Gender rights activist and politician, Mrs. Ann Agom-Eze, has called for the inclusion of more women legislators in leadership positions in the 9th National Assembly.

Agom-Eze made the call in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki.

She said that apart from the positions of Senate President and House Speaker, other positions including Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, Senate Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Chief Whip, Minority Whip among others could be allocated to women.

She said that women have got all it took to be good leaders stressing that the ninth national assembly would be more vibrant, resourceful and focused for effective governance if more women are saddled with more leadership responsibilities.

She therefore charged the leadership of the two main leading political parties to ensure that female legislators elected under their platforms were elected into into the leadership of the two chambers.

“As managers of the home, women have gotten the requisite skills to show good leadership and this virtue have been displayed by women who have been appointed into leadership positions in the country in recent past.

“The Oby Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, late Dora Akunyili among others were women who excelled in their different portfolios as ministers and leaders and I believe that female legislators will do excellently well if given the opportunity.

“I am therefore calling on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to allocate leadership positions to women in the Senate and House of Representatives upon inauguration.

“The era when women are given the back seats is over: Women should be encouraged to come out and show case their leadership prowess by been elected into the leadership positions,” Agom-Eze said.

A former Permanent Secretary in Ebonyi and aspirant for Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the platform of APC, Agom-Eze further urged female lawmakers-elect to reach out to their male counterparts to negotiate for leadership positions.

“I believe that the female legislators in both the senate and House of Representatives can get what they want if they can come together, reach out to their male counterparts and negotiate with them.

“Power is gotten through struggle and also by negotiation and in this particular instance, women can get what they want through negotiation in view of the few number of women lawmakers elected in the ninth National Assembly,” she added.

She expressed confidence that the in-coming senate and House of Representatives would work in close synergy with the executive arm of government to ensure smooth and healthy administration of the country.

The female politician also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to include more women into his government in his second term administration.

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