Women Societies unite for Stella Oduah, to storm National Assembly today

The National Council of Women Societies(NCWS), Nigeria, a body affiliated to the International Council of Women Societies (ICWS), will today storm the National Assembly to protest what they call the systematic “pulling down of high-flying Nigerian women in governance.”

In an invitation forwarded to DailyPost Monday night, National President of NCWS Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Nkechi Udeariry Okemini Mba, will lead the protest.

The programme is to include a Road Walk from the NCWS Headquarters in Area11 Garki by 8a.m.which will take them to the National Assembly.

There, the women will express to Nigeria’s Representatives and Senators their growing concern about the onslaught against women in government, as well as the gradual reduction of the only 33 per cent Affirmative Action, under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“You would recall that another group recently drew attention to the trend, while reacting to the recent sack of some female Ministers and the outcry in the wake of the purchase of two BMW armoured cars allegedly on the orders of the Aviation Minister, another high-flying member of the President’s Cabinet,” said a NCWS spokesperson.

“No one knows whose turn it soon will be. Now, it is Stella Oduah in the eye of the storm.

“In the words of Group Captain [retd.] Patricia Okibedi at a Media Dialogue in Abuja, Monday, October 29 on the raging controversy over the matter; ‘her (Oduah) huge exploits in the aviation sector are being down-played; it is dangerous for our democracy and for the female specie. We should not throw away the bath water with the baby.’

Okibedi, a NCWS leader, had stated that her group was disturbed by the emerging trend of vicious attacks on “female rising stars” in the country.

She added that the heat currently being generated in the nation due to “the selective anti-corruption drive which is not founded on concrete facts, is giving pain and concern to all of (them).”

According to her, “an attack on rising female stars is an attack on President Goodluck Jonathan who has made history as a staunch supporter of women empowerment and advancement.”