Don’t be left behind in politics, senator urges women

The Senator representing Rivers South-West in the National Assembly, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, has charged women in Rivers State not to be left behind in politics.

Banigo, former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, gave the charge at Akinima, Ahoada West Local Government Area, on Friday during a town hall meeting with women and youths.
She stated that women must brace up to mount positions in governance and ensure that policies reflecting their needs and contributing to community development are formulated.

Banigo while urging the women to see politics as a platform for advocating change in society, encouraged their male counterparts to support the women in reaching their full potential.

She said, “As women, we should not allow any man to stop us from exhibiting the good things that God has put in us, we are also encouraging our men to support the women, their wives, their sisters, their aunties, their daughters to vie for political positions.

“We want to encourage our girls, our sisters not to be afraid, even as they say politics is a dirty game, for me I am in it and I have not seen any dirty game, if I have seen any dirty game, I would have told you, so just make up your minds that you are going to serve humanity.”

Banigo explained that her visit aimed to hear from the people, know their plights, and act swiftly in addressing the identified challenges.

On her part, the United Nations Representative at the event, Professor Mariam Abdulraheem-Mustapha, Professor of Law, University of Ilorin and Consultant at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) Abuja, highlighted the global push for gender equality in politics.

She stressed that women’s voices were essential in achieving sustainable development and, hence be allowed to thrive.

Speaking, the Special Assistant to the Senator on Ahoada West LGA, Josephine Ubah, said the visit showed that the senator has the interest of the people at heart

“We have not witnessed such love from others in the national assembly before, but our mother here took her time to come and see us and also encourage us, we are very happy,” she said.