The Honorable minister of women affairs dame Pauline Tallen has on Friday, 3rd September, 2021, It bestowed an award of excellence to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Alhaji Yusuf Bichi Magaji.
The HeforShe honours award was bestowed on Yusuf Bichi Magaji given the sterling qualities exhibited in gender inclusiveness in his administration of the Department.
While speaking during the ceremony, Dame Pauline stated that the HeforShe award was an international award conferred by the United Nation’s UNWOMEN on certain individuals who have demonstrable and exceptional belief in gender equality and are advocates for the rights of women and in this case, Nigerian women.
She went further to say that “For long, women have been “fighting” for themselves, it’s time for men to support and speak on behalf of women.”
Stating the reason for the conferment of the award on the D-G of DSS, Tallen recounted other HeforShes that have been decorated previously, saying further that Bichi Magaji demonstrated considerable progress in gender-mainstreaming.
The Honourable Minister cited the All-Female Special Intervention Squad under his leadership and the prowess exhibited by the Squad.
Alhaji Yusuf Bichi Magaji thanked the Honourable Minister for the conferment of the award stating that he was humbled by the gesture.
Bichi Magaji described women as special specie who have skills and wisdom that are equal or even better than those of men. He remarked further that experience have shown that women excel even better at operations of DSS which have hitherto been considered solely for men due to the nature and technicalities involved. Bichi informed the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and her entourage that 1/3 of the present recruits undergoing training at the DSS are women.
Mementoes were exchanged by the Honourable Minister and the Director- General of DSS.
In the entourage of the Honourable Minister’s visit to the D-G, DSS are Directors of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs; the President of Women in Politics Forum, Ebere Ifendu; the National Coordinator of 100 Women Lobby Group, Felicia Onibon and the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Nigeria Police, Aisha Abubakar, (Most Senior Female Officer in the Police).
By Odutayo Oluseyi
Signed.
Olujimi Oyetomi, Director, Press & Public Relations.