Ireti Kingibe, senator representing the federal capital territory (FCT), says being a woman in the national assembly is pretty difficult.

Kingibe spoke on Thursday, when an anonymous person at the 2024 edition of Voice of Women (VOW) conference and awards, accused her of abandonment and ingratitude after women cast their votes for her.

The event had the theme: ‘Achieving Women Inclusion for a Sustainable Nigeria’.

The anonymous speaker said FCT women voted for the senator due to a trust in the capabilities of women, but that since last year, there has been no avenue or town hall organised by the senator to show her gratitude.

“Now, those women we mobilised are now looking at us and saying that they have given us money, they have given us salt, rice, when there is nothing as such. They didn’t even call us to their inauguration, they didn’t come back to say thank you,” she said.

Responding, Kingibe said there is a misconception on what governance entails.

She said instead of going to meet people individually, she believes in bringing governance to the people through her initiatives.

“I have been a senator for a year and half, I am primarily a legislator. I have bills waiting to be passed, creating the nursing and midwifery school In Gwagwalada, I have a maternal free healthcare for women. I have a few of such bills still pending,” she said.

“But notwithstanding, since I have been a senator, I have empowered and I have everything on record. I have empowered 10,000 people. Now, it is not possible… FCT has 4 to 5 million people and for me to personally see everybody that voted for me.

“I am also building a 50-bed hospital, I am putting up an ICT centre in Gwagwalada and Nyanya. I paid with my personal money 2,000 JAMB forms for free.

“So, at the end of the day, governance means to me… bringing things for the general good and not for the individual.

“The truth is that being a woman in the national assembly is very, very, very hard. So, I have to lobby for everything. When I leave here, I will go to the national assembly, sign in and then go from ministry to ministry so that all those things that doesn’t get attention by the executive, I can slip them into the budget from lobbying different ministers to put it in their budget.

“I have also renovated with my personal money and made allowance for the ante-natal centre in Gwagwalada teaching hospital. Any of you can go and verify all these things.

“So, I’m sorry. Yes, women complain, I haven’t come to them one by one; it is not possible. It is either I do that and then you don’t get anything else.

“So that is my frustration and I want women to understand that you are voting for other women so that our general lives will improve not because she is going to come and meet you personally.”

Also speaking during the event, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, chief executive officer of Women Radio, urged President Bola Tinubu to lend his voice and political will to the inclusion of women in Nigerian politics and socio-economic spaces.

“I call on President Bola Tinubu to lend his voice to securing the 74 seats allocated to women. Use your voice and political will to elevate women inclusion in Nigerian politics and society to global standards,” she said.

Sonaiya also called on female participants at the event to put aside their emotions, societal limitations and support women in the election of women to leadership positions.

“I don’t believe the saying that women forget other women when they get into positions of power. I say, let’s get them into government first,” she said.

“That way, we can have more people representing our needs. If you have money, no matter how little, support the campaign of a woman seeking elective positions.”

A federal high court in Abuja has barred the directorate of road traffic services, also known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from stopping and impounding vehicles, as well as imposing fines on motorists.

The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Evelyn Maha, the presiding judge, in a suit filed by human rights lawyer, Marshal Abubakar.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, listed the director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, its area commander, the team leader of the Jabi branch, and the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) as respondents.

Maha ruled that the VIO, which operates under the control of the FCT minister, has no legal authority to stop or impound vehicles, and to fine drivers.

She described such actions as oppressive, wrongful, and unlawful, issuing a restraining order against the respondents from impounding vehicles or imposing fines.

The court also issued a perpetual injunction, prohibiting the VIO and its agents from violating citizens’ rights to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and ownership of property without lawful justification.

The judgment was delivered via Zoom and upholds Abubakar’s argument that the VIO’s actions were beyond their legal powers.

The Rivers police command says its officers would not provide security for the conduct of the local government election in the state.

In a statement issued on Thursday night, Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokesperson in Rivers, said the command is complying with an order of the federal high court in Abuja.

BACKGROUND

The Rivers LG election is scheduled for Saturday, October 5.

There has been palpable tension in Rivers due to the prolonged turf war between Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers; and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

The local government election is now being viewed in both camps as a referendum on who really controls the grassroots.

The Wike camp is seemingly opposed to the conduct of the election on Saturday.

On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise.

On October 2, INEC said it had not released the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election, in deference to the judgment of the federal high court.

On October 3, a crowd besieged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, to protest against the planned local government election.

However, Fubara has vowed to proceed with the election and has declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays.

‘SECURITY AGENCIES SHOULD COMPLY WITH COURT ORDER’

Iringe-Koko advised other security agencies to comply with the court judgment by not providing security for the election.

“On July 19, 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a restraining order preventing the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from providing security during the Local Government Election,” the statement reads.

“Additionally, on September 30, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that again prohibited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from participating in the Local Government Election.

“Given these circumstances, the Nigeria Police Force has been advised by the Force Legal Department that the ruling from the Federal High Court on September 30, 2024, takes precedence.

“Recently, an opposition party protested, calling for adherence to the court orders and expressing their determination to prevent any disregard for the law.

“The Nigeria Police Force encourages all parties to seek appropriate legal redress if they feel aggrieved by any decisions or actions related to the election process.

“The Nigeria Police Force is dedicated to maintaining law and order and will not stand idly by in the face of potential disturbances. Necessary actions will be taken to enforce the court’s orders.

“All Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Commanders have been directed to ensure full compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court.

“In view of the above, the Nigeria Police Force has been advised by the Force Legal Department to comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court dated September 30, 2024, which bars the Nigeria Police from allowing, participating in, providing security for, or taking part in the Rivers State Local Government Election on October 5, 2024.

“All other security agencies are also implored to comply with the Federal High Court judgment.”

The police asked residents to “cooperate with law enforcement in upholding the rule of law during this crucial period”.