Constitutional Review: Buhari Seeks Inclusion Of Affirmative Action
• Directs Ministers To Partner With NASS • Women, Tuface Laud President
PRESIDENTMUHAMMADU Buhari has directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, to partner with the National Assembly and come up with reforms that would be part of the ongoing constitutional and electoral reform processes.
Buhari, who gave the directive yesterday in Abuja, said he remains fully committed to seeing more Nigerian women in leadership positions both at national and international institutions, assuring that access to credit would be further eased and more space created for them to participate in politics.
He spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he received National and International Working Groups of the Supporting Advancement of Gender Equity ( SAGE) Initiative to commemorate the 2021 International Women’s Day.
The President, who extolled women for their sundry contributions towards sustaining the socio- economic fabric of the country, said his administration was poised to promote women inclusiveness in national development.
“This administration places a premium on promoting women’s inclusiveness in national development as we have demonstrated with those holding key portfolio sin this administration. They include: Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of State for Environment. Minister of State for Transportation, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Chair, Federal Character Commission and Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA).
“I am very proud of the achievements of my former Minister for Environment and United Nations Deputy Secretary- General, Amina Mohammed; Fatima Mohammed Kyari as the African Union Permanent Observer to the United Nations and the newly elected Director- General of the World Trade Organisation ( WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala.
“We will continue to support them to succeed. And we shall continue to advocate for our women who qualify to lead international fora,” he noted.
Buhari noted that women were a credible force in strengthening democracy and promoting the culture of peace and food security, adding: “I am most grateful for the role women have played and continue to play in our government.”
Speaking on the theme for the 2021 International Women’s Day, ‘ Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID- 19 World’, Buhari said Nigeria would be more than ever committed to join in raising the bar for women’s representation at all levels.