Appoint more women ministers, CSOs urge Tinubu

The Coalition of Concerned Civil Society has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to appoint more women to his cabinet to help drive the Renewed Hope agenda.

At a news conference in Kaduna on Saturday, the National Coordinator of the Civil Society, Comrade Aminu Abbas Arabi, noted, “We equally appeal to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to use her good office and influence to better the lives of women, children, and youth through proactive empowerment and employment opportunities.”

According to the civil society, “The recent cabinet reshuffle and appointment of new ministers by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is not new to you.

“Gentlemen of the press, we have therefore gathered you here to express our concerns, especially as it affects the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, where two men have been appointed as both the senior and junior ministers.

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“It is our firm conviction that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is designed to be administered by a woman for effective service delivery.

“The appointment of Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, a Professor of Computer Science, to head this sensitive ministry without the requisite experience or a disposition for humanitarian work could potentially plunge Nigerians into deeper levels of poverty and further crisis.

“Appointing Hon. Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, another man, as the Minister of State is a total aberration and disregards gender equality and the affirmative action endorsed by the current administration.

“Granted, the last two women appointed to head the ministry did not deliver as expected, but that should not prevent other qualified, dedicated, and competent women from contributing their quota to nation-building in an area suited to their God-given talents and competencies.

“The failure of Sadiya Umar Farouk and Dr. Betta Edu should not be a bane to Nigerian women. It is unacceptable that both the senior and junior ministers in the ministry should be male.

“We, therefore, appeal to Mr. President to reconsider replacing one of the ministers with a woman who we believe would pay more attention to the plight of the less privileged and downtrodden, as is often typical of women.

“As strong advocates of the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with firm conviction in his ability to assemble a credible team to steer Nigeria from her present woes, we are disappointed in the choices made to head these sensitive ministries.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as we speak, Nigeria is in crisis due to the misguided policies of past administrations. Despite the concerted efforts of the Tinubu administration, relief remains out of reach for the average Nigerian.

It was the hope of Nigerians that, with a credible team at the helm of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, things would improve. But with these mismatched appointments, hope is lost and expectations are dashed.

“As Nigerians continue to grapple with the challenges brought on by the removal of the subsidy on petroleum products and rising food inflation, Mr. President must act responsively, setting aside political and personal considerations to bring relief to Nigerians.

“We, therefore, patriotically call on Mr. President to reconsider his choice of appointees for the ministry for the sake of Nigerians.

“A cabinet reshuffle and reassignment of portfolios for the ministers involved would not be a bad idea. Mr. President should also consider appointing more women to his cabinet to help drive the Renewed Hope agenda.”