Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that women in politics are more reliable than their male counterparts.
Obasanjo spoke on Wednesday, when some national executives and members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, visited him at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, where he was presented with Father of the Nation award.
The former President, however, advised that politics must be played with decency, dignity and honour that women are known for.
He frowned at a situation where African women are not often given chance to exhibit their potentials because of the cultural and religious background, adding that this should not be so as only men can not build the nation.
He said, “One of the best journalists that ever served me was a woman, and that was the late Oluremi Oyo. In politics, women are more reliable than men. When a woman says she is with you, you can really take it that she is with you.
“But if a man tells you he is with you and you catch him in another meeting, he will tell you it is politics. It should not be so.
“When a politician’s words cannot be believed, then you are turning politics into another thing. A politician must be a man or woman of honour that believes in morality.”
The National President of NAWOJ, Ifeyinwa Omowole, said the visit was in recognition of Obasanjo’s belief in the unity of the country.
Omowole observed that the recent bad development in the country was due to disunity among the various ethnic groups.
She said that NAWOJ, as part of the effort to correct this, was planning to have a unity conference next year during which Obasanjo would be the chief host.
She also intimated the former president on the plan by NAWOJ to build 500 housing units in each state of the federation.
Follow Us