Akwa Ibom state women weekend vowed to resort to fervent prayers over the recent rejection of the gender bill by the National Assembly in its ongoing amendment of the 1999 constitution.
This is coming in solidarity with the recent protest embarked upon by women at the National Assembly gate on Wednesday last week.
After two years of deliberation, the National Assembly had voted on a series of bills to amend the 1999 constitution adopted during the transition from military rule.
But, speaking in Ikot Ekpene local government area during the International Women’s Day celebration on Sunday at Apostolic Church, Ikot Abia Edem, the state governor’s wife, Dr. Martha Emmanuel, said women would not back down till the gender bill is signed into law.
Emmanuel said, “On the rejection of the proposed bill by the National Assembly to give women 35 percent of affirmative action, we are saying not so.
“We are going to join our voices together and speak in one voice that women should be given a chance. We have all that it takes to be in the position of authority.
“Our governor and so many governors have done that. We want it to be signed into law so that generations upon generations would not tamper with that, but, shockingly the National Assembly decided not to consent to the bill.
“We shall fight for it. The whole world has come to the knowledge that women cannot be toyed with and Nigeria cannot be exempted.
“We are going to pray unto God for Him to touch the heart of those legislators that voted against the bill and I have confidence that they will finally agree to do It,” she said.
She charged women to continue to unite and speak with one voice for inclusive leadership in the country and called on the Nigerian government to see the need for including more women in the political podium of the nation.
In her opening remark, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, commended Dr. Emmanuel for always celebrating women.
Dr. Adiakpan stated that in a day like this, women across the state must in one spirit celebrate the governor’s wife in return for her quality leadership.
