‘We are experiencing backwardness under Buhari’s government’

The Executive Director, Echoes of Women In Africa Initiative, Mrs. Louisa Ono-Eikhomun, yesterday condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s remarks that his wife, belongs to his kitchen and bedroom.

She said: “Buhari’s statement shows that there is no hope for women in Nigeria under his government. It means that the struggles we have had for equality and women emancipation are in vain.

“It is obvious now that Buhari’s government does not believe in women empowerment and it amounts to discrimination.“Buhari promised during campaign that his government would make affirmative action and that he will appoint a lot of women into his cabinet. Unfortunately, today we are experiencing a step backward. There is fear among us, because we don’t know where the government places women today with this uncomplimentary remark.

“If Buhari continues like this, then other Presidents after him may have the same view and opinion about women. “We are not going to relent, because women have come a long way and we must ensure that such views about women are eliminated from our society.

“Islamic religion is not a justification to relegate women to bedroom and kitchen.”She continued: “Women are not having access to equal opportunity, to leadership and to governance, because this is going to play out in other election to come. If they don’t believe in women, they are going to be having a lot of issues.

“We are not going to give up; we are going to slug it out, as we done before. It is time for women to be more united as a group as to engage effectively.

“The President has been to other countries and saw what women are doing and the value placed on women and for him to make this kind of remark about his own wife is unacceptable.”