Women rights activist, Mrs Oby Okafor, has expressed dissatisfaction over the low representation of women in Gov. Charles Soludo’s cabinet in Anambra.
Okafor, also a former 2017 Anambra Governorship aspirant on the platform of defunct Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), expressed her displeasure while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday in Awka.
According to her, it is disheartening to note that Gov. Soludo’s cabinet fell short of the expected ratio of 30:70 women representation to meet the affirmative gender balance.
She said: ” We have only five women out of the 21 Commissioners sworn-in recently. The number of women did not make up to 30 per cent of the entire cabinet working with Gov. Soludo in Anambra.
“Even the special advisers or assistants he appointed so far, only few women made it. Does it mean that we do not have capable women to work with Soludo?
“It is so disappointing because that is not what we expected from a seasoned development expert like Gov. Soludo.
”I have listened to him several times talk about the huge role that women can play in the development of the Igbo society. I expected him to have taken a cue from his lectures by appointing more women into his cabinet. But that did not happen.”
Okafor said that Soludo’s emergence as Governor would not have been possible if not for the massive support given to him by women electorate in Anambra.
“Many women were at the polling units voting on the election day. Some spent the whole day at the voting centers and even followed the ballot boxes to the collation centers to ensure their votes were truly counted.
” But they are now sidelined when it was time for appointments. It is not right at all. This is where I am not happy with Soludo,” she said.
Okafor urged the governor to acknowledge the sacrifices made by women during the Nov. 6, 2021 governorship election and give them a sense of belonging by appointing more women into his cabinet.
According to her, such consideration would ensure gender balance and women will have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of Anambra. (NAN)
