Sadiya Farouk, Betta Edu shouldn’t discourage you from appointing women, group tells 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.

It, however, said the failure of Sadiya Umar Farouk and Dr. Betta Edu should not be a bane to Nigerian women.

Although Edu and Farouk, who are the immediate past Ministers of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation have denied wrongdoings, anti-graft agencies are investigation allegations levelled against them.

At a news conference in Kaduna, National Coordinator of the Civil Society, Comrade Aminu Abbas Arabi, appealed to Tinubu to give more women opportunity.

Arabi also appealed to First Lady Remi Tinubu to use her good offices and influence to better the lives of women, children and youth through proactive empowerment and employment opportunities.

According to the civil society, “We are concerned over the recent cabinet reshuffle and appointment of new ministers by the President, 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.

“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.”

He appealed to Mr. President to reconsider replacing one of the ministers with a woman who, they believe would pay more attention to the plight of the less privileged and downtrodden.