Photo credit: Pictures retrieved from “the ibompulpit”
The first lady has convened a retreat on Women Development,
Peace and National Transformation. The retreat currently ongoing is themed:
“Galvanizing, empowering, and energizing women as change agents for national
transformation, peace and development: A win- win option”. The proceedings and
programme of the retreat are yet to be released but first ladies and female
lawmakers are in attendance. Speakers at
the conference include Leymah Gbowee, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili.
However, Oby Ezekwesili’s one of the speakers tweeted parts of her speech at
the retreat. She said:
“imagine if the first
lady, wives of the vice-president, governors, National Assembly, local government
and all women in public office form Women Demand for Good Governance Forum? Why
would such a forum be a viable proposition? Because those who swore to uphold
integrity in public office are your husbands, sons and daughters as the case
maybe, but for you to have the moral credence to demand good governance boldly
would require that you first stop being a beneficiary of the gains of
corruption”.
These tweets taken together with Mrs
Fayemi’s article on First Ladies raises the question: does the solution to
Nigeria’s governance issues lie with the women in government especially wives
of our leaders?
Hmmmmm. I think I agree that women have a role to play in ensuring their husbands, sons and daughters govern and perform well and vice versa, as seen (in the negative) with Maryam Babangida (as the story goes) and Turai Yar'Adua. The solution might not necessary lie with women in government especially first ladies but we as women all have our part to play.
ReplyDeleteAnd I completely agree with Mrs Fayemi. Brings another view into the whole First Lady matter I never really thought of.