The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs) in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has commended the appointment of the immediate past governor of Rivers state, Barr Nyesom Wike as the minister of the FCT and appealed to him to carry women along in the disacharge of his lawful duties.
The NANTS woman leader, Chief (Mrs) Rachael Adewumi, who doubled as the president of Takem Empowerment Initiatives (TEIs), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) known for empowerment of the widows, the needy and the youths in the society, made the call in Abuja recently.
She also appealed to the new minister to encourage commerce and industry in the nations capital, as well as women traders in the nation’s capital, by among other things, provide more markets and shops at affordable rates to be allocated to those in the business of buying and selling in the FCT.
She also enjoined the minister to use his good office to involve women in the leadership and governance of the nation’s centre of unity.
Before being elected as the governor of Rivers state, Wike who is one of the current ministerial nominees of President Ahmed Tinubu and was later appointed the FCT to minister, was minister of state for education, under the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
While urging the minister to replicate what he did in Rivers state as governor in Abuja, Amb. Rachael Adewumi said that she has observed that if encouraged in the FCT, based on their contributions to to the economy, the women would help in the successful realisation of the FCT dream of all.
Informing that majority of the women traders operate on tables in streets and are doing wonderfully well, Dr Rachael Adewumi noted that should soft loans be given to the women at nothing or little interest or grants be given to them and more markets and shops built in the nation’s capital and allocated to the real traders, especially, the women traders who don’t have shops, that operate on tables from streets, the FCT, according to her would be economically balanced and buoyant.
“For government’s aims and objectives to be achieved, there is the need for all hands to be on deck. Leadership and governance should be seen as collective responsibility. To achieve this, I appeal to the government to motivate these group of traders, among whom were able to succeed with the support they got from TEIs. To get across to these group of traders, there are trusted NGOs that have been associating with them, that can reach them easily. With the way the women have been going, if encouraged, they would do more,” Adewumi observed.
Speaking on the need for the minister to involve more women in the government of the women in the FCT Administration (FCTA), she said that she has over the time been speaking on the need to involve women in leadership, governance and government, due to their gift of prudence from God.
She said: “Abuja as the centre and capital of Nigeria should be given its deserved leadership and governance. The women shouldn’t compete with their men counterparts, because the women, under the law of God and man should be under men. But however, as supporters to the men and with the prudence in leadership from God, the women, if involved in the leadership of the FCTA will go a long way for all.”
The woman leader therefore spoke at length on the need for the new minister to ensure that he uses his good office to perform wonder in the FCT, as he did in his state, Rivers. He said if he were able to successfully deliver many projects in Rivers state, through which he was nicknamed, “Mr Project,’ the indigenes and residents of the FCT expect him to do the same in the nation’s capital.
“Wike did well in his state, by having successfully delivered many projects in his state, a wonderful performance that earned him, the nickname, ‘Mr Project.’ With the wonderful performance in that state, the indigenes and residents won’t be disappointed by him. So let him involve women in the administration of the FCTA under his watch, and motivate encourage women traders” she advised.
