Ministerial List: Nigerians ask why?

By Morenike Taire & Florence Amagiya

Women groups across the country are up in arms in reaction to the presidential ministerial nominees list of the second Mohammadu Buhari APC administration and the reason is not far fetched.

Mrs Jumoke Anifowose, veteran politician and Secretary of Ajasin Foundation as well as one time Ondo state party chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and governorship aspirant, has expressed utter disappointment over the situation. Fielding questions from WW, Anifowose said she was shocked.

Jumoke Anifowose

“We have been advocating for 35 percent and believed the promise of the president only to get 7, and that 7 are from the Northern part of the country. So there are no capable Southerners on the list and we are just 2nd class citizens in our party?”

Assault on creditor: A-Ibom Assembly suspends LG chairman(Opens in a new browser tab)

31 outstanding political female appointees of his administration.These include A bike Dabiri- Erewa, Hadiza Bala Usman, Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Jumoke Oduwole, Lucy Ajayi and others. The question is what has changed? Or does Mr. President think he has already given women their dues?

In April, a group known as APC Women Aspirants Forum demanded key appointments as President Mohammadu Buhari prepared to form a new cabinet. The group’s leader Adedoyin Eshanumi, a Logo Senatorial candidate had said the only way to compensate women, who won less than 10 percent of elective positions was for Mr President to give them political appointments for their efforts, which had ensured the party’s victory.

“Hopefully he will consider us in very good parastatals as all the women he has worked with so far have excelled and I don’t see why we have been relegated.

The issue of tribe

“Of course it is. Don’t I deserve to be a minister? I have been a party chairman. I am not very happy” Interpreting the president’s silence, she said he is trying to tell us that we function better in”za oza room”, though exonerating First Lady Aisha Buhari of taking the same position, said Anifowose,

Hoodlums attack Zamfara APC secretariat, destroy property(Opens in a new browser tab)

“Aisha has shown that she is capable, intelligent, and progressive and refuses to be put in the background. She is an encouragement to many women. I am sure she worked very hard to even get the 7 women on the list. As to her silence, she will talk when the time comes”

”It should have been about the re- development of a country near collapse. If the man is more qualified; then the man is given the chance and if the woman is better qualified. No matter the gender, then she should be given the chance to do the job. I think the ratio of 7 women to 42 men is not impressive at all. There shouldn’t be sentiment in a time like this”.

There are a lot of qualified women in this country. I know that in the time past, some women have failed us but that should not be a reason for side lining them in this present situation”.

Vanguard