COMWA, FOMWAN, SWS stress importance of CVR
Muslim women in Ondo state have been admonished to take maximum advantage of the opportunity provided by the continuous voter registration CVR exercise commencing on Monday to participate actively in forthcoming elections so they can get desired recognition in governance.
The timely words of encouragement was relied at a sensitization programmes on continuous voter registration exercise organized by the Coalition of Muslim Women Associations ( COMWA ) in conjunction with the Federation Of Muslim Women Associations In Nigeria ( FOMWAN) and Stand Up for Women Society (SWS) held in Akure.
Addressing the gathering, the State Coordinator of COMWA, Alhaja Halimat Adam said though members were primarily assembled for the distribution of the grains palliative donated by a company as part of its corporate social responsibility, they cannot afford to lose the chance of using the assemblage to further enlighten the women on their position, roles and expectations in the political circle.
She posited that women can only demand their rightful position in the political equation when they show their numerical strength through massive registration for permanent voter cards as the continuous registration exercise begins on Monday.
Adam who explained that COMWA is an organisation to showcase women for proper recognition in all facets of societal development urged women to participate actively in politics so that they could be part of decision making process for better livelihood.
She lamented the negligible percentage of women in positions of authority across the three tiers of government just as she noted with dismay that the current reality is a contrast to the voting population during elections when women are the obvious majority.
She equally urged women to be more versatile in political education through collaboration and deliberate pursuit of practical knowledge while not neglecting their economic sustainability so they can catch up with their male counterparts.
The State Resident Electorial Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatuyi Babalola in her presentation motivated women to take advantage of the exercise kicking off on Monday to correct the gender imbalance in the decision – making process.
The REC who was represented on the occasion charged the women to let their numbers count in the scheme of things especially with the opportunity of transferring one’s polling unit to the nearest to one’s residence which will be made available alongside the chance of fresh registration for individuals who have not registered before even as replacement of lost or damaged PVC will also be available once there is cogent evidence from the concerned citizens .
While re – echoing the significance of the PVC as the only instrument that would ensure a voter is not denied his or her civic responsibility at the polls, the REC warned Ondo state residents
against multiple registration saying offenders are liable e to a year imprisonment or payment of N100,000 fine as well as disqualification from the voting process.
A member of the Board of Advisers to FOMWAN,. Alhaja Aminat Akinpelumi appealed to Muslim Women in different organisations to join FOMWAN, which is the umbrella body of all Muslim Women associations in the country.
For the State President of FOMWAN, Alhaja Medinat Omikunle, Women should always be ready to key into any developmental programme so that they are not relegated to the background in a fast changing and intellectually – competitive world.
Omikunle said FOMWAN is not only championing the course of continuous voter registration but the body has been deservedly shortlisted alongside other reputable organisations by INEC to spread the message of active political participation at the grassroots as obtained recently in Ondo West local government area.
In her brief remarks, Barrister Mariam Ekungba called on women to come out en masse for the voter registration which she said is their only weapon to vote the candidate of their choice into office just as she argued that women must get things right as mothers for the nation to break even.
The State Chairperson of StandUp for Women Society, Alhaja Rafat Momoh charged women on unity and sincerity of purpose for they cannot achieve the desired success without supporting one another .
Momoh who is also the FOMWAN state Chairman of Community Development And Humanitarian Affairs Committee therefore community enjoined Muslim women to contribute their quotas to the forthcoming FOMWAN national conference coming up in August.
The event also featured a health talk on Human Papilloma Virus HPV immunization for the girl child and the need for the women to ensure that their children and wards are well vaccinated to tame the scourge of cervical cancer which experts said is rampant among people in the tropical climate.
