An Nsukka-based human rights activist, Mrs. Scholar Ukaegbu, has called for the appointment of female legislators into key offices when the 9th National Assembly is inaugurated.
Ukaegbu specifically asked that female legislators should be given positions of the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Senate President in the forthcoming National Assembly.
The legal practitioner told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Wednesday that women had contributed immensely to national development.
She said that the legislators would be appreciating the contributions of women to national development by electing them principal officers during the 9th assembly.
“Right from the time of independence, Nigeria women have made enormous contributions to national development and the unity of the country.
“During electioneering, political parties will promise to carry women along by giving them political appointments; but after elections; the parties will not muster the political will to fulfill their promises.
“In the interest of justice and equity, female legislators should be appointed as the deputy senate president and the deputy speaker at the National Assembly (NASS) as soon as the 9th national assembly is inaugurated,’’ she said.
The activist alleged that it would amount to marginalisation on the part of the women if only their male counterparts would be elected the principal officers of the NASS during the 9th National Assembly.
She said that it was like the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), seemed to have endorsed only male lawmakers to become the senate president, the deputy senate president, the speaker and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
“The party should give consideration to the female lawmakers.
“APC should rescind its decision and accommodate female lawmakers for the positions of principal officers of NASS.
“We should appreciate the contributions of women to nation building and thus appoint them into positions of authority,” she said.
She said it was as a result of the men-take-it-all syndrome in the country that no woman was elected governor in any state in the just concluded general elections.
She said, “It gives me concern that of all the 36 states of the federation, there is no state where a woman is at present a governor-elect.
“The question is, for how long the country will continue to treat its women as under-dogs and second class citizens in their own country.” (NAN)
