Give women prominent place in politics, NDE board member

Mrs Obiageli Orah, board member of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has called for a prominent place for women in the country’s political arena, to allow them contribute their quota.

Obiageli made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the Oba Patriotic Union (OPU), Abuja, a community in Anambra State, at the launching of its 2023 Hall of Fame Award, where she was awarded.

According to her, Nigerian women deserve to take the chunk of political position of the country since they are part of the voting system for producing leadership.

She stated that women were the most populated gender in the country, therefore, there was no reason they shouldn’t be given more political offices in the country.

“Nigerian women have been demanding for 35 per cent affirmative action; I am a woman, women have tremendous influence in the society; we influence our children and they listen to us.

“When it comes to voting, a lot of women vote, they spend time to fight for their vote, I don’t see why women shouldn’t take a chuck of political position in Nigeria.

“Having said that, men have their own place, women have their own place, but we all are coming together to serve the masses, it is not a competition but it is for us to realise that both genders are working.

“We should have a prominent place in Nigeria politics today, look at the number of women you see in the society, now look at the figure of women in Nigeria politics, it is very few.

“It is the way we play politics that scare women away but if we can change the narrative, women will participate and we will gain more for that.

“We are all working in harmony to complement each other, to serve the masses so women should be allowed to take their prime place in politics,” she stressed.

The board member, who was given an award of excellence because of her contribution to the development of Oba youth, promised to do more to remove poverty among the youth circle in the community.

She disclosed that she had connected many people, mostly youths of the community with the NDE skill acquisition programmes under the Federal Government’s free training scheme.

She stated that a lot of youthd had successfully gained employment through her and pledged to do more for the community.

She described the award given to her as a thing of surprise, adding that the good work in Oba community had just started.

She thanked NDE Director-General, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, for giving her opportunity from the agency to contribute her quota to Oba community.

She also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing her as a board member for NDE and the board Chairman, Mr Festus Keyamo, for the opportunity given to her.

Mr Austine Njeakor, Chairman of OPU, Abuja, stated that the association was celebrating just to thank God for what He had done in the course of the year.

According to Njeakor, the association is celebrating God today for the great things He has done within the association, “We are here for this get-together to say thank you Jesus.”

“One of the high points of the program is to also appreciate one of us who has been so wonderful, our wife, Obiageli Orah; she has been an outstanding woman.

“We are so proud of what Orah has been doing, we are grateful to God for her life and many others; we had a posthumous award, so some of the legends in Oba were awarded, they have all done great thing to Oba.

“This event is an opportunity to appreciate them all and to tell the young ones who these ones are and some of their antecedent,” he stressed.

An award of excellence was given to some deserving Igbo Nigerians from Oba community, along with a posthumous for some who had contributed to the development of Oba.