By Ogalla Daniel
The Deputy Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Rt. Hon. Comfort Egwaba, has called on the State Government to rejuvenate the Ministry of Women Affairs to meet it’s set goals and mandate.
Hon. Egwaba made the call while interacting with Journalists shortly after the ministry concluded it’s 2025 budget defense at the State House of Assembly in Lokoja.
The Deputy Speaker who is representing Ibaji State Constituency, lamented that the Ministry of Women Affairs was not living to expectations as a result of financial challenges and appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, to declare state of emergency on the sector with a view to inject life into the ministry to enable it fight the cause of women and the people living with disabilities.
“Today we looked into the budget proposal of ministry of women affairs and all the agencies under the ministry to God be the glory, I will suggest that a state of emergency be declared in the ministry because women affairs in those days used to be very effective in championing the cause of women and the people living with disabilities.
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But today, most of the units have been curved out as agencies. Now disability has its agency, humanitarian has it agency and social investment is also on its own as agency.
“Regrettably the mother ministry which is the ministry of women affairs is not really doing well, I am not saying that the person at the helm of affairs of the ministry is not doing well, but lack of finance has been a major challenge and some of the units that are suppose to be up and doing are not really functioning optimally due to lack of finance.
“Some units that are suppose to be generating revenue for the ministry are not functioning. In those days Children’s Amusement Park used to be lively with activities thereby generating revenue for the ministry, but today, the park has been taken away and the school that belongs to the ministry has also been taken away.
“The ministry of women affairs which is saddled with the responsibility of training the gender and the girls child has remained redundant and not viable to perform its statutory obligations as a ministry” she stated.
According to her, part of the Renew Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through his wife was centered around women inclusivity in governance, empowernment and leadership positions, stressing that if the ministry of women affairs was not functioning well or living to expectation, these opportunities which Remi Tinube is championing for women may elude them.
The Deputy Speaker however praised the commitments of the state government in prioritising the welfare of the people of Kogi State .
Rt. Hon. Egwaba, used the forum to enjoin the commissioners and other political appointees in the state to emulate the leadership style of the governor,
“We prayed that most of the capital expenditure of the ministries in the budget should go a long way because if properly utilised, most ministries will deliver the desired dividends of democracy to the people.
