Women leaders under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State on Saturday urged the party to increase women representation in government particularly at the grassroots.
Specifically, the women want more slots during the forthcoming local government elections.
Mrs Olufunke Ogun, APC’s Women Leader in Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, made the appeal at the party’s women leaders forum in Epe.
The forum, organised in preparation for the council polls scheduled for July 22, was attended by hundreds of women leaders in the council area.
Tagged: “The Voice of Women is the Voice of God”, the summit was held at the constituency office of Mr Segun Oludade, the lawmaker representing the area in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Ogun, who commended Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for allotting about 30 per cent positions to women in his government, said more could still be done for women because of their “strategic roles and population”.
“Gov. Ambode has tried, but he can still increase the number of women in his government. I want to advise our governor to get women more involved in governance, not only in politicking.
“Women should not be restricted to the position of followership in party politics alone, they must be engaged. If our men give us opportunity to rule the nation, we can do it,” she said.
“We can do it, we have the ability, strategies and population to make things work and bring the `real change’ to the people. We must be given ample opportunities in the forthcoming council elections.”
According to her, women should be given the opportunities to serve as chairmen, vice chairmen, councillors and others in the council areas.
Ogun appealed to women folks to vie for elective positions in the forthcoming council election.
She added: “We admonish women to come out and vie for elective positions in the forthcoming local government election in our state.
“This forum is organised to advise, sensitise and re-orientate our women on the forthcoming local government poll, we should not take back seat, we should not allow selfish people to lead.
“We need to prepare for the election now that the guidelines have been released, we should vote right and refuse to be bought over. Let us look for people with character and fear of God.”
Ogun , who lauded Ambode’s giant strides in infrastructure development, security and economy, also urged women to support the government for more growth and development.
Also speaking, Mrs Adewunmi Balogun, the Assistant Women’s Leader, harped on the involvement of women in governance.
Balogun urged the government to do more to stamp out kidnapping in Epe and other parts of the state and also provide jobs for the people.
Another leader from Ward E1 in the area, Mrs Riskat Idowu said: “Women took up great roles in politics but are given little opportunities in governance. We do most of the mobilisation.”
Idowu urged the government to empower more women to give public administration a new lease of life.
NAN reports that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has fixed July 22 for elections into the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas.
