Minister for Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen has urged Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed to appoint and empower more women into his cabinet.

Pauline, who was in Bauchi on a working visit and to commend the State Assembly over the passage of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Law, lamented the increasing rate of rape.

She commended Mohammed for appointing three women as commissioners among women appointees. “We must commend you for doing this. We must also ask for more because women’s needs are insatiable. We want you to give us at least one-third seats during the upcoming local government election.

“Women are industrious, if empowered, we can do better and that’s why President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Minister of Trade and Investment to give about 45 per cent of the just-approved fund for SMEs to women.

You can also do better.”

Responding, Mohammed urged more women to contest for elective posts, saying he could only appoint and not impose them through elective offices. “From the emerging data, more women voted for me than men. They have the doggedness and voting strength. It pained my heart that we don’t have any woman in the State Assembly. How can a man be chairing committee on women?” (The Guardian)

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