Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to replace vacant ministerial positions with women.
This is as the women seek strategies to making the 35% affirmative action court ruling a reality.
National President of the WiPF Barr. Ebere Ifendu, made the call in her address at a one day zoom meeting organized by the 100 Women Lobby Group (WLG) members to strategise on Implementation of the 35% Affirmative Action Court Ruling on the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project.
Recall that Buhari had last week ordered all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) who expressed their interest to run for the elective offices in the upcoming general elections to resign on or before May 16, 2022.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had affirmed that nine ministers seeking elective positions in the 2023 elections have tendered their resignations.
According to Ifendu, the affirmative judgment came at a very good time for Nigeria as the country is preparing for another general elections.
She noted that “the judgment is the law and the law must be obeyed until there is a superior judgment”.
She maintained that women groups needed to ensure that this law is implemented by holding leaders accountable.
She said, “Since the President made a call that members of the panel, ministerial appointees that are interested in running at the election should resign from their respective positions this is the best time to call on the president to replace the empty positions with women just to ensure there is implementation of the law,” she stated.
“WIPF has sent a letter to the President the previous day informing him that women should replace the men as enforcement of the judgement implementation is very important. The President as a matter of urgency must enforce the law as women groups will hold him accountable.
“The Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) will give the protocol assistance to ensure implementation and assist in case there is a breach,” she stressed.
Convener of the webinar and National Coordinator of the 100 Women Lobby Group, Felicia Onibon, lamented that women were not given adequate opportunities to respond effectively in Nigeria.
She pointed out that it is important to lend voices to improve the efforts made for women development using the lobbying and protest activities that took place some weeks ago at the National Assembly for the inclusion of women in leadership as an example.
Deputy state coordinator for the WLG Rachel Babalola, noted the need for sensitizing elderly women in the grassroots, secondary school and University students on the importance of this law, stating that it will benefit the future generation to make the 35% Affirmative Action achievable.
Also speaking during the virtual meeting, the Manager, Women`s Right Program Actionaid Nigeria, Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny, stated that to ensure court ruling is acted upon, women needed to strategize collectively, stressing that, plans have to be put in place to make implementation possible.
Ilochi-Kanny called on CSOs, Feminists group, Activists to come together in pulling resources to deal with the issue, stressing that women needed to build knowledge around the issue of the court ruling on the 35% Affirmative Action.
“For the 35% Affirmative Action to be obtained, some institutions should be held accountable and responsible. It is a test to know how we can obtain it at various levels. Nigeria is a huge country we need more than one strategy to win this war,” she maintained.
Similarly, the Founder/Chairperson Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), Amina Oyagbola, described the court ruling as a feat that has been accomplished and the 35% Affirmative Action should be a baseline for men and women to break the barriers of inequality.
“Women should quit waiting for permission or waiting for others to act first, rather take charge and determine clearly the steps to be taken to make impactful decisions that will enable us to achieve the results we desire as a group,” she urged.
