35 percent slots assured if Tinubu emergs president in 2023 - Sen. Remi tells women

By Christiana Ekpa

Wife of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday told Nigerian women that thirty five percent slots of appointive positions are already guaranteed if her husband, Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerges the President of the country in the 2023 general election.

Speaking yesterday during an event organised by the APC Professionals Forum on ‘Renewed Hope 2023’ in Abuja, Tinubu’s wife said Bola will consolidate on the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Social Intervention Programs with greater emphasis on empowering women and youth towards lifting more families into collective wealth and prosperity.

“Our goal is to have at least 35% female representation at all levels of government. We will also work towards progressively improving on the number of female lawmakers at state and national levels,” she said.

“I am a woman, and I am a beneficiary of Asiwaju’s commitment to empowering womenfolk. Although I have always been passionate about charity work and I invested greatly in women and youth development as First Lady of Lagos State, it was with the support of my dear husband that I was able to also take on political leadership roles.

“We need to institutionalize female inclusion and representation in politics and governance; this is Asiwaju’s pledge to the women of Nigeria.”

She further pledged that the incoming Tinubu/Shettima administration will focus on empowering our teeming 70 million youth through job creation and entrepreneurship support efforts and policies.

She added: “As a mother, I know that one of the biggest challenges youth face is the fear of tomorrow with its uncertainties. This often leads them to take poorly considered risks and make bad decisions.

“As parents, it is our job to create the right environment for our wards to flourish, to grow in self-confidence, to learn to be self-sufficient, responsible, and useful members of society. This is also a key responsibility for the leadership of the nation.

“To this end, the next APC-led administration will address the issues by: Increasing opportunities and channels for easy access to credit to start businesses. The incoming administration will work with and encourage commercial banks to provide and set aside a quota of their projected credit provisioning for youth-led enterprises at appreciably low-interestrate loans.

“We will encourage the creation of Innovation and Productivity Hubs for youth to present their ideas and have same reviewed for marketability and utility. These hubs will generate business idea validation reports which will be used in partnership with commercial banks to vet loan applications.

“Commercial banks will also be encouraged to ensure their loan application processes are simplified and that they give greater priority to young people and women with marketable ideas. This will be implemented across the federation.

“The incoming Tinubu/Shettima administration will create opportunities and channels for business mentorship for youth. The initially mentioned Innovation and Productivity Hubs will serve as incubators for intergenerational business mentoring.”

You turned NASS to rubber stamp Assembly –Aisha Yesufu slams Lawan

By Christiana Ekpa

Popular Nigerian activist and social critic, Aisha Yesufu has attacked the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, for saying the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, allowed the Boko Haram insurgency to fester during its 16 years in power.

The social critic also said the All Progressives Congress, APC, had over seven years to tackle the insurgency but instead worsened it.

Yesufu expressed her feelings in a post via her verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.

The Senate President had while addressing the Presidential Campaign Rally of the ruling APC, which was held in Damaturu Yobe State, alleged PDP rally, allowed Boko Haram to fester.

Lawan’s statement was signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi.

He said, “When Boko Haram started in the northeast, in Borno state, the then leadership of PDP said it was not true. There was nothing like Boko Haram, and Boko Haram blossomed. Boko Haram flourished, and Boko Haram gained ground and took root.”

But reacting to the allegation by the Senate President, Yesufu said Lawan turned the National Assembly into “a rubber stamp Assembly”.

She wrote, “The Senate President who turned the National Assembly into a rubber stamp Assembly is accusing PDP when his own party has had over seven years to tackle the insurgency and have worsened it. Both APC and PDP are failed parties that should not be allowed into the corridors of power.”