
 The theme of this year’s celebration is Choose To Challenge; and I’m wondering what would you choose to challenge yourself?
 I was telling my sister just yesterday that may be because of age, because of availability of resources, I might not be able to challenge Dr Okonjo-Iweala but I will choose to creat a platform where women will come up to be like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This is because if you give our young girls today the platform, the resources, the education that they need, they will get there. At my age, as I said, I might not have what is required to be  like her but if we begin from the root, from the primary school, the secondary school and right to the university days and begin to guide them, we will get more of Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealas. So, that’s what I choose to challenge.
My part as a vice chairman of a local government, I want to use the opportunity to advise and counsel young ladies that they should look at her as today’s woman, they should see her as their mentor and strive to be like her. I wish I can be like her and so I wish that other young ladies can be like her tomorrow and that we will have more of her type in our society.
 In Rivers State, women have been chosen to be Vice Chairmanship candidates by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 23 local government councils, is that where you belong or you want to challenge for more?
It is the starting point. We have to test the waters, swim in this water and come out successful first before we can now begin to look at the second stage. I will say that I as the Vice Chairman can beat my chest and say I have tried and I have done well because just recently, in my little capacity and with the resources available to me, I was able to empower women with skills acquisition.
Now I know that not everybody must go to school but we can support ourselves by learning a trade, getting self-employed. And if these women are self-employed, they can sponsor the education of their children so their future is secured. So, with that I can say I’m moving forward. Power belongs to God. So as I set the pace, at the end of my second tenure which I’m about to go into, by the grace of God, I believe I will do better and then I can look at it and think of the next step to take. I believe that being the Vice Chairman of the local government is my starting point but definitely not my end point in politics.
 Don’t you think women in politics in Nigeria need to build themselves like Kamala Harris and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala such that their successes could not be ascribed to anything else but their own value, competence and integrity?
A I think we have such women. I may not be able to remember their names readily, but I know that we have such women in Nigeria. These women have set examples for themselves before they got to this position and that is what spoke for them. It didn’t just start today. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was one-time Minister of Finance in Nigeria and she has a straight record. She wasn’t found wanting, she wasn’t found misappropriating funds. These are the characteristics that you need to have that will set the pace for you. That’s why I say we might not be like her in that same capacity but we can do like her. I am a public office holder today, my part is to be sure that what is in my hand is secure, what is placed under my care is protected. I don’t need to be seen among scoundrels or (money) launderers or people that misappropriate fund; I don’t need to abuse the office, I need to keep the records straight, I need to project transparency. So, when you do all these, the sky will be your limit because at that point, people will not see your success and tag it to compromise, they will now see what you can do in your antecedents and give you credit.
So, like I said earlier, our duty now is to create the platform, counsel young ladies, support them, give them the avenue to become like the role models and if we do that, counselling them, teaching them how to lead decent lives… unfortunately today, many of our young ladies are derailing, so, we should create the platform where young girls can be trained so that we have a better society.
Women are nation builders; women make the world go round so it behoves us as women to empower ourselves, support ourselves, train ourselves because if you train a woman you train a nation.
 Speak to the proposition that women are credible alternatives in terms of political leadership?
Yes, women are credible alternatives: they’re reliable, they’re trust worthy. I’m a woman and I know the limit of what I can do and what I cannot do. There are things I cannot compromise and that’s my integrity and my reputation, they matter so much to me and on that note we’re indeed credible. But when you say credible alternatives, I am a bit unsettled about it. They’re not an alternative, they are credible themselves. They shouldn’t be on plan B always. They can be on plan A as well.
 Looking at 2023, would you say women have come of age to take leadership of this country?
Yes, emphatically yes. I believe and I see 2023 with more local government chairmen, and don’t be surprised, we might have a female governor in Nigeria, in the 36 states of the country, I believe women will emerge as governors and nothing stops a woman from even being the president of the country because we have what it takes.
By: Opaka Dokubo
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Women

The Desire Of Every Woman In Marriage

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A woman needs a man that is honest,  trustworthy,  nice,  loving and financially stable.
There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, If there is no money,  it is always difficult.


Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3:Your desire  shall be unto you……..
That is one aspect  the woman expects her husband to take care of.
A woman wants a husband that is not lazy,  at least helping to do one or two things.   A man that is educated and intelligent.
She knows that there is a trait that her husband has.  Traits of taking care of people,  giving freely to people and caring for her family.
A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family,  remembering his family even as he is away from home.
A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.


According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that the women builds her home.
It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit.  Don’t be a monitoring spirit.  Don’t allow anything to take your joy.
Don’t loose trust in your husband.
The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.


The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man.  A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.
Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.
A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

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What Women Want In Yet-To -Be Husbands

