Oiwona Launches Two Books

 

NEWS EXTRA

NASME, Unity Bank Celebrate IWD With Empowerment Index

By Leo Ezekiel

 

The National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises NASME and Unity Bank Plc have jointly celebrated International Women’s Day with the theme “Break The Bias, Break The Barriers and Shatter The Ceiling at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos. 

Speaking to the gathering, the Deputy President of NASME South Otunba Gbemisola Oduntan states that she celebrates with women from all walks of life who have joined their voices, strengths, resources and uncommon determination to break the biases that face women generally in the entire globe adding that her charge to all women is keep uplifting each woman as they reflect on how far they have come and continue to bring forward many inequalities they face the women while opening dialogues on lasting solutions towards equity. 

Speaking further she thanks them for specially finding time to attend and celebrate IWD 2022 with all and sundry in a time like this adding that she treasures and appreciates the supports, contributions and encouragement thus far. 

Speaking again to the audience she states that the National Assembly of both the Senate and House Representatives in this month of March, 2022, which is the month women are generally celebrated worldwide that NASS rejected the five gender bills in the constitution amendment process adding that the decision of the NASS resulted in public backlash and protest by women who on a daily basis gathered at the NASS. 

She states that she is one of such women who protested at the rejection of gender bills. Speaking to the audience the keynote speaker Toki Mobogunje of LCCI, Lagos State states that the outright rejection of gender bills on the first of March 2022 is a devastating blow on the women adding the five gender bills that women requested is not a crime to have been requested because such requests obtain in other saner societies. She states that the women themselves need to begin to break The Biases, Break The Barriers and Shatter The Ceiling so that men could actually consider the gender bills as she added that since the protest the women staged recently at the NASS. 

She states that the women want reserved seats at the NASS, favourable appointments for women and as well as citizenship rights as applied in the citizenship section 26 of 1999 constitution as amended adding that women are also asking that their foreign husbands become Nigerian Citizens. 

She states that women have not committed any crime by demanding for indigenship section 31-318 of the 1999 constitution, as well as citizenship and appointments are to be considered by all dominated male NASS. She states that in Nigeria, the situations are extremely and exceedingly painful for the women because there are lots of biases against women at work places et’al. 

She states that Rwanda has the highest female representatives at the parliament globally even far better than UK and United States of America adding that Kenya, Burundi, Namibia do largely fare comparatively okay with the female legislators at their different parliaments and she also added that in Namibia where a male becomes the President then the Vice President is automatically a woman. 

She encouraged women to update themselves with skills acquisitions, read various books and that they should not fold their hands waiting for manner to fall from the skies. Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonline, the woman leader of NASME and as well as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Blind N Step, Fashion Outfit Lady Judith Ojevwe Nwachukwu states that women got to really rise up from their deepest slumbers and begin to break the Bias, Break The Barriers and Shatter The Ceiling by engaging themselves in all round productive activities that will always improve their lifestyles, at all times adding that she comes from Jessie in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State precisely Sapele, where women are not considered for Chieftaincy titles but, she vehemently avers that, the biases shall be broken down in no distant future whereby women will be legally qualified to earn chieftaincy titles of their birthplace or by extension through marriage. 

She states that she as an individual has continued to advance herself and other women with various productively activities that make life livable and meaningfully adding that recently she did a programme at Harvard University United States of America whereby more knowledge is added to her data base. She states that women should be heavily involved in building capacities, do more of networking, read various books, mostly autobiographies of women Presidents of the globe, for example, former PM of Britain, Late Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Angela Markle of Germany, Sir Leaf Johnson of Liberia et’al. She pragmatically encouraged all women to rise up and begin to break the bias, break the barriers and shatter the ceiling. Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonline, the woman leader of Oyo State of NASME Ayankoya Omotunde states that the topic is an interesting one as she avers that the gender bills have not been passed, yet, at the NASS as she concurs that International Women’s Day Celebrations globally has brought lots of calls for the women to break the stereotype of women lagging behind. 

Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonline, the woman leader of Osun State of NASME Alhaja Mutiat Ojetimi states that the programme organized by NAZME and Unity Bank Plc is a good one that has actually added more values and educations to all participants, adding that women should know their rights and always fight for their rights whenever the need arises. 

Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonline, the woman leader of Anambra State Sandra Obinor states that women should be given equality opportunities along side with men. Speaking with Iconblazemagazineonline, National President of NASME Engr. Dr. Abdulrasheed Yerima states that the women need to be assisted with good mien and condour to grow the economies through small scales and medium businesses adding that what happened at NASS recently with the rejection of gender bills right is totally bad omen. 

He states that the government at all levels should adequately support women with different kinds of loans so as to enable women grow businesses for self reliance et’al. The event witnessed a very captivating panelists session where the following panelists did well with their contributions towards breaking the bias, breaking the barriers and shattering the ceiling,  as well as creating more opportunities for women entrepreneurs and the panelists are Ms Odunayo Sanya (MTN), Mrs Theresa Lawal DBN, Dr. Momah Osahunewense Julie (NBTT), Olanrewaju Oniyitan (CEO W-Holistic Business Solution) others are Hajiya Firdausi (BOAA Foundation), Dr. Suwaiba Abdullahi (Trainer, Motivational Speaker and Economic Lecturer at the Shehu Shagari College of education, Sokoto) and Mrs Adetola Aje (Director ITF) and of a truth these egg heads did not disappoint the female counterparts with the ideas they proffered. 

Several other speakers made their voices and opines heard by the audience. The Unity Bank Plc pleasantly and unimaginably empowered five women with (N50,000.00) Fifty Thousand Naira Only to start up businesses and amongst the beneficiaries or recipients is Dr. Abdullahi of the Economics Department of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto.