Only Two States Nominated Female Ministers Under Me – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for more women’s participation in politics because they are “agents of truth”.

Obasanjo recalled how he was Nigeria’s first president to appoint nine female ministers in his cabinet and how only to states nominated women when he sought recommendations.

Advertisement

The former president said this at a public lecture on Friday in Ibadan, Oyo State, while delivering his keynote address titled: “My understanding of Women’s Aspirations in Politics, Business and Nation Building”.

The public lecture was jointly staged by the Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development In Nigeria and The American Corner, Ibadan.

Obasanjo said after only two governors nominated female ministers during his first tenure in 1999, he had to personally search for the remaining seven female ministers that formed his cabinet.

He said, “I am the first to appoint nine women as Ministers. I called the governors to nominate people. All of them nominated men except two. I appointed another seven women. I looked for seven more women and added them with the two.

Advertisement

“We have women with good virtues in Nigeria. When I appointed a woman as Minister of Defence, there was uproar in the country, and I said that there is nothing bad in it, she performed well. What a man can do, a woman can do it better.

“When you finish a meeting with men at 11 pm, you will still see them somewhere and when you ask them, they will say they are still holding another meeting at 12, but when you finish a meeting with women at 11, they will go home and sleep and the resolution of the meeting will still be the same at 8 am the next day.

“Women are agents of truth not only because they are our mothers, wives and daughters. I have highlighted some of the roles played by our heroines women like Queen Amina, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Madam Tinubu, they made their contributions.

“Any government that does not recognize women, that government is a failure. When women have equal opportunities, change becomes faster.

“My dear sisters thank God that you have the opportunity to go to school, utilize the knowledge you have. We have to put our load by the roadside and expect people to help us, if you don’t do that, people will not help you”.

Advertisement

Among dignitaries present at the public lecture were Professor emeritus Ayo Banjo; former Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, Professor Bolanle Awe; Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, Mrs. Atinuke Osunkoya; KOWA Party Presidential candidate, Professor Remi Sonaiya; Dr. Olajumoke Morenikeji and Mrs. Tolu Adeniyi.

Others were the Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate, Nigeria, Ms Darcy Zotter, Mrs. Achenyo Idachaba and Mrs. Eden Ossai.

Leave a comment

Advertisement