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What women want in their yet-to- be husbands matters a lot as far as marriage is concerned.
A woman desires a good fnancial prospect. Interestingly, some modern women place a man’s financial potential as more desirable than they have in the past.
Many decades ago, women ranked it lower on the list. It still comes in after items like love and maturity, but perhaps today’s women realise that a good economic partner is good husband material.
Good health has been an important characteristic for women through the 20th century and remains so these days. One might argue that because we’re living even longer, health plays a huge role in the success of a marriage. Women are anxious to know that their partners are healthy to be able to run the family together.
You discover that in most faith based organisations, would- be couples are mandated to go for medical tests to ascertain their health status as it concerns HIV/AIDS, Genotype and other related ones. This according to stakeholders is to ensure that couples raise healthy families.
Ambition has become less important to women over time, though it still being considered even if women nowadays are thriving in the workforce competing with the male folk. It may be because more women are thriving in the workforce, they want a husband who has earning power but are not looking for him to be the sole provider.
More women want husbands with pleasing disposition. They may not want a man who is always moody. A man who is always cheerful is whom they desire.
Surprisingly, a man’s likes do not rank as high on women’s list of wants as it used to. Until recently, women are more willing to accept a man for who he his, despite the inevitable mood he may be.
Sociability from both men and women rank very high on their marriag material list. And for both sexes, it has been steadily moving up the list for many years. The rise of the “love marriage,” a partnership based on attraction rather than practicalities (like wealth or status) might mean that married couples are more likely to be friends and have mutual circles of friends.
A lot of couples want to associate with others and then socialise. Attending parties of other friends forms part of their marriage requirements.
Women have placed education and intelligence top making it one of their most desirable male traits for decades. This timeline coincides with more and more women receiving college education themselves. Once education becomes important in women’s lives, it is a more attractive trait in potential husbands.
Of course when a woman is educated, she is likely to go for an educated man. When they are gainfully employed, their income boost the family affairs faster.
Today, women are much more attracted to men who are interested in home and family than they ever have been. Men who have desire for their home and children is whom they desire.
After a days job, a man will come home to ensure that his children are comfortable. Because most women today are expecting to be in dual-earner relationships, they want husbands who will be happy and willing to contribute at home. More women today even report that they hope he will take the lead at home.
A woman wants a man who is emotionally stable and mature. Growing big physically is not the issue but maturity in the heart.
Men, too, place a heavy emphasis on a potential wife’s emotional maturity, signaling that it is a key quality for a stable partnership. Women seem to look past appearance to the heart of the matter.
A woman wants a man who is not easily provoked. Dependable character is what some women want in marriage.
Women want husbands that they can count on, and this has not changed in recent years. Yes, women look to their spouses to be lovers and friends, they also want them to be supportive and trustworthy. They want to know that their husbands will be there and remain loyal. Men, too, desire dependable character from their yet-to be wives.
Mutual attraction and love from the first appearance is what they want till they become old.
The highest-rated characteristic women seek from men is mutual attraction and love. Some no longer look for a man who will provide everything, afterall they are also educated and are gainfully employed, they want to be in love.
For some women, even when the man do not provide household needs, the love shown on her is enough. When women had no job prospects and needed to marry, they desired love . The women’s movement has not only helped women pursue careers, it has also given them more choice in love.

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Echoes Of IWD : Need To Invest In Women

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As this year’s Internatinal Women’s Day (IWD) has come and gone, there are calls from different quarters on the need to invest in women so that we can achieve accelerated growth.
It was, indeed, a thing of joy when Rivers Women Unite For Sim, took delivery of large quantities of sanitary towels and some bags of rice provided them for this year’s celebration.
Many young women expressed joy that they got such gesture since some of them have financial problems getting sanitary towels whenever they are on.
Some secondary school students were also lucky to have a share of the benefits. They also got some sanitary towels.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs organised a platform to celebrate and honour the women for the remarkable jobs they perform in their homes and society.
Addressing women on the occasion, the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, noted that women from time immemorial have been great pillars in achieving remarkable heights and stressed that IWD across the globe is pivotal all women for the roles they play in bringing, nurturing and sustaining life.
Dr. Uranta said that IWD, which started in 1911 and celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day that provides women a platform to address economic inclusion, participation in political and public life.
She said the day was set aside to look into lack of access to education for the girl-child, gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, harmful cultural practices as well as other challenges facing women around the globe.
The Hon. Commissioner, who described March 8 as a day to celebrate the socio-economic, cultural and political achievements of women, emphasised that it is a day that offers women the opportunity to reflect on progressive achievements.
Noting that it is an opportunity to call for change, she stressed that it is also an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and every achievement made by ordinary women who did extraordinary things and are remembered in history.
She noted that the IWD2024 theme:”Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress”, is timely and apt because according to her, to achieve gender equality, we must ensure that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women do not elude them.
Her words: ” We must see investing in women as a human right issue and consider investing in women as a social tool to eradicate poverty since women are helpmeet in the homes while a handful are breadwinners in their respective families”.
The commissioner urged women to uphold the deliberate act of investing in themselves, be it furthering formal education, developing a new skill as well as learning a trade.
“Shun idleness, always find something positive and productive to do, regardless of your age, social status and financial capabilities”, she said.
In a paper presentation, Dr. Dabota God’swill Jumbo, reiterated that investing in women would attract good and positive dividends to herself and the society at large and noted that it is essential in addressing poverty, hunger and climate change.
The guest speaker said women need more opportunities in elective and appointive positions, hence the need to encourage and support them in politics.
According to her, when you invest in women, they will be able to create safer environment devoid of gender-based violence.
In a goodwill message, the spokesperson, Rivers Women Unite For Sim, Mrs Charity Deemua appreciated the organisers for making it possible for women to gather and celebrate themselves.
She commended those who created a day like March 8 of every year to celebrate women and regretted that the girl-child was seen as a second-class person decades ago.
The former commissioner, Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, described those who taught it wise for women to celebrate as conquerors, tough and strong.
International Association of World Peace Advocates, a world-class organisation with the United Nations, honoured different categories of women.
In Cross River State, 150 women were empowered with about N15m to boost their small and medium scale businesses.
According to stakeholders, the women empowerment is vital in addressing social, economic and political challenges and will make them self-reliant.
An NGO, Association of Professional Women Engineering Technologists (APWET), said it’s aim is to promote professional excellence among engineering personnel, advocating for women and girl-child education.
With what we saw in terms of response to women’s call on issues affecting them from relevant authorities, we are optimistic that the women will do better whenever they are empowered.
If we must kick out cervical, breast and other forms of cancer in women, underage marriage, prostitution, we must invest in women.
There were goodwill messages from National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC, Nigeria Association of Female Journalists (NAWOJ), among others.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode

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