Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has issued a strong appeal to the National Assembly, urging them to pass the bill that would reserve seats for women in Parliament. The governor’s call comes as part of a broader advocacy for greater female inclusion and participation in governance across Nigeria.
Governor Mutfwang, who has a history of working closely with women in leadership roles, highlighted the significant contributions they bring to the table. He pointed to his own administration as an example of this collaboration, noting the invaluable input of his female deputy and other key appointees.
“I have had the privilege of working with several women in government. My deputy is a woman. Several appointees holding key positions in government are women, and I have found their contributions invaluable,” said Governor Mutfwang.
The governor emphasized the disparity between the female population and their representation in government. He stated that despite women making up nearly 50% of the population, they only hold about 5% of all government positions. This imbalance, he argued, is a disservice to the nation.
“I’m therefore strongly advocating that women should be given more prominence in governance in Nigeria. It is on record that women are about 50% of our population and they only have 5% share of representation in governance,” he explained.
Governor Mutfwang stressed that increasing female representation should not be seen as a mere gesture but as a strategic move to harness the potential of a large segment of the population. He believes that the nation stands to benefit immensely from the increased participation of women in leadership roles.
“I think it is high time as a nation that we harvest the investments we have made in several of our women. Not just as a token, but because there is a lot that we can gain from the participation of women when we bring them into more positions of governance,” he said.
Concluding his message, Governor Mutfwang pledged to work with the Plateau State House of Assembly to ensure the proposed law is effectively implemented within the state once it is passed at the national level. He expressed his full support for the bill and called on federal lawmakers to act with a sense of fairness and justice.
“It is therefore my honor and privilege to urge the National Assembly to pass the bill reserving seats for women in Parliament. I look forward to working with my State House of Assembly to ensure that when that law is passed, it is properly domesticated in our State and I’m sure that the nation will gain immensely from the contributions of more women in governance,” the governor said.
“I therefore wholeheartedly support that bill, and I hope that members of the National Assembly will do justice to that,” he added.