Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The wife of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Mrs Betsy Obaseki, has called for more women participation in governance.
This is just as she called for collective effort among men and women in Nigeria to change the narrative and take Nigeria to its desired height in the comity of nations.
Mrs. Obaseki made the declaration while delivering the opening address, during a summit organised by the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria, Hajia Aisha Buhari, in collaboration with Women and National Development with the theme: Emerging Trends in the Role of the First Lady in National Developmenti”.
The Edo State First Lady who reviewed statistics that placed Nigeria at 5.9 per cent in the participation of women in politics, in contrast to other African Countries such as Rwanda with 61 per cent, Senegal and Namibia with over 41 per cent, expressed shock and disappointment at Nigeria’s abysmally low performance among African countries in this regard.
The Edo First Lady urged other first ladies across Nigeria to go beyond their traditional roles and take on the role of facilitators to support and encourage capable women in their various states to pursue careers in politics and governance and also encourage their husbands to support these women for the advancement of their states and the nation at large.
Mrs. Obaseki, however commended the contributions and impact made by the First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, describing her as a mother and mentor who has in a most unusual fashion taken the office of the First Lady to higher dimensions, encouraging and influencing state First Ladies in gaining deserved relevance through impactful projects and programs.
The wife of Edo governor, also took the opportunity to celebrate the character of Aisha Buhari, who she described as an enigma, amazon, and a voice for the voiceless, the defender of truth, justice and equity, who speaks truth to power and how these virtues have endeared her to most Nigerians.
