Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen has frowned at the low number of women in decision making in Nigeria.
Tallen, a former deputy governor of Plateau State who bared her thought in Abuja while speaking to a select group of newsmen, noted that Nigerian women whom she said have paid their dues as home cum nation-builders, ought to have got more in the governance of the country.
The former Minister of State for Science and Technology, however commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing more women into his cabinet.She expressed appreciation to God for giving her the grace to serve the nation in various capacities so far.
“The bible teaches us that in every situation we should give thanks to God. So I thank President Ahmed Tinubu for the position she has given to Nigerian women so far, but to be honest we are not yet there.
“Nigerian women have paid their dues. Nigerian women were at the fore-front of his campaign, not only for Tinubu but in every election.
“Nigerian women are the engine room of any campaign. Come rain, come sunshine they are always there and for that we deserve more. In as much as we thank the president, we thank the wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, too for advocating very strongly for the women, carrying women along, but we are not yet close at all.
On Nigeria’s stand on the much-clamoured for 35 percent Affirmative Action for women, Mrs Tallen observes that the country is yet to measure up.
“The 35 affirmative action, we are not close, though the president has not finished his appointments yet. Most of the parastatals and ambassadorial appointments are yet to come out, so we pray and hoping that he will make up in these other areas.
“It’s a matter of working together and supporting one another. Politics in Nigeria requires money and you can’t play it without money. You know some Nigerian women are not financially buoyant compared to their men counterparts. Nigerian women deserve more,
“My heart is so broken when I look at the figure of national, state and the local government areas; the number is a far cry for women.
“It’s not that Nigerian women did not come to contest; they came out in great numbers, along the line all the political parties were not fair to women. Again what we practice here is money politics. So what Nigerians should do more seriously is to stand by one another and support their sisters not for financial gains, but to ensure that women are on the decision table.
“When a woman is on the decision table she doesn’t talk of herself. Everything she cries out for is to support the family. When I say family, I mean everybody, including children, but you know men whatsoever they say is self. Mother can never forget her children.
“We all know the role our mothers played in our lives; so we need to support one another and the political parties structure should be far to women. We should ignore money politics. We should make sure we go for the best candidates,” she noted.
She also extolled the national president of National Council for Women Societies, NCWS, Hajiya Lami Adamu Lau, for initiating laudable programmes that elevate the status of Nigerian women since assumption of office.
