A renowned Counsellor in Rivers State and Registrar in-charge of Marriage Registry, Oyigbo Local Government Area, Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwankwo has kicked against the poor representation of women in decision-making processes.
Speaking with newsmen recently in Umuagbai-Ndoki shortly after the induction of her mother into the Mothers’ Union (MU) of Methodist Church Nigeria, Umuagbai-Ndoki Circuit, Nwankwo lamented that women are being marginalised especially in the sharing of political positions in the country.
“Unfortunately, the federal government has consistently paid deaf ears to these calls even though women play major roles as mobilisers, voters and as candidates for elections.”
Mrs. Nwankwo maintained that the gallantry of Nigerian women in safeguarding votes in the last general elections, as well as, the part they played in the election has gone down in history as the few high-points in the heavily flawed 2023 polls.
“You all witnessed the fact that for all the efforts of women in the elections under former administration as headed by Muhammadu Buhari it found only seven worthy of recognition in all 12-member planned federal government, and had kept the female politicians far from her male counterpart, and now becomes serious cause for worry as rather than improve, records show a decline with regards to women getting into electoral offices”.
Nwankwo, however, admonish the present Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to include more women in the affairs of his administration in order to contribute their development quota for the overall transformation of the country and its people.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwankwo has called on parents globally to be more proactive in the upbringing of children at home.
She argued that most parents, as a matter of fact, should be blamed for their children’s lukewarm attitude towards their upbringing from early stage of life.
She noted that it was not in doubt that a good number of parents hardly spend time at home to stay closely and monitor the behaviour of their children.
“Regrettably, experiences have shown that there are parents, both father and mother, who have not for once, stayed at home with their children to examine their conduct well, instead, it is the house-maid that is being saddled with the responsibility of taking care of both domestic work and monitoring of the children,” she added.
“I think, it is high time parents should make out time enough to stay at home with a view to monitor closely the activities and conduct of their children, instead of allowing the burden on the shoulder of their maids alone, which is improper in all ramifications.”
She averred: “In fact, it beats my imagination how parents often times, leave their homes early in the morning to come back to see their children at night which is very absurd.
“Honestly, I stand to be corrected that most problems and indeed indecent attitude often times seen in children of nowadays does not emanate from the schools or churches, but is caused by the parents from home due to lack of proper supervision.
“Believe you me, there will be big turnaround if only the parents should see reason to make out time with their children, not only to monitor them, but accord them the fatherly and motherly advice that will help them have better path of living to become great ones in the society”, Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwankwo emphatically submitted.

Bethel Toby