The Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) has expressed disappointment over the low number of women nominated in the ministerial list by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, and submitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
ANRP national spokesman, Mr Sesugh Akume, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Awka that only seven women of 43 in the ministerial nominee list, was “extremely low number and disappointing’’.
According to him, the number represents approximately 16.2 per cent, which is extremely low and disappointing.
The seven women on the list are: Sharon Ikeazor, Zainab Ahmed, Gbemisola Saraki, Ramatu Tijjani-Aliyu, Sadiya Farouk, Mariam Katagun and Pauline Tallen.
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Akume said that ensuring gender parity in government could foster good governance and national development as women constituted half of the nation’s population.
“The number of women in the 2019 list is lower compared to 2015 when we had six females out of 36 ministers which is 16.67 per cent.
“What we should be working towards is optimum gender parity by normalising 50-50 representation across genders.
“There is a direct connection between women inclusion and participation in governance and development. The advocacy for 50-50 inclusion is not just a feminist fad or playing to the gallery.
“Studies and evidence have consistently shown that more women in decision-making positions guarantee faster movement aimed at growth and sustainability of the economy and society,’’ he said.
Akume said that with the low number of women in the National Assembly, it was expected that President Muhammadu Buhari would ensure 35 per cent women’s inclusion in his cabinet to fill the gap.
“The entire Senate with 109 members has only seven females in 2015; it is the same seven in 2019, and consistently only 1 female from the entire northern Nigeria.
“What are we telling the girl-child when out of 43 cabinet members, only seven are female? Does it mean that females are not good enough, or no matter how hard they try and how good they are, it will not matter, they will always be excluded on account of their gender?
“We were hoping that this negativity and anomalies will begin to be corrected when the long-awaited ministerial list is published, unfortunately it is not to be.
“We have not only failed to correct the errors of the past, we have entrenched them,’’ he said. (NAN)