Some women in Bauchi on Saturday applauded the Federal Government (FG) on poverty alleviation programmes that uplifted the livelihood of households in Bauchi state.
Newsmen report that the women expressed their views in a Vox pop by the agency in Bauchi to mark 2021 Democracy day.
Mrs. Aisha Baba, a community development worker, said that under the present administration’s conditional cash transfer (CCT), girls in rural communities were enrolled in basic education.
She said that rural women who engaged in petty businesses had brought change in their families’ economic status.
“As a community worker, I see changes in rural women because of CCT, some are now into livestock while others are petty traders with additional incentive for their girls’ education,” she said.
While congratulating the present administration on investing in human development, she urged President Muhammadu Buhari to curb the menace of insecurity for Nigeria democracy to excel.
Also, Mrs Maryam Sanusi, a food vendor under the Home Grown School Feeding programme in Bauchi, said that democracy had proved to be the government of the people.
“I was privileged to be a food vendor under the Home Grown School Feeding and with four children I have enrolled in College of Education to obtain National Certificate in Education (NCE),” Sanusi said.
Hajiya Amina Garuba, Founder, Ikra Foundation for Women and Youth Initiative, expressed dissatisfaction with women representation in governance.
She said that the plight of women would be better identified by involving women in policymaking.
Garuba said that women in politics should embark on mentoring younger ones to avoid a vacuum in the future.
“Women in politics are few but we have those nursing the ambition.
“Older ones should start mentoring them so as not to allow room for vacuum in the future,” she said.
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Mrs. Sheba Daniel, a market woman, said that the economic status of an average Nigerian had affected market transactions.
“We see more people coming for credit, mostly because of non-payment or delay in salary payment.
“I have a provision store and a restaurant for serving cooked food; I am making a brisk business but for the store. I have to develop a way of restocking the shop because of credit,” she said.
She said that elected officers should develop workable policies that would lift salary earners out of unpaid salary syndrome.
