By Christian Njoku

Mrs Betta Edu, the National Women Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has called for inclusion of more women in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Edu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Calabar while commemorating the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).

NAN reports that the Day is used to mark women’s achievements, raise awareness about discriminatory attitudes against women as well as take action for addressing gender parity.

The theme of the Day is “DigitAll: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”

Edu, who is a former Commissioner for Health in Cross River, said issues of Nigerian women ought to be mainstreamed and be at the front burner of States and Federal Government.

She hopes that in 2023, more women would be empowered financially with the 35 per cent affirmative action mainstreamed and implemented across board.

“In this new administration, we need more women in the Federal Executive Council and all the boards of parastatals need to be made up of 35 per cent women.

“Also, we need interventions and programmes from the Federal Government; we need quotas that are specifically dedicated to the women.

“Competence has to be the watchword, we need women with capacity, competence and can represent; we have a lot of them in the society,” she said.

She said that the kidnapped Cross River Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Gertrude Njar, would soon be free as efforts were bring made to rescue her safely.

Mrs Victoria Emmah, the Executive Director, Neighbourhood Care Well Foundation, said the IWD in the state remained a sad occasion because of the kidnap of Njar.

Emmah, whose organisation had been taking care of women and children for over 20 years, said that it has been five weeks since Njar was kidnapped.

“Until Nigeria recognises that women are not only meant to be in the kitchen and ‘the other room’ but in the boardrooms bringing meaningful strategies to address developmental issues, we will not grow like other nations.

“Women should be allowed  to take up positions like Prof. Dora Akunyili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Oby Ezekwesili and many other women presently leading huge corporate institutions had proved that we can do it.”(NAN) (wwwnannews.ng)

Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Ismail Abdulaziz