Buhari's few female appointees put down to his shyness around the opposite sex

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been described by his close confidants as a man that is shy with the opposite sex which may be responsible for the fact that he has appointed very few female appointments since assuming office.

 

Since assuming office, President Buhari has appointed very few women to positions, with only Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita named as the acting head of service and only six women are among his 36 ministerial nominees. This has led to protests from women's groups who expected him to at least match the 35% quota set by former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

 

However, according to Gideon Samani, President Buhari's senior special assistant on political matters, the president is not averse to appointing women into senior positions. He added that the president did not include many women in his cabinet because he is very shy in dealing with the opposite sex.

 

According to Mr Samani, President Buhari was used to interacting with men but added quickly that the issue of gender inequality would be addressed by the president. His statement contrasted with that of a ministerial nominee from Kogi State, James Ocholi, who in defence of the low representation of women in the federal cabinet, told the Senate that President Buhari had brought women into prominence, including the late Professor Dora Akunyili.

 

Mr Samani said: “If you are close to Mr President, you will know that he has the interest of the nation as his uppermost priority.  He did not intentionally marginalise women.

 

“It is just that Mr President is shy with women as he has been interacting mostly with men. I can assure you that in the shortest time, this issue of gender inequality will be dealt with.”

 

Speaking at the same event in Abuja, Senator Chris Anyawu expressed disappointment with the appointments made so far by the president, stating that despite the fact that he benefitted immensely from female voters, he has relegated them to the background. She noted that so far, no woman from the southeast had been given a political appointment and that even the numbers of women in President Buhari’s government is a far cry from what obtains worldwide.

 

Senator Anyawu added: “Mr President has benefitted so much from us and we don’t expect him to draw us back. Women are able and strong to move this nation forward and anything you do, you should know that the whole world is watching you.

 

 “We talk of change but we are afraid of the change. We have moved from the era where women clapped and danced for male politicians, so President Buhari should be gender sensitive. "

 

She added that gender equality should begin with parents by treating their children equally. President Buhari's six female ministerial nominees are Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto),  Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna), Khadija Ibrahim (Yobe), Amina Mohammed (Gombe), Kemi Adeosun  (Ogun) and Aisha Alhassan (Taraba).