Ene Oshaba
As the 2023 general elections draws near, about 25 female governorship candidates runming under different political parties in the states has expressed commitment to addressing insecurity, education, healthcare amongst other needs of the country.
The candidates made their commitments in Abuja, at a media engagement organised by the Women Radio 91.7FM with support from the UN Women and Canadian government.
The governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Benue, Madam Roseline Chenge, said if elected the governor, her plan was to industrialise the state and tackle the insecurity problem besetting it.
“If you are familiar with Benue State, Benue needs industrialisation with local governments in focus.
“Benue needs security and as a mother, I have come out so that as an engineer, I can engage the most modern and sophisticated technology to provide security because my people are dying,” she said.
Chenge said she was ready to also ensure food security for the state by engaging in modern system of agriculture.
She promised to manage the state’s account in a way that would give dividend of democracy to the people.
“The men have done well but women can do a better job,” she said.
In her submission, the governorship candidate of Action People’s Party (APP) in Delta, Annabel Cosmos, since the inception of democracy in 1999, the men had not done enough to give the state a facelift, hence, the need for women to take up the challenge.
“They say what a man can do, a woman can do it better.
“Women should not be left at the kitchen. The kitchen is not our place; we can govern a state if given the opportunity.to serve,” she said.
She said if elected the governor, she would look into the educational, agricultural and health sectors, among others, with a view to transforming them.
Earlier, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Jigawa, Hajia Binta Umar, said she was vying for the position to enable her tackle the problems facing the women and youth in the state.
“Women are always at the receiving end anytime there is one challenge or the other, likewise our young people,” she said.
She said her government would ensure that the women and youth are empowered in the state.
“We have a lot of resources and we are farmers too.
“We want to use all these resources to make life better than what it is now,” she said.
On her part, Dr Ngozika Johnson-Ogbuneke, Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s governorship candidate for Abia, regretted that though the state is 31 years old, there had been little or nothing to show for it.
“There are no infrastructure in Abia, nothing to give the people good life and when the youth of Nigeria protested back then in 2020, my heart was broken.
“When you look at what they said about the EndSARS, it applies to Abia State too.
“I felt it is time to make a difference in my fatherland,” she said.
“I urge the people of the state to vote for me. Don’t vote for me because I am a woman, vote for me because I am a capable woman.
“I am an orthopaedic surgeon and also a human rights lawyer. I am coming to defend the rights of Abia people for quality education, good road; for the children to be well trained, for school teachers to have their salaries paid; pensioners have their gratuities and grants given to them and for Abia State to have an airport,” she said.
Johnson-Ogbuneke, assured of making Abia to be an enviable state, disclosing that her plan was also to revamp the agriculture and give a better healthcare system.
In her remarks, Convener of the media parley, the Executive Director, Women Radio, Mrs Toun Sonaiya, said if 25 women can govern 25 states in the country, “peace will come back to Nigeria.”
According to her, if not for this programme, many do not know that we have about 25 candidates contesting for governorship elections, urging the media to always report the female candidates positively and give them more visibility.
“Please continue to report them until something happens.Our women are ready and we should give them the support and encouragement,” Sonaiya urged.