The 2019 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Peter Obi, has called for more opportunities for the women in society, while encouraging them to aspire for greater heights in life.
Obi made this call in his message to mark the International Women’s Day. He explained that the human person, irrespective of the gender, is capable of achieving great potentials in life with the right mindset, efforts, focus and discipline.
He challenged the women to do more, aspire more and occupy more positions of prominence and importance in society, by making genuine efforts to contribute to societal development.
“Leadership and human achievements are not exclusive to any particular gender. In this present age, there exist no barriers to women achievements and actualization in life. The likes of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organization; Dr Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, internationally celebrated author and novelist; Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna, first female Professor of Mass Communications in Sub-Saharan Africa; Prof Rita Orji, Nigerian-Canadian Computer Science Researcher; and so on, serve as sources of inspiration that women, especially in Nigeria, can attain greater heights in any field they desire,” he said.
Addressing the issue of women education, Obi encouraged parents to do away with the belief that only male children deserve good education in life. He urged them to ensure that they also give the female children better education, at least to the basic level. By so doing, he argued, they will be well equipped to find their places in life and not be strictly tied to the domestic activities of the home where their potentials will not be fully harnessed.
He further called on women to avoid shying away from politics but play more active roles in the nation building process.
“Irrespective of our genders, this nation belongs to us all. We all must join hands to build it. In our individual fields of endeavor, let us always remember to gear our actions towards saving our nation from further collapse, and join hands to turn around the country for the better,” Obi concluded.
He wished women well as they celebrate their Day.