A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to obey the court ruling on the 35 percent affirmative action in appointments into political offices.
Ogun said the advocacy for 35 percent appointive positions in government is not just about equity but about competence and social justice, saying 35 percent affirmative action is a modest step the society can take to demonstrate commitment to the advancement of the women in the society.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the lawyer decried the fact that, two years after Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) and other partners secured the judgement for 35 percent appointive positions, the federal government is yet to obey the court order.
He said Nigerian women have been sidelined and oppressed for too long.
The lawyer said, “I think that we are being ruled by people who do not believe in the sanctity of the rule of law and respect for the judiciary.”
“If you have a society that doesn’t obey the rule of law, and doesn’t respect the core of the provisions of the Constitution, especially that which relates to freedom from discrimination, then you cannot expect that kind of society to respect the rights of women, which include the 35 percent affirmative action by the authorities.
“I don’t think 35 is too much to be given to the female folks in our society. I believe the campaign for 35% affirmative action is reasonable and should be supported by all and sundry”, he asserted. This campaign, according to him, represents the core of social justice.
According to the lawyer, the argument against affirmative action is not justifiable in a democratic setting because there are more women with competence, character and capacity in Nigeria. “We should focus attention on women that have the capacity to contribute immensely to Nigeria’s democracy and development,” he stated.
Ogun further called for amendment of the 1999 Constitution to include the 35 percent affirmative action especially in political appointments to government ministries and parastatal.
“It has to be unequivocally stated in Nigeria’s constitution so that the provision would not be misinterpreted,” he said.
