Nigeria’s Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima has come out to submit that the incoming Bola Tinubu-led administration will be women-friendly, assuring women that their place in the next government is guaranteed.
Shettima made this known at the reading session of a book authored by the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman.
In the book titled, ‘Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority,’ Usman detailed her experience under the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, among other issues.
Shettima, in his brief speech, said,’She is an iron lady, I don’t think I have the courage to write such a book. Be that as it may, I am here in solidarity with our sister. We need to show empathy and support for our women.’
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“There is a popular saying among the people of Ghana that if you educate a man, you have educated an individual, if you educate a woman, you have educated a nation. Rest assured that the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be gender-friendly. He was the first governor to appoint a female as his deputy; he is also the first person to appoint a woman as a Chief Judge of a state. In the North, I was the first person that had five women as members of the state executive council.”
He also encouraged Nigerians to imbibe a healthy reading culture. “We need to read to know what is happening in the world. Our reading culture in this part of the world is poor, people hardly read. At times, I buy books just to show solidarity with authors. I buy books and share them with friends and family members.
A former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, also commended the author for sharing her story, saying he was also a victim of the same circumstances.
Usman said she decided not to be the victim who got accused of embezzling public funds, noting that she was aware that such a step would attract verbal attacks.