2015, TIME TO HAVE AT LEAST A FEMALE GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA

  It is a pity that 54 years later, Nigeria is yet to have a lady in the apex positions of government. Most Nigerians, especially the womenfolk themselves appear to conform with the petty political offices given to them by our patriarchal Nigerian political elite. If as far back as the pre-colonial era, when the Europeans were still compelling their women to the kitchen and the bedrooms back in their countries, Nigeria already had women leading in the war fronts and reigning over kingdoms as queens.

  We had the queen Amina of Zaria, Queen Idia of Benin Kingdom, the Efusetan Aniwura of Ibadan, the Madam Tinubu of Lagos, and even women like Nma Elizabeth Effiong who together with other market women in Aba revolted against the British colonial administrators for the taxation policies imposed on market women as far back as 1929. Then we had other women pace setters like Mrs Funmilayo Ransom Kuti, mrs Margaret Ekpo, Hajia Gambo Sawaba, Professor Grace Alele Williams….

  And today we have very well capacitated and intellectually prepared women who have proved their mettle beyond doubts in all fields of human endeavors, women who have proved that they are much more prepared to be in the forefront of socio-political and socio-economic power-steering of our nation than be saddled on the backseat of our political odyssey, women like the Late Prof Dora Akunyili, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Chief Bola Kuforiji Olubi, Chief (Mrs.) Folorunsho Alakija, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, Miss Chimamanda Adichie, Princess Stella Oduah and very many more that one begins to wonder why at this stage of our democratic dispensation we are yet to produce a lady governor, a lady senate leader and a lady president.

  What is holding back our women who in most cases are even better qualified and intellectually more capacitated than their men counterparts from assuming relevant positions in our government? Nigeria is losing a lot due to this unreasonable relegation into the back door of a very essential part of its human resources. Let us break this patriarchal jinx that has bedeviled us long enough and give our women the chance to be at least governors for the first time in Nigeria come 2015 even though I cannot comprehend why Nigeria is yet to produce a female president or vice president since 1960 with all the incompetent line-up of male Heads of state and presidents that we have doled out in all these 54 years of self rule.