A group, Bauchi Women Coalition for Sustainable Peace and Viable Democratic Gains has accused the state Governor, Bala Mohammed of sidelining women from his administration, despite constituting the major nucleus of his election in 2019.
The chairperson of the coalition, Fatima Umar who addressed the press at the NUJ secretariat on Saturday said, “”Women are left behind in this administration of Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir. “Even the 30 percent slot that his party pledged to give women in terms of political appointments is yet to be redeemed,” she argued.
Fatima said, “you know, we have one commissioner, one adviser, and two chairpersons of agencies and a board member out of the over 100 political appointments in the state, made up of 20 commissioners, 20 council Chairmen, 20 council administrative secretaries, 9 board members for SUBEB and local government service Commission and the BACYword Chairman.”
She said none of the foregoing key MDAs recognized the allocation women are supposed to occupy, adding they were brainwashed by governor Bala in the build up to the election, but betrayed upon having access to power.
According to them, other appointments that include five special advisers, SSG, amongst others have not also captured women in the state.
The women group noted that “while it’s a known fact that women play a vital role in bringing this government and indeed any government before it”, sidelining them into the scheme of things would not be tolerated further.
Umar who said ”in associations, cooperatives and other social groups, women are given the positions of treasurers and financial secretaries because of their trustworthiness; we believed that our governor is ill advised to neglect the plight of women.”
The Coalition while recalling that the Governor has always pledged to carry all manner of people along in his administration, including adequate representation of women called for the fulfillment of those promises.
She warned that “if the trend continues to 2023, women in Bauchi state will be left with no other option than to channel their bulk votes to any political party that will exhibit willingness to carry them along.”
The women group said even at the Federal government level, out of the over 10 positions occupied by indigenes of Bauchi State in custom, TETFund, Air force, INEC, Supreme court, NCC and many others, only one permanent secretary and a minister are women.
