Christian women cry out against marginalisation in politics
Arising from an official campaign tagged “Better Deal for Women”, Christian women under the auspices of The Independent International Female Ministers Coalition (IIFM) in conjunction with Mothers of the Nation Nigeria and Christian Welfare Initiative have cried out against what they call marginalisation of Christian women in politics.
Addressing members of the group at Rockview Hotel in Festac, Lagos, yesterday, the convener, Bishop Priscilla Otuya, President of Global Alliance for Mothers of the Nations said the campaign is to speak for the silent majority of women who cannot speak for themselves.
“As God fearing and law abiding citizens of this country, we do not only contribute to the development of this Nation, we are also given to ceaseless prayers and intercession for its peace”, she said.
Speaking on the theme ‘Respect the Rights of Women and Children to a Safe, Peaceful and Developed Nigeria’, Otuya said women have been made to live under harsh and unbearable conditions and have not complained as well as being subjected to watch their daughters haunted and captured like wild beasts for the slaughter.
“We have been subjected to very harsh living conditions in the midst of plenty, we work so hard to feed ourselves and our families with little or no help from any quarter, many in positions of power at different levels feed fat on what is rightfully ours and the gap between the poor and the leaders are getting wider by the day”, she said.
Otuya said Nigeria belongs to all thus women’s rights to a safe, peaceful and enabling environment must be respected, enough hiding under the cloak of religion to perpetuate evil.
”We don’t know what those behind these killings are out to achieve but we know that our children are not animals meant to be caught and killed“, she said.
She also called on Aisha Buhari to fulfill her campaign promises to women during her campaign for her husband adding that women demand better deal.
The group also called on Governors’ wives and wives of General Overseers to stand with God for the welfare and well being of women and children saying they were raised and positioned for a time as this.
Another speaker at the gathering, Apostle Funmilayo Iroh, President of Pottery Heart Initiative for orphans and teenage mothers, urged women to rise up to their responsibilities.
Iron bemoaned present leadership roles of men in the country and described them as failures as according to her if the men in leadership positions have not failed, Nigeria will not be in the backward position it is currently in.
Iroh, who is also a Senior Pastor at Christ Unity Ministry said for a new Nigeria to emerge, a woman must be in leadership position especially the Presidency.
Another participant a Septuagenarian, seasoned politician and first female councillor in Alimosho Local government and first Iyaloja General in the local government Ladega Bolatito, urged the women to practice grassroots politics, moving close to people in their localities and participate in meetings on politics.
She also urged Christian women to learn to pay sacrifice in order to achieve their goals of attaining leadership positions in government.
