Gender
Poverty, Social Exclusion Hamper Women’s Leadership Roles – Minister
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has identified poverty, social exclusion, distance from school facilities and poor quality education coupled with gender disparities as factors working against women’s leadership roles in Africa.
The minister stated this at the “African Women in Leadership Organisation Global Patrons 2022 Open Year Ball,” held in Abuja, shortly after she was conferred as life patron of the organisation.
Aliyu who served as the special guest of honour at the event, advocated that to get more women in leadership roles, huge investment must be committed towards education, health and economic opportunities for women and girls, stressing that Africa needs women to come into leadership roles at a faster rate and higher percentages than they are today.
She called on government at all levels to ensure that women are at the forefront of leading the economic growth Africa desires, be part of policy making and implementation, just as she tasked women organisations to work towards the agenda of gender and social inclusion policy to protect women and female children in various countries.
According to her; “Having more women in leadership has a significant impact on the bottom line. Women are coming into leadership at a much lower rate than men. This is where we must begin to change the narratives.
“We have to step up the rate in which women are coming into leadership roles. To achieve this goal, we have to increase the number of women in the pipeline. We need women to come into leadership roles at a faster rate and higher percentages than they are today”.
The Vice President of Liberia, Her Excellency, Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, who chaired the occasion identified women as change agents in Africa, just as she called on women to continually engage the families, communities and nations to make Africa a better place.
She, however, commended the Liberia government for giving women the opportunities to serve in sensitive positions, while acknowledging men as important force in driving women’s agenda in the continent.
“Women should engage families, communities and their nations to make Africa better. We are already a great continent, but for our children to see the greatness that we have put in place, there is still much work to be done. And the women should be in the forefront of this assignment.
“We should mentor the younger generation to bridge the gap. All women are politicians because we manage homes, systems, organisations and people. Women are indeed change agents and they must be involved in oil and gas sector,” she added.
The highpoint of the event was the conferment of the prestigious life time patron to FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, by the board of African Women in Leadership Organisation.
A Nigerian bride who went for her pre-wedding photoshoot has insisted that men are scum.
The pretty lady was seen looking all glammed up while at the photo studio as she sent out a cautionary PSA to women.
She jokingly insisted that all men are scum. They’d make a woman get married to them, even if they don’t want to.
When someone asked what her husband-to-be is, she said that he’s her personal scum.
David Hundeyin had released an audio of the minister threatening victims of s3xual assault by Prof. Cyril Ndifon, Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Kennedy-Ohanenye, in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, reiterated her commitment to justice, safeguarding and advancing the rights and welfare of Nigerian women, including the pursuit of justice whenever their rights were violated.
She emphasised her unwavering dedication to upholding due diligence and the rule of law, recognising that justice and fairness were the fundamental principles upon which equitable societies were built.
“I wish to express my sincere apologies to those who were offended by my comments and actions regarding the sexual harassment scandal at the University of Calabar.
“This is extremely regrettable, as my intentions were sincere and aligned with my consistent advocacy for the welfare of Nigerian women and the pursuit of justice.
“I stand for all Nigerian women and I stand for justice and it is my hope that we can work together to actualise the dream of a country where women’s rights are respected and protected and where our daughters feel safe in institutions of learning,” she said.
Some suspected victims of child trafficking in Imo state have been intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, spoke on Sunday while giving details of the agency’s activities across the country.
Babafemi said the operatives made the interception while on patrol along Aba-Owerri expressway on Wednesday.
According to the spokesperson, the girls were suspected to be victims of child trafficking.
He said they were picked up while being relocated from their hideout in the Naze area of Owerri, the state capital to another part of the city.
Babafemi identified the victims as Chioma Emmanuel, 15; Uma Faith, 15; Divine Adimonye, 17; Opara Gift, 15; and Amarachi Mbata, 16.
“In their statements, they claimed they didn’t know the men who impregnated them,” he added.
“The Imo state command of the agency has since been directed to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for further investigations.”
Speaking on more activities, Babafemi said the agency arrested a passenger identified as Ugwu Peter Tochukwu who was travelling through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Oman on a Qatar Airways flight.
“Upon a thorough search of his luggage, 7.50 kilograms of skunk were discovered concealed inside crayfish mixed with dry bitter leaf,” Babafemi said.
“In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations attached to some courier companies also intercepted Dubai-bound 2.9 kilograms of skunk and 14 grams of methamphetamine concealed in bags of semovita and soles of ladies’ high heel shoes respectively.”
MORE ARRESTS IN ABUJA, OGUN, KOGI
Babafemi said two suspects identified as Moses Akowe, 32, and Sunday Gabriel, 31, were arrested with 227.1kgs of cannabis on Tuesday in Ikebe village, Ankpa LGA of Kogi state.
The agency said 27-year-old Kingsley Chimaobi was arrested with 6,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup along Lokogoma-Abuja road on the same day.
“A total of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs and 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup seized from the duo of Salisu Murtala and Shafi’u Dahiru on Tuesday 11th September along Abuja road have been traced to two other suspects: Muntari Nasiru and Yusuf Ali who were arrested in follow up operations in Kano,” the statement added.
“Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday 13th September sentenced to five years imprisonment a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk.
“He was arrested on Saturday 1st July while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki. He was subsequently charged in suit number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko.”
Babafemi added that the agency is committed to ridding the country of illicit drugs.
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