Hàjiya Imaan Ibrahim Suleiman has described the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a women friendly government noting that the Nigerian women made it possible.
Imaaan said this in her address today 28th October at the ministry when she assumed office after the reshufflement of president Tinubu last week which sacked the former minister Uju Kennedy Ohanenye.
Her speech reads:
I’m so grateful to stand in front of all of you. Grateful, first of all, to my boss, my leader, our father, His Excellency, President Bola Metunugu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for the confidence that he has in me. My arrival here is no mistake.
This is a pivotal time for women in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Women are critical for this administration. Women brought about the administration of President Bola Metunugu.
So women are the heartbeat of this government. So for Mr. President, it’s very important that there’s development for the women, there’s prosperity for the women, there’s peace and prosperity for the women. It is very, very important for His Excellency, Mr. President.
And I can assure you that working together, we’ll be able to achieve the renewal of gender for every woman and every child and man. Is there a ministry for men’s affairs? So this one will cover the men as well. Would you agree? I would like to also extend my gratitude to Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our mummy, my mummy, Senator Oluremi Ametunugu.
Never in the history of Nigeria have we seen such vibrancy and vibration for the office of the First Lady. We’ve seen pilot projects, but we’ve never seen this level of activity day by day, month by month. We can assure her that we’ll deliver on this mandate collectively.
I’m sure we’ve heard of no one will be left behind, no woman will be left behind. I can assure you that everybody will have a role to play, inshallah. Nobody will be left behind.
As we approach 30 years of the establishment of this ministry, we’ll consolidate on whatever our predecessors have done. Using my predecessor, Drew Kennedy, as a point of reference, I’d like to appreciate my predecessors. They have done their best, we’ll continue from where they have stopped.
We said we’re models, we said we’re women. I remember I said nobody will be left behind. So no one will be left behind.
Every effort will be appreciated, whether I’m right or wrong. Are you arguing with your minister? I’m speaking for all of you. And for the union.
For the union and the staff of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. I am your number one cheerleader. My mandate covers you all.
You are my number one responsibility. So anything that has to do with your welfare, bring it on. Anything that has to do with achieving Mr. President’s real hope mandate, agenda for the women, bring it on.
Otherwise, leave it at home. I’d like to appreciate everybody’s effort in putting this together. I’d like to appreciate all our partners, all the NGOs that continue to work day and night to ensure that there’s development for women, there’s peace and security for women.
All our partners across the border, I’d like to appreciate them. I’d like to appreciate Mama Iyo, and my mother, Dame Pauline Tallent, the former Minister of Women Affairs. I’d like her to know that the ministry is in safe hands and we’re with her during this time of grief.
I’d like to appreciate my late parents. If they were here today, they would have been happy because they call me busybody. And I think that this is the number one busybody ministry.
Do you agree? I will leverage on all your knowledge, all your know-how. I will leverage. I don’t have a complex.
Any day, any time, we’ll take superior arguments to ensure that our number one priority is the national interest, especially for women and children. For the ladies and gentlemen of the press, you remain our partners in progress. Thank you for what you have been doing.
Thank you for what you are doing now, and thank you for what you do to position the Nigerian woman. And I can assure you that under President Boleh Metlibu’s watch, every woman will be a lead actress and she will be on her driving seat. Inshallah.
Thank you so much. May God bless you all. May God bless you, Mr. President.
