Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja, with agency reports
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, wife of Ondo State governor, Betty, among others, joined world leaders and people around the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day, yesterday.
In a series of tweets on his @BukolaSaraki handle, the senate president emphasised the role and significance of women in both the development of Nigeria, and the world.
“Today, I join the world to celebrate our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our colleagues and our friends who wake up each day and work to make the world a better place.
“In particular, today, I celebrate those women who have played and continue to play their part in the development of our country — in every sector, in every way, and at every point in our young, but significant history.
“As a father to three young women; a husband to a charismatic wife who is making great contributions in her own right; a colleague to a few but effective legislators; and a son — every day, I witness first hand, the strength and resilience of women.
“I see their impact in all areas of human endeavour, and testify to their resilience, their bravery, and their ability to get things done.
“Therefore, I join the world to press for progress and I recommit to pushing for more female participation in the economic and political processes of our nation.”
On her part, Mrs. Aisha Buhari urged Nigerian women to make the abduction of girls in parts of the country the focus of this year’s International Women’s Day.
She called for sober reflections, in a message she posted on her Facebook page, yesterday.
The president’s wife said abduction of 110 girls in their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, makes this this year’s women’s day celebration a bit different.
Mrs. Buhari explained that she has decided to develop a local theme, #LeaveOurDaughtersAlone, as a strong call for and end to abduction.
“I congratulate Nigerian Women on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
“For us in Nigeria, this year’s #InternationalWomensDay comes with a difference. We have to reflect the sad incidences of the abduction of our daughters, especially the recent one in Dapchi Yobe State.
“This, for us, should take center stage. That is why we decided to develop a local theme: #LeaveOurDaughtersAlone as a strong call for the end of this national disaster and hope for their release.”
Meanwhile, the need to continue to work towards effecting change in the social and cultural aspects of inheritance while exploring legislation and policies that will protect female inheritance in Nigeria was one of the issues that took the front burner at the inaugural one-day workshop put together by the Office of the Wife of the Governor and Forum for Wives of Ondo State Officials (FOWOSO) to mark International Women’s Day Celebration at Babafunke Ajasin Hall in Akure, Ondo State.
Addressing the gathering, wife of Ondo governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu affirmed that “for too long, social and cultural customs in Nigeria have constrained women from enjoying liberations accorded to them in terms of inheritance.” She also explained the pertinence for women to understand their rights regarding inheritance “which is the first step towards exercising and benefiting from their rights.”
Mrs. Akeredolu noted that the system of inheritance in Nigeria is still patriarchal and discriminatory against women and stressed that in “this era of liberation and advocacy for equality and elimination of gender bias not just in Nigeria but worldwide, it is high time the advocacy finds expression in terms of inheritance…”