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Fight Against Corruption And Injustice Will Fail If Women’s Voices Are Silenced – Osoba
Fight Against Corruption And Injustice Will Fail If Women’s Voices Are Silenced – Osoba. Nigeria’s fight against corruption and injustice would only be successful if the importance of women’s voices and leadership were recognised, says Ogun State former Governor Olusegun Osoba.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He said this in Lagos on Thursday at the celebration of the Report Women’s 10th anniversary and Experts Source Guide Presentation, organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Mr Oshoba, a governor between 1999 and 2003, called for more women in leadership and their voices given more attention in the media, politics and society.
“For too long, we’ve overlooked the voices and leadership of women; yet, we can’t tell the story of our nation, nor can we fight the battles of injustice and corruption if we silence half of our population,” said Mr Osoba.
He added, “Women as leaders bring nuance, empathy, and strength to storytelling. I have consistently advocated for more women to be present and lead in our newsrooms.”
The 75-year-old, who said he is still a reporter, commended the efforts of the Report Women Programme, which he said has established itself as a platform bringing more women into the profession, thereby making their voices heard and bridging the gap in the coverage of women’s activities.
“With over 500 female experts now readily accessible to journalists, this guide will make it easier to ensure that the voices shaping the news reflect the diversity of our society. It is a significant advancement in giving women the platform they deserve,” the former governor stated.
Mr Osoba, who unveiled the Report Women Experts platform at the event, called for strong action against untrained journalists tarnishing the profession’s image.
“I want to also appeal that we should note those journalists who are not trained, who are giving us very bad, terrible names, who are writing fake news, and that is one of the challenges we have, to make sure that we all move on to the internet and pack them thereby creating credible, reliable, sustainable news items on the internet so that we can continue to keep the names of we journalists and fight those who are trying to destroy the profession with fake news and embarrass us every day,” Mr Osoba stated.
On her part, the public affairs officer at the United States Consulate, Julie McKay, stated that women journalists have been thriving in the media and other leadership positions in the U.S. and appreciated the organisers for trying to replicate the same in Nigeria.
Ms McKay, who believes that women in leadership positions promote gender balance and reflect positively in all sectors of society, emphasised the importance of training and mentorship for it to be attained.
Stressing the importance of journalism, the U.S. Consulate PRO urged journalists to write reports that promote gender balancing as well as women as leaders and experts.
Speaking virtually, the president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, commended the WSCIJ for their efforts in getting women’s voices heard in the last ten years.
Mr Ozigizor also lauded the unveiling of the Report Women Experts platform, which aimed to provide easy access to over 500 junior experts across sectors, including politics, crime, and security.
The executive director/CEO of WSCIJ, Motunrayo Alaka, said the objective of the programme is to improve news access and quality as well as address abuses relating to women and the girl child.
“The Report Women! programme holds news media leaders accountable for the gap between equality and equity in the newsroom and their duty to hold other authorities accountable, ensure human rights and fair representation and amplify the voices of the vulnerable for good governance, democracy and social justice,” she stated.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that his push for an opposition coalition was initially rejected by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he reflected on events following the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election. According to him, he warned party leaders after the election that the PDP could struggle politically without forming alliances with other opposition forces. “To be honest, I was one of the major initiators of this coalition. After the PDP lost the last election, I told the party clearly that I did not see a future for the PDP without a coalition,” he said. Atiku said his advice was rejected at the time, despite his conviction that Nigeria’s political history had shown the importance of alliances. “They disagreed with me then. I have studied Nigeria’s political transition over the years and saw how previous alliances worked, so it was not difficult for me to foresee this,” he stated. The former vice president added that his support for coalition politics was also influenced by his desire to encourage the emergence of younger leaders he believes are vital to Nigeria’s future. “I saw some of these younger politicians as the future leaders of this country, and I felt it was my duty to point that out,” he said. However, Atiku claimed the resistance he encountered within the party was driven more by personal feelings than by disagreement over the substance of his proposal. “They disagreed with me simply because they did not want to see my face, not because of what I was suggesting,” he said. Atiku added that recent political developments have now vindicated his position on the need for a broad opposition alliance ahead of future elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will first pursue a consensus arrangement before considering a primary election for its 2027 presidential ticket.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made this known during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday while discussing the party’s leadership and strategy ahead of the next general election.
He said he is open to backing a consensus candidate if that becomes the party’s collective decision, stressing that such support should not be interpreted as stepping aside.
“It is not about stepping aside, but whether I am willing to support, and yes, I will,” Atiku said.
According to him, the ADC’s first priority is to build internal unity and reach an agreement among stakeholders before considering a competitive primary process.
“Our first option will be to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t happen, then of course we will explore other options. And yes, I will support whoever eventually emerges,” he stated.
Atiku also expressed confidence in the political experience within the party, saying he believes a consensus is achievable and may make a full-scale primary contest unnecessary.
“That remains our preferred path. We will go for primaries if consensus fails, but I honestly do not expect it to get to that stage because we are dealing with mature and experienced politicians,” he added.
His comments come amid growing political consultations and coalition talks as parties begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has significantly strengthened his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday. Speaking on what makes his latest presidential bid different from previous attempts, Atiku said the ADC coalition brings together key political figures from across major parties, including the APC, PDP and Labour Party. He described the alliance as a broader and more strategic political arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, the coalition has created a stronger platform that improves his prospects. “Now, we have a broader coalition — a combination of APC, PDP and LP — which gives me a better chance of becoming president in 2027,” he said. Atiku also noted that the coalition reflects both experience and generational inclusion, which he said shows a clear succession plan. “You see people of my generation, and you see younger people coming behind us, so you can clearly see a succession pattern,” he added. Meanwhile, Atiku described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a decent but inexperienced leader. According to him, Jonathan’s lack of experience contributed to shortcomings in governance and played a role in his defeat in the 2015 presidential election. “I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but he was also inexperienced, and that contributed to his failure in managing the affairs of the country,” Atiku said. He made the remarks while stressing the need for experienced and capable leadership in Nigeria.
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