Following the sudden demise of the Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oriyomi Onanuga in January, the Chairman, House of Reps Committee on Women Affairs Hon. Kafilat Ogbara has advocated for the consideration of a female as her replacement.
Ogbara, who represents Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Reps stated this last Saturday, during the 60th Founder’s Day Anniversary of Onanuga’s alma mater, Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu.
Ogbara expressed deep concerns over the declining number of female legislatures in the National Assembly, citing the situation in the House of Reps as a case study.
‘I am the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and I am concerned about the declining number of women in the National Assembly’, she said.
‘I’ve also told them that they should see how they can be impactful in ensuring that whoever replaces her in this constituency is also a woman who would even be more proactive and more diligent than she was’.
‘And we are hoping that the government of Ogun State and even the people of the State would support us to have a woman replace her because the number of women in the House is declining by the day and we have lost a leadership position that was being occupied by a woman. We are not happy about this and we hope that we will be compensated by ensuring that a woman replaces ‘Ijaya’ in this constituency’, she added.
Earlier, the federal lawmaker disclosed that she had mixed feelings coming to Sagamu for the event, but expressed happiness that her late colleague, Onanuga was being remembered for good.
‘I am happy that her alma mater is immortalizing her with the inner school roads in Remo Divisional High School, in recognition of her role as a former National President of the Old Students’ Association where she served her alma mater very diligently’.
Speaking further, Ogbara disclosed that she honoured the invitation of the Old Students’ Association as a mark of honour for her Onanuga.
‘I am here today to honour the memory of a former colleague. I understand that she made a pledge to support the association in constructing the road before she passed away. So, I am here to support the leadership of the association and to represent the House leadership at this event, having written to the leadership of the House’.
‘We, as legislators, colleagues of late Oriyomi Onanuga, would see how we can come in to put in our own support in our own way’, she promised.
