Practitioners in the Nigerian maritime industry have called on the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure adequate representation of women in government and it's key parastatals.
The top shipping practitioners at various levels lamented that the change mantra which is being preached by the current administration have not reflected on the women.
Practitioners in the Nigerian maritime industry have called on the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure adequate representation of women in government and it's key parastatals.
The top shipping practitioners at various levels lamented that the change mantra which is being preached by the current administration have not reflected on the women.
The practitioners stated this at the 2015 Class of MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame induction ceremony organized by Kings Communication Company Limited in Lagos on Tuesday.
Chairing a panel of discussion on a topic; CSR Perspectives/ Interventions, a Maritime Lawyer, Mrs Jean Chiazor lamented that the level of women representation in the current administration is not satisfactory.
Chiazor who is also the President of Women in Shipping and Transport Administration (WISTA, Nigeria) called on maritime agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Shippers Council and other government agencies in the oil and gas and Aviation sector to consider dedicating certain percentage of their Corporate Social Responsibility to empowering women.
Also speaking, Former Director General of NIMASA and Secretary General of Abuja MoU, Mrs. Mfon Ekong Usoro called for equal opportunities for men and women in organizations. She however charged women to create opportunities for themselves and not always wait for the men.
She encouraged them to be roll models and mentor younger women. According to her, organisations should promote carrier part for women the same way it is doing for men, so that when it is time for promotion into highest government positions, all that would be done is to pick from the existing pool.
She however lamented that it is a pity that women are not usually found in such a pool ready for promotion. "I noticed some shyness in certain organizations in deliberately targeting women empowerment programmes. Women issues and gender issues should be in the forefront of any policy of any organization"
"When we were in secondary school, we did better than the men, but when we got to the workforce, these men that we knew now became our bosses in the office, this shows that there is something wrong" Usoro said.
Also speaking, Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam said that the Nigerian political and security system does not encourage women to soar higher like their male counterparts.
Aniebonam acknowledged that women are better managers than men with strong educational background, saying that most men are not interested in education. He encourage women to go for their desired opportunities because according to him,
"power is not given, power is taken, women need to work more and work harder, government should also provide security because the violence in Nigeria does not give women the courage to come out for political posts"
" The political environment in Nigeria is not friendly to women, but then the platform is clear and the constitution has provided for everybody, it is all about participation and being very active" he said Other women who spoke at the event were; former Chairman of NIMAREX, Mrs Margaret Orakwusi, Deputy Director of Public Relations of NIMASA, Hajia Lami Tumaka and Chief Eugene Nweke. On his part, convener of the event and Chief Executive Officer of Kings Communications Limited, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke said that C orporate Social Responsibility should be seen as the key transformation point in the government of Buhari.
He said that when people are empowered there would be less attraction for
corruption, especially in the Civil Service. Anaroke said that the President should not have scrapped the Office of the First Lady, and that doing this has only showed that the President is women shy.
" When a woman is well empowered, it creates less attraction for corruption, but it appears Buhari is women shy, for example, the problem with the Office of the First Lady is not in the position but the person that occupied it before now"
"You cannot crucify all the women in Nigeria because one person made a mistake, we have more women globally than we have men, and the men have committed corruption more than women." he said.
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