FEC approves Women Economic Empowerment policy

By Egena Sunday Ode

The extraordinary meeting the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved the Women Economic Empowerment policy proposed by the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Disclosing this yesterday after the Valedictory FEC to wind down activities of the President Muhammadu Buhariled cabinet, Minister of Women

Affairs. Dame Pauline Tallen expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the feat.

According to the minister who briefed newsmen after the valedictory session, they had been working on the policy for the past one year, tarvessing the length and breadth of the country to collect inputs from women on how best they can be empowered.

Describing the policy approval a a major legacy of

President Buhari, Tallen noted that the development of the country would remain a mirage of women who constituted over 50 percent of its population were not carried along. She said: “Yesterday Thursday) Federal Executive Council approved the WEE Policy. The WEE Policy is Women Economic Empowerment. It is policy dialogue that we’ve been working for over one year. We’ve traversed all around the country, to the 36 states, having dialogues with the private sector, rural dwellers, to find the best way to empower women and get them into the mainstream of nation building.

“You’ll agree with me that women constitute over 50% of the population and the surest way to national development is to involve the total population of the country. If 50% of the population is neglected, it means the country cannot develop optimally, it’s like a country walking with one leg.

“This has been a dream we’ve been pursuing and finally yesterday (Thursday), Mr. President gave the stamp, it is a legacy that Mr. President is leaving behind by approving this Woman Economic Empowerment to help get women into the mainstream of financial plans to ensure that women are carried along in nation building.”

Why Ibom Air won’t fail after I leave office– says Emmanuel

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa

Ibom, says Ibom Air will not fall apart after his tenure as chief executive officer of the state.

In the first year of his second term in office, the governor established Ibom Air, the first state-owned airline in Nigeria.

He is expected to complete his eight-year tenure on May 29 as Umo Eno, his former commissioner of lands and water resources, takes the reign of power.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Udom said Ibom Air is built on the shared value of the Akwa Ibom people.

He said the business would not fail after his time in office, adding that the incoming governor will “think hard” before making a contrary decision.

“Shared value, the culture. The day you break that culture, it means many people will resist it. And once people oppose it, you won’t want to carry the consequence as a politician,” he said.

“We have built that culture so well that even the man himself will think hard before he tries to break it.

“As a governor and promoter of the airline, if I’m flying and I’m late by one minute, they can never wait for me. There are simple things that matter that people must cue to. We call it simple but these are things that keep the organisation running.

“Even if I close my eyes and leave, we only need capital. It is a business I know that with the shared value that we have, it is sustainable.”