Sen Helen Esuene on Solidarity Visit to NUJ Says This is the time to try Women in Governance

By Ephraim Ikpe

The Senator representing Eket Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Her Excellency, Senator Helen Udoakaha Esuene has said that a time has come for new  people in general  and women in particular to be given opportunity in governance.

“There are times and seasons.  Men have been there over the years and we have assisted them thus far; they have done a fantastic job, but it is time to try the women.  Like I have said, this is the season to put more women on the job of governance”, she said.

The former first lady of the former South-Eastern state of Nigeria made this position known while on a solidarity visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Press Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on July 12, 2014.

She confirmed that she would be in the 2015 governorship race but would speak on the matter at the appropriate time.  She said she was interested in the kind of government and leadership that would be in empathy with the governed as well as create jobs for the citizenry, especially the youths.  She said she has many things in her kitty waiting to be rolled out when the time comes.

Senator(Mrs) Helen Udoakaha Esuene

Speaking to a cross section of Journalists at the press centre, she apologized for her inability to make the ground breaking ceremony of the Godswill Akpabio International Press Centre, which event was performed by Governor Godwill Akpabio early this month.  She said that it was not out of place for her to still come around to identity with the spirit and letter of the said project.

In the spirit of the 2014 World Cup Mundial, Senator Esuene stated that it was instructive to note that of the four countries that made the game to the finals, three(Germany, Argentina and Brazil) of those countries were headed by women.

Answering questions on some topical issues about Nigeria, governance and  whether the National Assembly has a positive mindset about the  recommendations of the National Conference, Senator Esuene said it was a “yes and no” answer as whatever resolutions and recommendations were made would have to be articulated into Bills by the Presidency and sent to the National Assembly which would allow same go through the normal stages of law making processes to be deliberated upon clause by clause before finally passed into law. 

She said they would not do otherwise as such were just resolutions and not the Constitution of the country.  She recalled what happened during the National Political Conference of 1995 which the entire recommendation of that Conference was thrown away because of what she called “just one item, which was the third term”.  She said the third term thing caused many good recommendations of that Conference to be thrown away, adding that some of the issues being discussed in the current National Conference were taken in that confab, but believed that such mistake would not repeat itself.

She hoped that this time around the recommendations of the Conference would be taken in piecemeal so that whatever should be dropped would not affect such recommendations that would be passed into law.

Asked whether she was not worried that the governor has already supported someone else from her Senatorial District, she stated that the governorship was zoned to her Senatorial District and she was very much on the line, adding that by the grace of God she will make it.

Reacting to a question on what could be considered an appropriate percentage  of derivation formula agreed to be paid to the oil producing states as canvassed by the national confab, she said it was not yet uhuru as the recommendations of the Conference would still be subjected to the deliberations and approval of the National Assembly.  She pointed out that there was no formula every Nigerian would welcome as everybody needs more money and that there were different stories by all sections of Nigeria to tell bothering on ecology, population, land mass etc.

In reaction to whether the people of Eket Senatorial District have asked her to run for the 2015 governorship she said it was her personal decision, promising to concentrate on industrialization, jobs creation and integration of the people of the state from the village heads to the common people on the streets, if given the chance to be governor. 

She stated that the issues of rape, child abuse, violence, 35% affirmative action were seriously addressed by her Senate Committee on Women, children and Welfare, and that there was no week one activity or the other is not done by her Committee.  She stated that the issue of women and children was an ongoing thing, appealing to NUJ to use the many mediums in its disposal to fight against obnoxious and harmful practices against women and children.

On the rumor that she was using her governorship aspiration to negotiate for a second term in the Senate, she stated in strong terms that whether she makes the governorship or not she was not going back to the Senate as it was an unwritten agreement that she would do one term and would not renege on that, adding that integrity should be brought into governance by politicians saying and doing the things they say.

Earlier, she had commiserated with the NUJ on the loss of one of its members, a veteran journalist, Obong Nse Ebong and appealed for one minute silence in honour of the departed.  Senator Esuene congratulated Elder Patrick Albert for emerging the new State Chairman of NUJ with his executive members and called on him to carry everybody along.  He thanked Elder Patrick for his achievements within the period of less than one year in office and charged him to keep the spirit, saying that Chief Akpabio after whom the new press centre is named is a visionary leader of note who commands respect and commendations for concrete achievements recorded in the state so far.  

In his remarks the State Chairman of the NUJ, Elder Patrick Albert thanked the Senator for finding time to come on a solidarity visit to the press centre. He said his administration has focused on rebranding of the image of the union in terms of  training via workshops and seminars, good relationship building with all tiers of government, facelift of the institutional structures through refurbishing of existing administrative structure, building of perimeter fence around the 1.4hectare land mass, Mini club House and a gate house, welfare of the journalists and tackling of unethical practices and quackery. 

He called for the Senator’s support for the speedy completion of the Mini Club House billed for commissioning by first week of August 2014 to mark one year of his administration.  The NUJ boss was grateful to Senator Esuene adding that NUJ would partner those who identify with it, support and encourage good governance but would not be bought by anybody.

Senator Esuene later donated  in support of the NUJ projects and promised to get in touch with the leadership of the NUJ to render more support in the future.