The Transition Committee Chairman of Ika Local Government Area, Mrs Inibehe Silas Etukudo has expressed concern over the gender sentiment being peddled in some quarters in Ika, stating that capacity and ability to perform is not gender sensitive.
Mrs.Etukudo who stated this while interacting with newsmen in her office in Uruainyang maintained that it is only myopia that could be responsible for such sentiments.
She noted that God is the ultimate, the giver of power and gives it to whomever He pleases, adding that God has made her a trail blazer since her childhood and as the first female councillor in Ika.
According to her, “there is no gender that has monopoly of capacity for leadership; some female leaders have done amazingly well in the history of Nigeria and the world at large. It is disappointing for people to still weep the sentiment of male or female in the call to leadership position.
“I think they should rather say what they can do, what they have done and what they want to do for the people of Ika. By the grace of God, for the little time I have served as the Transition Committee Chairman of Ika, I have made some modest impact in the area.
For instance, in terms of security, when I came on board, there was no army again in the area, the barrack was deserted. And based on the level of insecurity that I met in the area, I knew that we cannot just fight with sticks or bare hands hence, the need to bring in the security operatives and I made efforts to bring back the army which are stationed in Ika today with the help of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“He has sent in army from 2 brigade to forward operation base at IkotUdoIka. Then I have been having periodic meetings with the security operatives, the DSS, the Police, Civil Defence and others. We have been meeting to ensure a lasting solution as far as insecurity is concern. We are aware of some security challenges in the neighbouring local government areas, and we know that challenges like this are always contagious-when it happens in one area, there is the tendency for it to spill over to neighbouring areas-But I thank God that He has given me the enablement and that Ika boundaries are secured.
“The Police are working tirelessly and the army are patrolling day and night to ensure that Ika is secured. And if you have been to Odoro Ward 2, there was a deserted Police Station there right from 2002, but on the 3rd July, that station was reopened for police to be there and also check that axis.
“Since I assume office, Ika has not recorded any case of youth restiveness. The police are patrolling the area and gathering necessary intelligence and by the grace of God, we have not recorded any instance of restiveness.
Although we know that some political jobbers can incite the youth into some crisis and against the administration to create an impression that a woman is not capable of providing security in the area, but there have not been any incidence of restiveness. Even the youth are very appreciative of my achievements thus far.
“Aside from security, I was sworn in on the 4th July, 2016, and on the first week of August, I organised free holiday classes for students across the three clans of the local government – Achan, Ito and Odoro which yielded a lot of fruit and was very successful. At the end of that programme, we gave prices to the best performed students,” she noted.
The Transition Committee Chairman stated that her concern was to ensure the welfare of the people of Ika and especially, the grass root adding that she will stop at nothing to ensure that Ika people enjoy good leadership.
She therefore urged the people of the area to be peaceful and law-abiding and to support the Governor Udom Emmanuel led administration in the state.
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