President Buhari promises adequate female representation in governance

President Buhari promises
adequate female representation in
governance
- President Muhammadu Buhari states that
his administration will continue to
accelerate the revamping of the economy
with agriculture
- He pledges to provide greater
opportunities for education of women
The minister of information and culture,
Lai Mohammed, says President Buhari’s
administration recorded laudable
achievements, in spite of terrible economic
downturn and an empty purse foisted on it
President Muhammadu Buhari has re-
assured Nigerians that the rights of
women and girls will be protected,
adding that there will be adequate
female representation in governance.
President Buhari gave the assurance in
Abuja while addressing the 2017
Women and Girls Summit organised by
the National Centre for Women
Development, NCWD, with the theme:
“Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision
2030.”
The president, who was represented by
the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe,
said to achieve the desired change,
resources must be mobilised through
reduction of wasteful expenditure and
zero tolerance for corruption.
He reiterated that his administration
would continue to accelerate the
revamping of the economy with
agriculture, manufacturing, mining and
others sharing centre stage, the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“As a matter of deliberate policy, my
administration will ensure that the
rights of women and the girl-child, as
guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution,
are fully protected.
“I want to restate that women will be
adequately represented in government
under my administration.
“We will also provide greater
opportunities for education of women,
job creation and economic
empowerment.
“We have also put in place facilities that
will make women farmers access credit
at one digit rate, because women have
the best record of loan repayment of 90
per cent compared to men at 60 per cent.
“ We know rural women suffer terribly
and arrangements have been made to
make it possible for rural women to have
access to life against the challenges that
hamper their rights to life,’’ he said.
The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari,
who was represented by the wife of the
Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo,
emphasised the need for additional
hands in the campaign towards
inclusive governance.
She called on stakeholders to come up
with strategies and programmes to
propel the notion of the girl-child in the
country as well as the elimination of
gender-based violence.
Earlier, the Director-General of NCWD,
Mary Ekpere-Eta, said the summit was
expected to draw attention of policy
makers to the critical issues affecting
women and girls, for high level
discourse and strategic intervention.
“The day is aimed at calling for more
opportunities for girls and to raise
awareness on different forms of
discrimination faced by the girl-child
based on their gender,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information
and Culture, Lai Mohammed said
President Muhammadu Buhari’s
administration recorded laudable
achievements, in spite of terrible
economic downturn and an empty
purse foisted on it.
The minister said this at the
inauguration of a book chronicling the
administration’s achievements in
Abuja.
The minister said through commitment
to discipline, determination and
transparency, the administration
recorded landmark achievements that
were putting our country on the path of
sustainable growth.