Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-OwajiIbani, has charged Nigerian Women to maintain their rightful place in the society by adopting a more practical approach that would put their desires in their hands, instead of resorting to advocacy.
Ibani gave the charge last week, when members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), led by the Chairperson, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, embarked on a solidarity walk to the State House of Assembly to express their displeasure over the neglect of Nigerian women at the National Assembly for demanding for their rights, on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
NAWOJ had used the occasion of the International Women’s Day program to appeal to the Rivers State House of Assembly to help convey their message on the bill of gender equality to the National Assembly for reconsideration.
Addressing the women, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-OwajiIbani, pledged the continuous support of the 9th Assembly towards Nigerian women’s struggle for better placement in the society, while promising to relate their message to the National Assembly (NASS).
Ibani described Chief NyesomWike’s led administration as Gender-sensitive, noting that his decision to have a woman as his deputy, as well the 23 local government vice chairmen as women is a unique record no other state has beaten.
He frowned at the insensitivity of some members of the NASS towards the women, while assuring members of NAWOJ Rivers State Chapter, of their support towards gender equality bill. He added that the Rivers State House of Assembly has carried out several measures to see how issues that concern women in the society could be given the priority attention they deserve.
The Speaker further called that women be given equal opportunity to occupy political positions, while still urging women in the state to go beyond the level of advocacy to a more proactive agenda in order to achieve gender equality, adding that women are the foundation of agrarian society and should rise up to take their place in the society.
“If the world acknowledges the need to celebrate women all over the world, then Nigeria can not be different. Our National Assembly members cannot be insensitive to the plight of women. Women are the foundation of agrarian society and If there be a transformation from what was, the women should be part and parcel of such, so there is no level of position women can not occupy,” He said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of NAWOJ Rivers State Chapter, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, has called on women to get their permanent voter cards PVCs to vote in women massively into various positions come 2023 General election.
“We must use what we have to get what we want and our PVC is our power to vote massively for our women into positions of power.
“From research, statistically, we have the numerical strength to vote them out of those offices to allow our women occupy them and we don’t even need additional offices or positions to be created considering the high cost of governance which the country is already facing.
“Our children too will support us when we restrategise to support more women to be in position of power. We must restrategise to sponsor women, who are willing, well able to go into politics, to go and pick up forms to contest for positions of their choice.
“If we actually desire more women in positions of power, we must use what we have to get what we want as the 2023 General Elections draw closer,” Serekara-Nwikhana added.
She called on women who are financially capable, but not willing to contest to support the willing ones but not financially viable.
Serekara-Nwikhana cited other countries where women were in charge as prime ministers, adding that their leadership have ushered in growth and development to these countries, remarking that the longer it takes for women to be in positions of authority in Nigeria, the longer also it will take for the people to witness development and growth.