Dep Gov Praises El-Rufai For Women Empowerment

The Deputy Governor of Kaduna state, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has said that the lot of women would greatly improve at both national and global levels, with visionary leaders like Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

Dr Balarabe pointed out that out of 17 Commissioners, there are nine women as members of Kaduna State Executive Council, adding that this figure represents ‘’about 53% of the appointed Commissioners in Kaduna state.’’

The Deputy Governor further stressed that the high number of women Commissioners in Kaduna state ‘’is undoubtedly the best in Nigeria and any sub-national in Africa.’’

Dr Balarabe who made these remarks after swearing in of political appointees on Wednesday, pointed out that ‘’as of now, Kaduna state is the best destination to be a woman in Nigeria.’’

She noted that ‘’this is the first time that a woman will be presiding over the Ministry of Local Government Affairs as its commissioner in the history of this state. Before now, it has been the special preserve of men.’’

‘’Only Malam Nasir El-Rufai can easily dislodge traditionally held positions that hold back progress and development, like the male ‘ownership’ of the Ministry of Local Government. He has done that with so many issues since he became the governor of Kaduna state,’’ she added.

The Deputy Governor recalled that just last month she swore in another woman, Hajiya Umma Yusuf Aboki as the Commissioner for Planning and Budget.

Dr Balarabe advised all women appointees not to let Governor El-Rufai down, and thereby help “to keep the doors open for more women to come in, not only in Kaduna state but in other states of Nigeria.’’

Dr Balarabe also noted that this was the first time, since the merger of the Christian and Muslin Pilgrims’ Boards under a new law, that an Executive Secretary of the new Pilgrim’s Board was sworn-in.

‘’The reorganization of the pilgrims boards into one entity is intended to invigorate performance of government in pilgrimage matters irrespective of religion,’’ she added.

She further enjoined all the appointees who were sworn in to continue contributing ‘’to the development of our people as you have been doing’’, reminding that “it is your previous performances that earned you these positions.’’

The appointees that were sworn in include Hajiya Umma K. Ahmad as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Hon Aminu Abdullahi Shagali as Special Adviser-Political Matters and Dr. Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyyu as the Executive Secretary of the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Agency.

Other appointees include Alhaji Muhammad Jalal, the new Chairman of Kaduna State Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, the state Auditor-General and Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, the new Administrator of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.