Politics
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Women Network Worldwide has urged technocrats to get more involved in politics, to ensure robust policy evolution and implementation in Nigeria.
Dr. Atinuke Wuraola-Owolabi, new president of the group, made the call on Tuesday night at a hybrid Political Discourse with the theme “The Role of Professionals in Politics and Good Governance’’.
Wuraola-Owolabi also called for cleanup of the political space to remove people who had nothing to offer, encouraging more professionals to go into politics to speed up the nation’s development.
According to her, professionalism in politics is a path to good governance.
“A professional would bring his skills to bear when the need arises, and would want to carry decency and decorum as armour, because if he did otherwise, it would send the country into political doom,’’ she said.
Wuraola-Owolabi appealed to female technocrats from various fields to get involved in politics, as it was too important to be left in the hands of politicians alone.
She said that some people, due to ignorance, go into politics for wrong reasons, and would not be able to attract positive policies to better the lives of Nigerians.
The Patron of the APC Professional Women Network, Dr Nasiru Argungu, urged women in politics to collaborate, be committed, and support the vision to make the association a greater force, and more influential in the country.
“No nation can survive without the professionals,’’ he said.
Similarly, a former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, represented by Mrs Folashade Onajobi, Director, Women Affairs, Tinubu Support Organisation, said the role of women in nation building could not be overemphasised.
Adebule said women’s huge population was needed in forging political direction, as they were closer to both youths and children and should be given opportunity to deploy their expertise for good governance.
“Any party that ignores women does it at its own risk,’’ she said.
Mrs Sally William-Chinebu, former South East Zonal Woman Leader, APC, advised women to collaborate to be able to change the narrative in political struggles.
William-Chinebu, Country Director, Nigerian Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus, said the professionals left the space, hence, many who had nothing to offer took over.
In the same vein, Mrs Ayisat Gbajabimila, a clinical Pharmacist, said women were naturally multi-talented, adding that unique talents and knowledge were important for accelerated development.
Also, Mrs Kori Shettima, Chairperson, Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN), Maiduguri Chapter, said technocrats were people already trained to be leaders who must take the lead in leadership.
She lamented low representation of women in politics, citing Borno State as an example of a state that had no single woman in its state House of Assembly.
The chairperson said that the governor of the state was giving more roles to women because he was a technocrat, an engineer by training, who understood the benefit of professionalism.
Similarly, Mrs Monsurat Alagbe, Lagos Chapter Chairperson, APWEN called for sensitisation of women participating in grassroots politics on the way to take right actions for emergence of credible leaders.
Also, Mr Niyi Adewunmi, Head of Media, Tinubu/Shettima Professional Ambassadors, urged the female technocrats to serve as role models to the women at the grassroots.
The event was organised by the APC Professional Women Network Worldwide in collaboration with the Tinubu/Shettima Professional Ambassadors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC Professional Women Network is an offshoot of Coalition of Professional Women in Politics (COPWIP).(NAN)
KN
Tags: Atinuke Wuraola-Owolabi Folashade Onajobi Idiat Adebule Nasiru Argungu Sally William-Chinebu Tinubu Support Organisation
