Women
PROMINENT Nigerian women, who include Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister of Education; Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, a former Nigerian envoy to The Netherlands, and Maiden Ibru, publisher, The Guardian, have advocated for the need to build human character as impetus for achieving good governance in Nigeria.
Making the submission during the maiden edition of the H.I.D Awolowo Foundation Annual Lecture entitled: ‘Ethical Politics, Peace, Development and Security in Nigeria: The Critical Importance of Women’s Leadership’, held in Lagos on Tuesday, November 28, the women posited that this would be the appropriate time to allow more women take charge of leadership positions in Nigeria that would bring positive development.
They also said that when things go humpty-dumpty, a wise society would know that empowering women was the solution. Ezekwesili, who was the keynote speaker, said better governance should be expected when women were allowed a space in governance.
Expressing faith that the Deborah that would save Nigeria would soon surface, the former minister drew a parallel attribute between Mama Awolowo, who was being honoured with the lecture and the Biblical Deborah, saying, “It is now for Nigerian women to stand up to their responsibilities in governance. It is time for productive women to say enough of just sitting down. The best way to honour Mama (HID Awolowo) is to say enough of the marginalisation, of the relegation to the background for the sake of the future of our country. When women say it, it will be so. We need Deborah in government, in community, in business and other sectors.”
Speaking on good governance and leadership, she said it was about the government being transparent, accountable, fair, just, equitable, participatory, among others, lamenting that poor governance leads to fragility. She identified features of poor governance to include refuge issues, insecurity, huge unemployment and sharp economic decline, saying that these sad features had made Nigeria to be ranked as the 13th most fragile state in the world.
Ibru while responding to questions on how to change the dearth of moral character in the society called on women to be alive to their responsibilities. She noted that women should do everything possible to be relevant even if it meant that they would leave their comfort zones.
According to her, “We women must stand up and step out of our comfort zones to achieve what we have to achieve to be heard. The time has come for women to come to the front and say enough is enough.
“Women including mothers and wives could prove to be the agents of positive change that the country is desperately in need of if they could uphold their first responsibility, which is character building, as exemplified by Mama HID Awolowo.”
The Guardian publisher said factors of character building are accountability, transparency, honesty, kindness, integrity, and multi tasking, all of which she said were already inbuilt in women but added that those virtues could only manifest with a woman’s conscious effort.
Awolowo-Dosumu said the lecture was instituted to reflect the multi-dimensional angles to Mama Awolowo, who she said was the real heroin of the numerous achievements by the sage due to the unique leadership offered by her in support.
Daisy Danjuma, chairman of the event, said women no doubt played key role in bringing about peace in African society, pointing out the purpose of the gathering was to build role models in young and grown up girls for a better society.
In his goodwill message, Olusegun Mimiko, the immediate past governor of Ondo State, said the best way to empower the nation, was to empower women.
Tunde Bakare, senior pastor, latter Rain Church, lauded the leadership quality and virtuous nature of Mama Awolowo, whom he said demonstrated uncommon bravery when he led a campaign for Mike Okpara in 1964.
Other dignitaries at the event were Aliyu Yahaya, the Emir of Sogai, who represented Sa’id Abubakar 111, the Sultan of Sokoto,; Labaran Maku, a former minister of information; Gani Adams, Aare Ona Kakanfo-designate; Adebutu Kessington, Abiola Fernandez and Olorunnimbe Mamora.
– Nov. 29, 2017 @ 10:35 GMT
Tags: Aliyu Yahaya Daisy Danjuma Ezekwesili Ibru others canvass better role for women in governance HID Awolowo Oby Ezekwesili Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu
