ensure effective management of limited resources available, and promote
a stronger sense of inclusiveness.
President Buhari said he preferred women to oversee the economic and
financial hub of the country, Ministry of Finance, as they can readily
deploy their experience in aligning resources with the needs of the
country, explaining that the nation also had many female technocrats
with local and international experiences on economy and finance.
The President gave the insight into his preferred choice for Ministers
of Finance while receiving a delegation of National, Zonal, State and
FCT Women leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the
party Women Leader, Hajiya Salamatu Umaru Baiwa at the State House.
“I am happy that I can defend myself very effectively on this issue. The
APC party leader is my witness. Since the coming into power of this
administration I have handed over the treasury to women.
“Even at household level, you hand over the money to women to manage. It
can be taken to the level of managing the country’s treasury as well. I
have consistently given it to women. It is strategic.
“I am conscious of the leadership roles of women in the society and by
my action I have justified my belief,” President Buhari said.
The President reiterated that his administration will ensure
inclusiveness for women and youths, especially in the second term, by
providing more access to facilities that will enable spread of Small and
Medium Scale Enterprises, and encourage more interest in agriculture.
President Buhari said the traditional and subsistence style of farming
should be replaced with commercialized and business oriented techniques.
“We have to move away from the traditional ways of farming that were
practiced in the pre-colonial and colonial era,” he added.
The President said he instructed the ministers to work with traditional
institutions to encourage interest in farming, with the Central Bank of
Nigeria readily providing loans at low interest rates and longer periods
of repayment.
“On unemployment, I know there is no able bodied person that went back
to the farm in the last three years that regretted the action,” he
added.
In her remarks, the APC Woman Leader congratulated the President for his
victory at the polls and the tribunal, commending the administration for
its efforts in managing the affairs of the country, which provided the
impetus for the vigorous campaigns.
Baiwa said women were particularly pleased and willing to vote for the
President because the government deliberately formulated some policies
to favour and empower women, like the social intervention Trader Moni.
She said the APC had many resourceful and loyal women that would
contribute to the success of the administration, while commending the
President for giving women strategic positions in the government.
“Our prayer is that God will give you the tenacity to overcome all
obstacles,” the Woman Leader said.