Group criticizes President for excluding women

monjola sotubo

September 4, 2015 5:17 PM

The President of the group, Ebere Ifendu said Buhari’s exclusion of women in the appointments would hamper Nigeria’s democracy.

A group, Women in Politics Forum, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s non-inclusion of women in his recent appointments.

The President of the group, Ebere Ifendu said Buhari’s exclusion of women in the appointments would hamper Nigeria’s democracy.

Ms Ifendu made the comments on Thursday, September 3, 2015, at a news conference in Abuja.

She said:

“We warn that this exclusion of women, if not immediately checked, may lead to a situation where the generality of Nigerian women will regard themselves as outsiders in President Buhari’s administration.”

“We want to sound a note of caution here, that this deliberate policy of ignoring the aspiration of Nigerian women for representation through this outright negligence or non-recognition in the scheme of things will not help the growth and sustenance of the country’s democratic project.”

“It is foolhardy for anybody to believe that governance can be successful in a democratic setting in Nigeria, without the inclusion of a critical segment of its population.”

“The value of having women contribute their experiences, their ideas and their skills in improving the lives of millions must be recognised. The President should appoint INEC Chairpersons and Commissioners with a clear representation of women in line with the National Gender Policy.”

“In implementing the National Gender Policy, attention should be paid to integrity, intellectual capacity, credibility, administrative competency and antecedents of the appointees.”

“The President (should) strengthen the Ministry of Women Affairs as an effective monitoring agency to track the delivery of results for women and girls across all ministries, departments and agencies.”

Buhari has been severely criticized for the appointments which many have said show a bias towards the north.

--------

Watch video of Buhari's inaugural speech below:

monjola sotubo