Participants at a One-Day Women’s Political Summit have paid tributes to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s women leader, the late Salome Acheju Abu who was gruesomely murdered after the 2019 Kogi Gubernatorial election in November 2019.
The participants were drawn from Kogi Women in Local Government councils, women in Politics and Officials of Kogi Women Empowermwnt Coalition (KWEC).
The summit was Organized by Center for Women Studies and Intervention(CWSI) Supported by CAFOD Nigeria held on 19th June 2023 in Lokoja, Kogi State.
These were contained in a Communique which captured the outcome of the One-Day Political Summit and was made available to the NationalUpdate in Abuja on Tuesday.
The participants in the Communique made a clarion call for peaceful gubernatorial election in November 2023 election adding that they have noticed that the political atmosphere as the gubernatorial election in the State scheduled for the month of November approaches there abound clear warning signs of impending violence.
“As mothers, wives, sisters, aunts and nieces we are beneficiaries of peace and harmony; We pay tribute to Mrs. Salome who was gruesomely murdered during the 2019 general election by political thugs in Kogi East senatorial District as result of her participation in politics.”
Accordingly they said they are deeply concerned that the present peace is fragile and if not carefully managed will lead to violence in the on-coming election.
“We therefore call on all relevant security agencies at the State and Federal levels to closely monitor activities in Kogi State to ensure proactive measures that will guarantee a peaceful, credible, free and fair election taking place on 11th November 2023.
“On this platform we stand and demand for our rights to peacefully exist as co-stewards of a better Kogi State, better Nigeria and a better world.
“We re-echo the imperative and importance of women inclusive governance as enunciated in the United Nation’s Beijing conference of 1995.
“On this premise; we state that exclusion of women from democratic governance impedes the growth and prosperity of Kogi State and Nigeria at large.*
They expressed appreciation to the executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello for his deliberate effort in ensuring that Women in Kogi State are elected in to the Local Government Coucils as vice chairpersons and legislative Council Leaders.
According to them Bello has applied the principle of affirmative action by which an unprecedented number of forty-two (42) women were included in all 21 Local Government Councils of Kogi State as Vice Chairman and Legislative Council Leaders.
“We appreciate his Excellency’s contribution to elevating the political status of women through his action on women inclusive governance.
“We commend his Excellency for positive response to the multi-sectoral advocacy programs implemented by Community Based Organization, Kogi Women Empowerment Coalition (KWEC) with support from Centre for Women Studies and Intervention (CWSI) for actualization of inclusive development and equal opportunity in Kogi State.”
They raised concern that unlike Governor Bello, the male executives of the Local councils and Councilors have been marginalising the women in councils.
“We have noticed with deep concern that even though the Executive Governor of Kogi State has taken the step to create new platform of governmental visibility for women, Male Executives holding the offices of Chairman of Local Government Councils and Councilors in Local Government Areas have marginalized female members of the Councils since their inclusion in Local Government Administration.
“This practice discourages women’s aspiration for political self-actualization and opportunity to contribute to local government development. “Therefore, we call on the Chairmen and Councilors in all the Local government councils of Kogi State to emulate Governor Yahaya Bello’s recognition of women.
“They should promote cultural re-orientation, elimination of all gender biased practices in administration of public offices which produce inequalities, suppression and politically motivated violence against women.”
They celebrated the successes of the two women who contested for the Kogi State House of Assembly in the 2023 general election.
“These are Honorable Mrs. Comfort Nwuchola. She is representing Ibaji constituency and Honorable Omotayo Adeleye-Ishaya who is also currently representing Ijumu constituency.
“We recognize them as Political Amazons and commend their determination to break the jinx of total absence of female legislators from Kogi State House of Assembly since the year 2003.”
They made a passionate appeal
to all male representatives in the Assembly to give their cooperation to the elected women by creating an enabling environment for them to effectively fulfill their mandates.
“Furthermore, we applaud all the members of the Civil Society Organizations including CWSI who advocated and contributed to this. We call on all female persons in Kogi State to use the legislation as shield to defend their rights and dignity.
“We commend the executive Governor of Kogi State for signing into law The Kogi State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law
“Furthermore, we applaud all the members of the Civil Society Organizations including CWSI who advocated and contributed to this.”
They therefore called on all female persons in Kogi State to use the legislation as shield to defend their rights and dignity.