Following the cry of abandonment by the 36 States Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu has donated wrappers to the women leaders.
The APC women had complained bitterly that they were not being carried along in the scheme of things in the party.
“Since after the elections, Your Excellency may note that only one bag of rice and one paper wrapper was given to the States women leaders from the National Secretariat of the party. Nothing was given to us during Easter, the Ramadan fasting period and Salah Festivities. Even the palliatives that were distributed were not given to the women leaders for onward distribution to the grassroots, We party women waited and waited and waited to no avail, very sad,” the President of the Forum, Patricia Yakubu had said.
But in response to their cry, the first lady who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima the support was meant for APC women who are into fabric business.
He said: “The little present we came with to support our APC women leaders who are into the fabrics business. Probably, the quantity might not be to your expectations but I urge you to take it in good faith and to assure you that more of such programs are on the way.
“Your excellency, without flattering, her excellency (Oluremu) within the one year has criss crossed the 36 states.
“She has been to the six geopolitical zones. She is someone who is eager and wants to see changes in the country.
“My appeal to all of us here is to be our sisters’ keeper. No matter what let us appreciate one another. We all know it is easy to destroy but very difficult to build.”
Earlier, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje said there was no doubt the First Lady came up with the Renewed Hope Initiative as part of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said: “We are not surprised seeing the second lady coming up with this very important program. The population of women in Nigeria is more than the population of men.
“So, you can see that when it comes to elections, women are more committed despite environmental hazards, be it cold, dust weather, they will stay through.
“But when it comes to the sharing of the success of the election it is dominated by men. We have to change this narrative of women participation in politics. We have begun it as a party by speaking to the Chief executives at the state level to begin to include women participation at the local government level.”
Ganduje added that the program was aimed at improving the financial inclusiveness for women.
“I’m happy to hear that this program is for women who are already in the fabrics business and their business is down due to the present economic challenge which is all over the world.
“By introducing this program, these are assets because they will increase their goods and when they sell them they will buy more wrappers to shore up their businesses.
“I now advise those who are in charge of this program, the first and second ladies have done their own. What is left is for you to be honest, transparent and nationalistic so that these wrappers will go to the target group. Secondly, these wrappers don’t expect anything from there, don’t expect transport fare, they are free, give them free.”
