Ireti Kingibe: Being a Woman in the National Assembly is Very Hard

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Ireti Kingibe, has stated that being a woman in the National Assembly is very hard as lobbying to get things done has become a major preoccupation for her.

She said this not notwithstanding, she has empowered 10,000 people, is building a 50-bed hospital, establishing ICT centres in Gwagwalada and Nyanya, and has bought 2,000 JAMB forms from her personal money and savings.

The revelations came as her defense after rural women and female farmers in the FCT accused her of abandonment and ingratitude after casting their votes in her favour.

The speaker who preferred anonymity spoke at the 8th and 2024 edition of Voice of Women, VOW, conference and awards with the theme “Achieving Women’s Inclusion for a Sustainable Nigeria” held on Thursday in Abuja.

The woman who revealed that FCT women voted in the senator due to trust in the capabilities of women and a want of new leaders have been disappointed as not even an iota of appreciation in terms of trainings and empowerments have reached the women.

She said: “Last year, during political campaign, all those women that were fighting for positions, they entered into all the rural villages and towns through the women leaders and asking them to mobilise the women to come out and ensure that women are being voted into power and we voted them.

“But do you know that since last year, there has not been any avenue, no town hall meeting, no thank you to all those local women that voted them.

“During the election, women that came out were looking for a woman to vote for especially here in FCT where I voted, but after that election, no thank you, none of them has come to see us.

“That road that they followed to go to the interior villages to look for those women leaders to mobilize women for them, they didn’t go back to those women leaders, they did not go back to those community-based leaders.

“Now, those women we mobilised are now looking at us and saying that they have given us money, they have given us salt, rice and you are alone when there is nothing as such. They didn’t even call us to their inauguration, they didn’t come back to say thank you.”

She added: “Thank you to me means – you voted me into power, you invite us and said thank you and then if there’s anything I will remember you. Like in AMAC FCT now; I know there are some empowerment skills going on, those people are supposed to bring some forms to those women.

“If it is empowerment to train their children or train those women to acquire skills that will help their families, but there’s nothing like that in FCT as I am talking now.”

In her response, Kingibe who was visible irritated defended herself saying that “For the record, I am the only woman elected in the FCT. Now, there’s this misconception as to what everybody defines what governance is. To me, it is bringing the most to the people.

I have been a senator for a year and half, I am primarily a legislator. I have bills waiting to be passed, creating the nursing and midwifery school In Gwagwalada, I have a maternal free healthcare for women. I have a few of such bills still pending.

She said: “But notwithstanding, since I have been a senator, I have empowered and I have everything on record. I have empowered 10,000 people. Now, it is not possible, FCT has 4 to 5 million people and for me to personally see everybody that voted for me.

“I am also building a 50-bed hospital, I am putting an ICT center in Gwagwalada and Nyanya, I paid with my personal money 2,000 JAMB forms for free. So, at the end of the day, governance means to me, bringing things for the general good and not for the individual.

“The truth is that being a woman in the National Assembly is very, very, very hard. So, I have to lobby for everything. When I leave here, I will go to the National Assembly, sign in and then go from ministry to ministry so that all those things that doesn’t get attention by the executive, I can slip them into the budget from lobbying different ministers to put it in their budget.

“I have also renovated with my personal money and allowance the ante-natal center in Gwagwalada teaching hospital. Any of you can go and verify all these things.

“So, I’m sorry, yes women complain, I haven’t come to them one by one; it is not possible. It is either I do that and then you don’t get anything else. So that is my frustration and I want women to understand that you are voting for other women so that our general lives will improve not because she is going to come and meet you personally.”

In the same vein, former Ekiti State first lady, Bisi Fayemi during her speech at the programme, commended rural women and advised politicians to keep to their promises once elected into office.

She said: “If you promise to construct a road for them, ensure that you use the road you have constructed when next you are going to meet them for campaigns.”

The convener and CEO of Women’s FM, Toun Oni, called for the inclusion of women and the assertiveness of the 35 percent slated for women in both elective and appointive positions.