President Muhammadu Buhari, has explained that he placed women in strategic positions like the financial sector, to ensure effective management of limited the nation’s resources and to promote a stronger sense of inclusiveness.
According to a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said he preferred women to oversee the economic and financial hub of the country, including the Ministry of Finance, as they can readily deploy their experience in aligning resources with the needs of the country.
The President gave the insight into his preferred choice for Minister of Finance while receiving a delegation of National, Zonal, State and FCT Women leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the party’s Woman Leader, Hajiya Salamatu Umaru Baiwa at the State House.
He explained that the nation also has many female technocrats with local and international experiences on economy and finance.
According to him, “I am happy that I can defend myself very effectively on this issue. The APC party leader is my witness. Since the coming into power of this administration, I have handed over the treasury to women.
“Even at household level, you hand over the money to women to manage. It can be taken to the level of managing the country’s treasury as well. I have consistently given it to women. It is strategic.
“I am conscious of the leadership roles of women in the society and by my action I have justified my belief.”
The President reiterated that his administration will ensure inclusiveness for women and youths, especially in this second term, by providing more access to facilities that will enable the government spread resources to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, and encourage more interests in agriculture.
The President said the traditional and subsistence style of farming should be replaced with commercialised and business oriented techniques.
“We have to move away from the traditional ways of farming practiced in the pre-colonial and colonial era,” he added.
Buhari said he instructed the ministers to work with traditional institutions to encourage interest in farming, with the Central Bank of Nigeria readily providing loans at low interest rate and longer periods of repayment.
“On unemployment, I know there is no able bodied person that went back to the farm in the last three years that regretted the action,” he added.
In her remarks, the APC Woman Leader congratulated the President for his victory at the polls and tribunal while commending the administration for its efforts in managing the affairs of the country and providing impetus for vigorous campaigns.
Baiwa said women were particularly pleased and willing to vote for the President because the government deliberately formulated policies to favour and empower women, like the social intervention Trader Moni.
She said the APC had many resourceful and loyal women that can contribute to the success of the administration, while commending the President for giving women strategic positions in the government.
“Our prayer is that God will give you the tenacity to overcome all obstacles,” she said.
