| Temple Chima Ubochi |
 | ubochit@hotmail.de Bonn, Germany  |
There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women (Kofi Annan)
t would be a deceit to still think that this is a men's world, as the women are now conquering frontiers which were formerly the men's terrorties. Even if some people still think that it's a men's world, but, James Brown sang, in 1966, that the world would be nothing without the women to power it. The men must have built this world with the inspiration from the women. Men need the women and vice versa, so, the era of keeping the women in the kitchen or for domestic chores only is long over. Although many greedy women or wives have brought disgrace and scandal for the womenfolk, through their attitude, the few good ones are pearls to behold. Any man who has a good wife is a lucky and happy person, because, a good wife can help build up any man to any height. Support from a good wife is priceless, but, hard to find in today's world, because of insatiable appetite for money or something to inherit by all means. A good woman, if found, is a jewel.
The world over, some countries have had leaders who were women, and those women gave a good account of themselves, as they performed creditably well. Indira Ghandi propelled India to a new height during her time as The Prime Minister of India. Who can forget the British Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, and how she messmerized the world with her unique leadership quality and style? The whole world were in absolute awe of Thatcher. Even now, the most powerful woman in the world, German's chancellor, Angela Merkel, is making her marks. Angela Merkel is a good leader as such that Germans are not ready to relieve her of that leadership position yet. Although Merkel has hinted about leaving, to have more time for her husband, but, to the best of my knowledge, the Germans are not ready to let her go, unless she makes that decision herself.
When Buhari was the head of state, he apointed no woman to a position of authority, despite the fact that that was Ghandi and Thatcher's era. Now, as presidential candidate, he caused an outrage when he said that he would abolish the office of the first lady, if elected. That statement Buhari made turned out to be a big political error; he was attacked by both men and women for that, and people started saying that he is a man who wants to see women only in pudah, not to be seen or heard. People started reasoning that Buhari's opinion might have influenced him to hide his wife away from the public all along. People started saying that why Mrs. Buhari was not part of Buhari's campaign, previously, was as a result of his belief that women are not to be seen or heard. What was it Buhari actually said? The News Express on 26/12/2014 reported that "Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), retired General Muhammadu Buhari, says he will not have an office for first lady if elected in next year's election.In an exclusive interview with Weekly Trust in Kaduna, Buhari said his decision was premised on the fact there is no office of first lady in the Nigerian Constitution, just as there is no official role for presidents' wives. Rather, he said ministries which are constitutional should be allowed to play their roles. There is the Ministry of Women Affairs, and so on," he said".
Some of us might think that Nigeria's current first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is overstepping her bounds, in words and deeds, but, that's not enough reason for anybody to contemplate abolishing the office of the first lady. What President Jonathan must do, after winning the election, is to rein in some of the excesses of his wife, and then, everything would be alright. Although the first lady have no role ascribed to her by the constitution of Nigeria, but, she can play a major role in the society such as receiving guests, visiting orphanages, helping the less privileged people, leading the fight for the right of women and malnourished children, infant mortality rate, kidnapping and girl child trafficking. Ms. Buhari acknowledged those roles when she even defended the role of the first lady.
The outrage unleashed by Buhari's statement that he would abolish the office of the first lady, if he wins the election, forced him to unveil his wife and that of his running mate on a campaign podium in Abekouta.
According to bodedolu.com: Gradually, gradually, General Buhari is shelving his rigidity and position on women! He succumbed to popular trend and finally unveiled his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari. That would mean that if he wins the coming election, his wife would have a role to play. The Sunday Trust of Jan. 18, 2015 wrote: "Until recently in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when she showed up at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally and took photographs with her hostess, Funsho, wife of the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, the wife of the presidential candidate of the APC, retired General Muhammadu Buhari was virtually anonymous. Only a few people could be said to have known her physically beyond Katsina and Kaduna States where her husband hails from and lives".
Women's empowerment is intertwined with respect for human rights (Mahnaz Afkhami)
When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life (Kofi Annan)
If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation (Abigail Adams)
t would be a deceit to still think that this is a men's world, as the women are now conquering frontiers which were formerly the men's terrorties. Even if some people still think that it's a men's world, but, James Brown sang, in 1966, that the world would be nothing without the women to power it. The men must have built this world with the inspiration from the women. Men need the women and vice versa, so, the era of keeping the women in the kitchen or for domestic chores only is long over. Although many greedy women or wives have brought disgrace and scandal for the womenfolk, through their attitude, the few good ones are pearls to behold. Any man who has a good wife is a lucky and happy person, because, a good wife can help build up any man to any height. Support from a good wife is priceless, but, hard to find in today's world, because of insatiable appetite for money or something to inherit by all means. A good woman, if found, is a jewel.The world over, some countries have had leaders who were women, and those women gave a good account of themselves, as they performed creditably well. Indira Ghandi propelled India to a new height during her time as The Prime Minister of India. Who can forget the British Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, and how she messmerized the world with her unique leadership quality and style? The whole world were in absolute awe of Thatcher. Even now, the most powerful woman in the world, German's chancellor, Angela Merkel, is making her marks. Angela Merkel is a good leader as such that Germans are not ready to relieve her of that leadership position yet. Although Merkel has hinted about leaving, to have more time for her husband, but, to the best of my knowledge, the Germans are not ready to let her go, unless she makes that decision herself.
