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By Paul Williams
As the country moves towards electing the next set of helmsmen at the state level in the March 18 governorship elections, the executive director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Obonganwan Emem Okon, has made a call for more government attention to issues of gender, inclusiveness and climate change.
The call was captured in a message she presented at the NUJ Governorship Debate 2023 organized by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, on March 7, 2023 Port Harcourt.
This was as candidates of three of the major political parties contesting next Saturday’s governorship election in Rivers State have vowed to transform the state’s economy if elected.
Addressing a gathering of governorship candidates, media and civil society persons, Obonganwan Okon commended the state chapter of the NUJ for making possible, a forum for “contenders for the office of the future governor of this state to meet the electorate and respond to some of their concerns and help guide their choice.”
She noted that democracy is about collective action, involving the governed and those they choose, “working together to improve society. Participation makes democracy special. Today’s debate offers opportunity for our communities, women, youth, persons with disability, the strong, the vulnerable, children to have their concerns tabled before their potential candidate to make way for wise choice. I congratulate the NUJ for making this possible.
“As a women and community concern non-governmental organization, our interest is in seeking greater attention for the inclusion of women, girls and those living with disability in the programmes and policies of the in-coming government,” she said.
Okon pointed out that the Rivers State government has passed laws to help protect women from violence, which she said has been on the rise, but noted that “more needs to be done.
“The National Gender Policy which addresses these needs to be domesticated by the next administration and at the state and local government levels. Also, the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change needs to be adopted, domesticated and explored in the state to reduce the huge negative impact being experienced by Rivers and Niger Delta women as a result of devastating combination of climate change manifesting in perennial flooding and high environmental pollution from years of poorly regulated oil and gas activities.
“Our women and communities must be saved from the accompanying crippling poverty and the current despondency in our communities and am confident we have champions
for this cause among our esteemed contenders,” she said.
Though eight candidates were invited to the debate, the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (Chief Sim Fubara), Social Democratic Party (Senator Magnus Abe), All Progressives Congress (Pst. Tonye Cole) and Labour Party (Comrade Beatrice Itubo) did not attend.
The candidates who spoke at the NUJ Governorship Debate 2023 were Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs of Accord, Dr. Dawari George of Action Alliance, and Mr. Tekena Iyagba of Boot Party.
Vice President of the NUJ, Comrade Opaka Dokubo, said the debate was the first of its kind organized by the union in Rivers State and congratulated the state council of the union for putting the debate together.
Chairman of the Rivers State council of the NUJ, Comrade Stanley Job, and the state chairman of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Serekara Nwikhana, had earlier presented a Charter of Demand for the state-owned media organizations to the candidates.
The debate was organized by the Rivers State Council of the NUJ in collaboration with NewsAfrica-London, Kebetkache Women Development Organisation, and the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco District 9141, with live broadcast support from Atlantic Television Network, Wish FM, Love 97.7FM, Today 95.1FM and Wave 92.7FM.
