Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a group known as Women Environmental Programme (WEP), has reiterated the need for women to be given opportunity to occupy political positions.
Executive Director of the group, Dr. Priscilla Achakpa, said the organisation had taken upon itself to encourage women who have won tickets in various political parties to be very confident in their ambition to represent the people at various levels politically.
She expressed worry that despite the high number of women presence noticed during political activities, only very few women are given opportunities to be voted into political positions in various parties in the country.
Achakpa, who stated that this is a culture the women are no longer comfortable with and are speaking against, called on the people to encourage the women to occupy various elective positions in country.
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Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Helen Teghtegh of Community Links said civil society organisations in the state would no relent in mobilising the women to vie for elective positions and stressed the need for them to go all out to collect their permanent Voter cards (PVCs) in order to speak with one voice in the 2019 general elections.
Sharing her political experience as a woman politician, a member of the Benue state House of Assembly representing Buruku state constituency, Mrs. Ngunan Adingi, noted the serious intimidation she encountered from people especially the men.
She, however, called on women who are interested in any elective positions not to be discouraged but to remain committed and determined in carrying out their political campaigns.
Adingi while commending the organizers for the event, further encouraged the Women to learn how to market their ambitions and avoid unrealistic promises during campaigns.
Some of the women who already clinched party tickets of their various political parties, at the occasion, presented their manifestoes to the audience and assured of their readiness and determination to do well if elected even as they called for the support of the people especially women to succeed.