When Buhari was the head of state, he apointed no woman to a position of authority, despite the fact that that was Ghandi and Thatcher's era. Now, as presidential candidate, he caused an outrage when he said that he would abolish the office of the first lady, if elected. That statement Buhari made turned out to be a big political error; he was attacked by both men and women for that, and people started saying that he is a man who wants to see women only in pudah, not to be seen or heard. People started reasoning that Buhari's opinion might have influenced him to hide his wife away from the public all along. People started saying that why Mrs. Buhari was not part of Buhari's campaign, previously, was as a result of his belief that women are not to be seen or heard. What was it Buhari actually said? The News Express on 26/12/2014 reported that "Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), retired General Muhammadu Buhari, says he will not have an office for first lady if elected in next year's election.In an exclusive interview with Weekly Trust in Kaduna, Buhari said his decision was premised on the fact there is no office of first lady in the Nigerian Constitution, just as there is no official role for presidents' wives. Rather, he said ministries which are constitutional should be allowed to play their roles. There is the Ministry of Women Affairs, and so on," he said".
Some of us might think that Nigeria's current first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is overstepping her bounds, in words and deeds, but, that's not enough reason for anybody to contemplate abolishing the office of the first lady. What President Jonathan must do, after winning the election, is to rein in some of the excesses of his wife, and then, everything would be alright. Although the first lady have no role ascribed to her by the constitution of Nigeria, but, she can play a major role in the society such as receiving guests, visiting orphanages, helping the less privileged people, leading the fight for the right of women and malnourished children, infant mortality rate, kidnapping and girl child trafficking. Ms. Buhari acknowledged those roles when she even defended the role of the first lady.
The outrage unleashed by Buhari's statement that he would abolish the office of the first lady, if he wins the election, forced him to unveil his wife and that of his running mate on a campaign podium in Abekouta.
According to bodedolu.com: Gradually, gradually, General Buhari is shelving his rigidity and position on women! He succumbed to popular trend and finally unveiled his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari. That would mean that if he wins the coming election, his wife would have a role to play. The Sunday Trust of Jan. 18, 2015 wrote: "Until recently in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when she showed up at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally and took photographs with her hostess, Funsho, wife of the Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, the wife of the presidential candidate of the APC, retired General Muhammadu Buhari was virtually anonymous. Only a few people could be said to have known her physically beyond Katsina and Kaduna States where her husband hails from and lives".
Because of politics and criticisms, Buhari's wife is now everywhere, doing everything such as buying suya and frying akara by the roadside, trying to identify with the ordinary people now for the sake of hoodwinking some gullible Nigerians. Everything the Buharis are doing now is just to court votes, and after the elections, they will revert to their old lives. Nigerians are no longer to be deceived. Watch the pic. of Ms. Buhari frying akara below.
Another issue that has cropped up in this election is the question of when Buhari married his current wife. If Ashia Buhari is said to be 35 years old, and she married her husband, Buhari, in 1989, and Buhari is now 72 years, so when did he married his wife and at what age? Do the mathematics yourself. I stand to be corrected here.
To minimize the political damage Buhari's statement has caused, his wife went on the defensive by saying that her husband, General Buhari, will be guided by provisions of the Nigerian Constitution in all of his actions. According to her, the subject of whether or not there will be an office for the First Lady was not issue because as a woman she has her role already carved out. In her words: "When my husband is elected as the president of this country, he will rule the country within the rule of law based on the constitution of the country. If the office of the first lady is constitutionally recognized, he will not tamper with it but if it is not, that's okay."
Anybody or party that alienates the women would pay a big political price for it, because, more than 55 percent of registered voters are women, and women are more likely to turn out en masse to vote more than the men. Women become emotionally attached to everything; they are very passoniate about anything that will affect their children, positively or negatively. That's why; the women have recognized the importance of this election, and are all out to make a difference. That was why Remi Sonaiya of Kowa Party, the first woman running for president in Nigeria's history, has said that women don't want to continue being cheerleaders again. She told some of Nigeria's most influential businesswomen and company executives at the meeting on women's participation in politics recently: "We have done enough of cheerleading. Women cannot keep on being cheerleaders in this country". The Vanguard of Wed., March 18, 2015, wrote that "There may be many women at the head of businesses in Africa's most populous nation and leading economy, but, as in the rest of the continent, politics remains for the most part a man's world. Sonaiya is hoping to change all that, following the example of presidents such as Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf or Malawi's Joyce Banda, to break through the glass ceiling to high office. In reality, she has no chance of beating the two main candidates - President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari - but she has brought, for reformers, a welcomed fresh voice to the campaign. Sonaiya, a 60-year-old former French professor in Ile-Ife in southwestern Osun state, has not been discouraged by the challenge. She and her party KOWA decided to prove that it was possible to campaign without a wealthy "godfather" or a private jet in a country where male politicians spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on huge public rallies and gifts for supporters".
