By Tom Garba, Yola – Women in Adamawa state have expressed dismay with the appointment of a male commissioner to oversee activities of the state ministry of women affairs, describing the appointment as a set back to the women folk in the state.
One of the women, Mrs Faith Janpukuma, a gender activist and erstwhile director women mobilization, Buhari and Osinbajo campaign Organization Adamawa state, expressed outrage with the appointment of Alh. Aliyu Bello Tola as the new commissioner designate women affairs.
She said the appointment which is coming against the back drop of the women folk, in the state already expressing misgivings with the lower than expected no. Of women appointees, out of the 21 sworn-in commissioners, since only 4 women made the shortlist, noted, that the news that it is a male to head the women affairs ministry furthermore rattled the women.
Mrs Faith who said she was not alone in the condemnation of the appointment said she was expressing the sentiments of other female folks, whom she said have viewed the appointment as very disappointing because it is capable of killing their enthusiasm for politics. She said the appointment was a fatal error on the part of the Bindow administration, and therefore urge him to reconsider the appointment because of the adverse effect it would have on the women folk in the state, adding that it was the only office most women involved in politics believe, should rightly be headed by a woman.
“Seriously my disappointment is with the appointment of a male as the commissioner of women affairs. I cannot hide my disappointment with it, to say the least I am very disappointed. While as a person I cannot query his decision but as a gender activist I frown at it,” she said.
It would be recalled that penultimate weekend the administration of Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow sworn in 21 new commissioners into the state executive council, but at the time only six portfolios namely, the ministry of Health, Works, Education, Agriculture, Finance and Mines, were already assigned with Dr. Fatima Abubakar, daughter of former vice President Atiku Abubakar, among those whose portfolios were already known while the others only knew what ministries were assigned to them afterwards.
However, it was much later that Alhaji Aliyu Bello Tola from Mayo Belwa, was assigned to oversee the women affairs ministry.
However, of the 22 executive cabinet offices already announced by the Bindow administration only 4 out of those positions went to women, which some of the female politicians who spoke on the development but would not want their names in print said is skewed against the female gender in the state.
