The representative of Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Uche Ekwunife, caused a major laughter on the floor of the Red Chamber on Thursday when he described the ministerial nominee from Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Hassan, as a “young, handsome guy”.
The senator preceded her question to the nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari with the reference to him as a young, handsome guy.
With her focus on quizzing Hassan in the case he emerges as the Minister of Women Affairs, Ekwunife said: “Looking at you, a young handsome guy from Nasarawa State, we are in a world of innovation today in the way we do things to proffer solutions, in the way we even handle our phones.
“Now, as a nominee, you don’t know the ministry to which they will post you.
“We have seen a decline in women representation in both elective and appointive positions.
“We have had women as Minister of Women Affairs for years and we have not achieved anything.
“Assuming Mr. President decides to think out of the box and puts you there as the Minister of Women Affairs, what would you do to ensure that more women are in elective and appointive positions?”
Hassan, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Secretary to the State Government in Nasarawa State, said he would work with the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, to create opportunities for underprivileged women.
He said: “I think the major framework for women empowerment has been elucidated in the Belgium Conference resolutions.
“What we will probably do is to domesticate such resolutions and see how we can empower women.
“We can look at our own communities and see how programmes like women empowerment, soft loans, widows empowerment schemes and probably to a large extent some level of scholarship for vulnerable women.
“In the interim, I think if I am to be chosen as Minister of Women Affairs, I would equally work hand in hand with the First Lady and women organisations to ensure that their challenges are addressed.”
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