From his records, Buhari has no political regards for the women. On the contrary, President Jonathan has done much for the womenfolk, more than any other president or head of state. Goodluck Jonathan gave some powerful cabinet ministries, departments and agencies to women. For example, the former World Bank executive, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the finance minister and the co-ordinating minister for the economy, while Diezani Alison-Madueke is the oil minister as well as the first woman to hold the rotating presidency of the oil cartel OPEC. The Nigeria First lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has called on Nigeria women to vote for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan saying he is the only one that could take care of their interest. According to Daily Trust, Ms. Jonathan stated this on Tuesday March 3, 2015, in Lokoja, Kogi State, during a rally to galvanize women support for President Jonathan's re-election. She said past governments restricted women to the kitchen but that Jonathan came and changed the status quo by appointing women into various leadership positions as well as empowering them to take care of the home front. She was partly right! In her words: "Goodluck set up programme for the women so that they can get money to trade and takecare of their children. He also set up Sure-P to create employment for youth and women as well as taking care of pregnant women in the hospital till delivering period at no cost. Jonathan is the only one that can take care of women effectively". Dame Jonathan added that APC and its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has nothing to offer because he was there before and could not offer any change.
It's not an over-statement to say that no leader in the history of Nigeria has pushed the cause of Nigerian women like Jonathan. Even the Women in Clergy confirmed that. The Global Reporters reported that "The reelection bid of President Goodluck Jonathan received a major boost, as a group of female clergy, Women in Clergy, threw their weight behind his aspiration by endorsing him for a second term in his office. The decision of the group, comprising female pastors and other Christian women, was disclosed by its President, Prophetess Nonie Roberson, in a statement issued in Abuja". Read full story below
It's not for nothing that President Goodluck Jonathan is known as the Women's Champion. He has pushed their agenda more than anyone else before him. The women have taken notice, and will definitely turn out en masse to vote for him, so that he will continue championing their cause, as he does that better than anyone else, for now.
Read more:
Shadrach Ogiriki wrote:
I present to you Nigerians most Gender friendly president, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
President GEJ has done a lot for the Nigerian women which includes the following:
President Goodluck Jonathan is the first Nigerian President to appoint a female justice as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Which is the highest office in the Nigerian judiciary.
President Goodluck Jonathan is the first Nigerian President to appoint a female Justice as the President of the Court of appeal.
President Goodluck Jonathan is the first Nigerian president to appoint a woman as the Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC)
President Goodluck Jonathan is the first Nigerian President to appoint a woman as the first female Minister of Petroleum. This woman still went ahead to be the first female president of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). She got this position through her office as the minister of Petroleum.
President Goodluck Jonathan has now. made it possible for Nigerian girls to gain admission into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). With this singular effort, very soon we are expecting to start having our first set of female Brigader Generals, female Major Generals, female LT Generals, Female 5 star Generals and maybe a female will be the first Field Marshal of the Nigerian army.
President Goodluck Jonathan have broken so many barriers against the Nigerian woman. Now a Nigerian woman can reach the peak of her profession. President Jonathan has done a lot for the Nigerian women. Lastly. President Jonathan has the highest number of women in his Federal Executive Council (FEC ). So many women were made Minister under this current administration. So many women were given important appointment under this current administration.
Nigerian women have never had it better under any other administration. Jonathan has succeeded in the mobilization of a lot women into Nigerian politics.
Ken wrote:
I can understand majority of Buhari's supporters and why they are supporting Buhari, because most of them are literal morons, cult-like followers, who just follow sheepishly even if Buhari pees on their shoes, they would still be following and echoing "sai Buhari", but what is difficult for me to understand or comprehend is the reason why some whom I consider educated people that should reason with their heads, joined this cult-like following and echoing the same "sai Buhari" without asking questions.
Some of this group has been defending women and are against child or underage marriage which is a worthy cause but I can't understand why they can't ask some questions when a 73 year old man seeking to lead them thereby presenting himself as a role model, is a husband to a supposedly 35 year old lady. Of course if he married the lady when the lady was an adult, the disparity in age will totally be the choice of the man and the woman but if he married her when the girl is a child or underage it becomes a totally different thing.
Report has it that Buhari married Hajia Aisha in 1989 which if calculated will leave the woman at age 9 when Buhari, your "shining example" who should be about 47 years old then, married the lady as his wife. No wonder Buhari never let her into the public domain all the while himself was in the politics from the early 90's even when he was the PTF chairman because letting her out will have people calling him the child's dad not knowing that he is the husband.
There are things that should get reasonable people thinking rationally and this is one of them, if someone's moral antenna does not tell him that marrying a child or underage girl is morally wrong, I wonder what else his moral antenna would tell him that is morally wrong. What exactly is it that make someone a "shinning" example or a role model leader.
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