Fashola, Chime Urge Women To Campaign For Credible Elections

LAGOS, Oct 30, (THEWILL) - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Sullivan Chime on Friday charged Nigerian women to champion campaign for credible ahead the 2011 General Election. The governors spoke at the closing ceremony of the 10th National Women Conference, organised by Committee of Wives of Lagos State Government Officials ((COWLSO) held at Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.

In his address, Fashola strongly urged women at the conference to get involved in elections by registering and contesting for various positions in the forth coming 2011 elections so as to ensure that their voices are heard.

He said that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had in the last convention created opportunities for the voices of women and youth of the nation to be heard, urging them to utilize the opportunities so as to avoid creating a vacuum.

Fashola urged them to educate their children and ensure that they are not used by politicians to fuel violence during the forthcoming election.

“Tell your children to avoid violence. Election is not a war but a contest to choose the candidate that will represent the greater interest of the people and take them to greater heights,” the Governor said.

He praised the initiator of the conference for their foresight and advised women to put into meaningful practice all that they have learnt. He said the participants “have been taught that climate change has long time impact on the quality of life that we live. We all can play a role in ensuring that this is mitigated and effectively checkmated from our society.”

Also speaking at the conference, Chime explained that no national development can be complete and thorough without the support of women, thereby urging the women to lead the quest for credible polls come 2011.

Chime, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi said with “your numerical strength, unanimity of purpose and effective mobilization, our women have all it takes to hold both economic and political context, which is why I have been a firm preacher that rather than ask for a particular percentage in electoral representation, our women should utilize their advantages to grab whatever political seat that are available.” Chime also tasked the governments at all levels to remain gender sensitive as being demonstrated in Enugu and Lagos State while canvassing for the implementation of the recommendations of the Beijing Conferences.

“The time has come to translate what such recommendations of world conferences like the Beijing conference into action plan for the fullest participation of our women in the day to day running of our country. The time has come for you women to employ your expertise improvisation and innovation to stimulate socio consciousness of women about their rights and roles and help them to accomplish them.

“As passionate mothers, the time has come for you to invest passionately in our children and the stability of our homes and the nation. As Nigeria prepares for other elections, there are compelling reasons for our women folks to lead the campaign for Nigerians to register in order to vote for credible leaders and be voted for. Only through this way can we translate our intentions into reality,” Chime explained.