Interview: Women Have Better Opportunities Under Buhari - Omolewa Ahmed

Date: 2016-07-08

Mrs Omolewa Ahmed is the wife of Kwara State governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed. In this interview she speaks on children and her empowerment programme and commends government for the opportunities given to women.

As the wife of Kwara State governor, what are the priorities of your intervention?

We've had series of programmes for the physically challenged in areas of empowerment, educational sponsorship, vocational training sponsorship and equipping with materials needed for their trade. We've done quite a bit, especially for adults. We try to take them off the streets and empower them. We find out what they love doing and empower them to get formal training and we equip them to be self-sustaining.

Many women, before the assumption of office of President Muhammadu Buhari, were skeptical that women's position may be relegated to the background. What's your assessment of this administration on women affairs so far?

Nigerian women are in support of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration. They campaigned for him to win. The present Minister of Finance is a woman. He has given women several opportunities to be part of government and to express themselves. He brought in Dr. Amina from the United Nations. So, he has a lot of women in his cabinet. His wife has also been encouraging us. There's been a lot of collaboration between the governors' wives and her office. We have a forum where we discuss our programmes, things we want to do and we encourage each other on activities that are going on in our respective states. This is something that has trickled down from the head.

How do you hope to help the physically challenged develop their talents and earn a living?

We intend to explore the talent of the physically challenged that are professionals and develop them. We did something like that in 2012 when we had our first edition of Reading Camp. We discovered some talents at the camp. Some children could act. When they staged a play on Sango for His Excellency, the governor, he couldn't believe it was performed by children from public schools in Kwara State. So, with what happened there, we will be working with the Special Assistant on Social Welfare because of his affiliation with Nollywood to develop the kids' talents.

How many people have you helped in the last five years and what effort have you made to ensure speedy implementation of the Child Rights Act?

I can't put a number to how many children we have assisted. We've actually done quite a bit. Our acronym, LEAH is Life Empowered Anchors Hope, and our slogan is 'Touch a life positively'. We try to assist everyone we come across, except their request is above our means which is rare. At least, we try as much as possible not to leave the person the way we met them. We've empowered people with deep freezers, grinding machines, sewing machines; we have set up people in shoe-making business especially those who are physically challenged since our resumption of office.

On the issue of child abuse and Child Rights Act, we are already working on that. We have a committee that will be inaugurated. It will be working to stop violence against persons, both male and female. We are already working with the Ministry of Social Welfare in that regard. We want to embark on a massive advocacy and ultimately, we want to have a home for them, a sort of refuge where they can stay, like when a child is molested.

Last year, we also produced a movie, titled, Delima, which was nominated in the Ghana Movie Award in the best short film category, still talking about the ills of child abuse in our society. We want to do more. We want to do a lot of advocacy with community leaders, religious leaders. We will be encouraging the government. You know that there is so much we can do as an NGO, but I try to strike a balance with other private NGOs that are taking care of these children. We encourage them to work with the relevant ministries, be properly registered so that these children can have access to whatever is coming from government. We'll be doing a lot of advocacy for them. We want government to give them more opportunities because of the children.

You talked about mobility aids for the physically challenged, how soon would that take off?

It's a state government programme. The Commissioner of Women Affairs said that. They must have it in the pipeline. But as a mother, I will lend a voice to see that the programme is carried out.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Funke Adedoyin     Saliu Alamoyo     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Offa Grammer School     Maigida     Onikijipa     Oladimeji Thompson     Noah Yusuf     Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Okin Biscuits     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Oloje     Alore     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Abdulkareem Alabi     Paul Odama     Charcoal     Ayobami Akanbi     Ganiyu Abolarin     Post-utme     Tunde Yusuf     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     TVC Female National Debate     Apaola     Issa Manzuma     Bamidele Adegoke Oladimeji     Ilorin General Hospital     Agboola Abdulraheem     Amos Justus Sayo     Owo Isowo     Bisi Kristien     Sabitiyu Grillo     Abdulkadir Orire     Okin High School     CT Ayeni     Olayinka Are     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Tafida     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     Kisra     Saliu Ajia     Iyiola Oyedepo     Ronke Adeyemi     Wasiu Odewale     Kwara State Television     Haleeman Salman     NITDA     Saduki Lafiagi     Aminu Adisa Logun     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     Aisha Buhari     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Ahman Pategi     Moremi High School     Taofik Abdulkareem     Salman Jawondo     Yemi Sanni     High Court     Garment Factory     Yekeen Alabi     Offa     Oya State     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     Alfa Modibo Belgore     Kwara Consultative Forum     Islamic Development Bank     Durbar Festival     Lai Gobir     Teachers Specific Allowance     Tosin Saraki     NIRSAL     Iyeru Grammar School     National Union Of Road Transport Workers    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Labour Party     Ekiti     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Simeon Sayomi     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Sarah Jubril     Jaiz Bank     Risikat Lawal     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Olaoye B. Felix     Issa Manzuma     Split Diamond Interchange     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Innocent Okoye     Undergraduate Bursary     Dauda Adesola     Ike Ekweremadu     Shuaib Jawondo     Raheem Adaramaja     Ibrahim Oniye     KWAFFA     Mope Dasuki Belgore     Kwabes     Okoolowo     Taofik Mustapha     Shao     Ayinke Saka     Pakata Development Association     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Ayekale     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Yoonus Lawal     Mohammed Danjuma     Lola Ashiru     Babaita     Gbemi Saraki     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Oro Grammar School     Abiodun Oyedepo     Turaki     Face Masks     Laboratory-to-Product     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Bolakale Kawu     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Arca Santa     SWAN     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi     Ilota     Wahab Agbaje     Agboola Babatunde     Dorcas Afeniforo     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Alaaya     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Twitter     Ndakene     Kwara     Sun Qing Rong     NURTW     Okin High School     Hamidu Olowo     Najim Yaasin     Cassava Growers\' Association     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Femi Agbaje     Ilorin     Rasaq Jimoh     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Yahaya Muhammad     Shagari     Makama Of Ilorin     Timothy Akangbe     Elekoyangan     Ajase-Ipo