L-R: Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; her husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami; Chairperson, College of Health Sciences, Ijero-Ekiti, Mrs. Monisola Oloro, during a courtesy visit paid to the Governor by women in Leadership, in Ekiti State, in Ado-Ekiti... on Thursday.
Ekiti women leaders from the political and bureaucratic classes have come together under a new group known as Forum of Women in Leadership (FWiL). The group is billed for formal launch in the coming weeks.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka and Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, are the conveners of the group which will serve as a platform for women in leadership positions to interact, build and develop capacity and professionalism.
The group comprises female heads of institutions, female commissioners and Special Advisers; members of the state’s House of Assembly, and female permanent secretaries as well chairs of board and parastatals in the state.
Receiving the women in his office at the weekend, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said he was delighted at the constitution of the group; saying that the inclusion of members of the opposition party in the State House of Assembly and female Permanent Secretaries shows that the group is non-partisan.
The Governor said the need for women to be supported and strengthened cannot be overemphasized even as he stated that there is need to have more women in government because they are more judicious in the use of power than men.
Fayemi said: “We are making history here today by the establishment of this forum. I am glad the way you structured it, it is not a partisan forum. We have Permanent Secretaries here who are not partisan but people committed to the development of Ekiti State, and we have people from parties across the divide here. I can only commend you for the thoughtfulness that had gone into establishing a forum that is above all about women development and growth.
The Governor added that the male folks have a lot to learn from women in the allocation and management of resources. “We need as many women as possible in government because it makes perfect sense and when you invest women with authority, they make judicious and far more weightier use of it than men in a way that impacts society a lot more significantly.”, He added.
Earlier, the Wife of the Governor , Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who led the women on the courtesy visit to the Governor, had, while introducing the group, said that the Forum of Women in Leadership (FWiL) was established as a platform for women in leadership positions to interact, build up confidence and self esteem as well as for capacity building and professionalism.
Mrs. Fayemi explained that the state and indeed the country will benefit from the experience and expertise of members of the FWiL, because nation building, according to her, rests on the shoulders of women. She added that an investment in women is a wise and gainful choice.
Meanwhile, aside preparing for its maiden public event which will formally announce its birth, members of the group will soon attend a capacity building workshop in Kenya, organized in collaboration with the African Leadership Centre.
Last modified: August 12, 2012
