An advocacy group, ‘Coalition of More Women in Governance in Ogun’, on Monday, staged a protest to the Ogun Assembly to demand for more inclusion of women in the state governor’s cabinet list forwarded to the Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Dr. Abiola Akinyode, said that women in the state were disappointed with the number of women who made the commissioner-nominee’s list submitted to the Assembly by Gov. Dapo Abiodun.
Akinyode , who spoke at the Assembly’s complex in Abeokuta, said that the group would not accept the list, saying that there should be at least 35 per cent of women on the list.
She explained that the Assembly had passed a resolution sometime in October calling on the state government to give women 35 per cent affirmative in governance.
“On 35 per cent or more we stand. That is why we are here. Governance must have people’s face and it must be inclusive.
“Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) talks about gender equality and we want the governor to do the needful, ” she said.
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Responding, Mr. Olakunle Oluomo, the Speaker, commended the group for the peaceful protest.
Oluomo, represented by Mr. Oludaisi Elemide, Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, noted that the Assembly actually passed a resolution on 35 per cent affirmative for women in governance.
The speaker noted that the resolution was an advice to the Executive and not a law, saying that the message of the group would be conveyed to the governor as soon as possible.
“I want to tell you that not only commissioners make the cabinet, we have Advisers and we also have consultants and we have more women in this regard,” he said.
Oluomo said the Assembly would do the needful as regards their demands.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor on Thursday forwarded 18 names of commissioner-nominees which had only two women to the Assembly for confirmation.
NAN
