Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has restated his commitment to a broad inclusion of women in governance, saying they are less likely to be corrupt if given leadership positions.
Mr Obi made the remark in his message to mark the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated globally on March 8.
The 61-year-old explained that the International Women’s Day celebration provides the world the opportunity to celebrate the social, economic and political contributions and achievements of women in society.
He noted that success in life, governance and leadership is not gender-specific, but open to all men and women alike, stressing that numerous Nigerian women across the nation have gained global recognition through their contributions to society.
“Regrettably, girl-child school enrollment has remained poor in many parts of the country, with over 60 per cent of the out-of-school children in Nigeria being female.
“We must, therefore, ensure greater access to affordable and qualitative education for women in our society, so as to empower them to live more productive lives and play more meaningful roles in nation-building,” Obi remarked.
He further stated that in a nation like Nigeria which is battling deeply-rooted corrupt practices at different levels of governance, women were more likely to be sincere, fair and just, in the discharge of their duties as public officeholders.
“Several studies by Transparency International have shown that women are less likely to be corrupt than men when given leadership positions. Higher levels of women’s participation in public offices are associated with lower levels of corruption,” Obi said.
He appreciated all the women who have played different productive roles in the ‘Obidient’ movement and assured everyone that he would never relent in reclaiming the mandate given to him by the people.
Obi finally congratulated all Nigerian women on the occasion of the 2023 International Women’s Day celebration and wished them all-around success in life.
