In 1999, the nation known as the “giant of Africa”
transitioned from an almost 20 year military dictatorship into a democracy. The Man elected to head
this new democratic government was the one-time
military head of state President Olusegun Mathew
Obasanjo, known simply as “OBJ” to many within
and outside the country. As a Nigerian, it was a
dream come-true for me to witness this new era in
the political environment of my country. It meant
that the opinions of the ordinary people actually
counted for something, and that their interests will
be protected, being chaperoned by the Nigerian constitution.
Many things could be said about the two-term
Presidency of President Obasanjo, because it was
filled with numerous success stories. He re-negotiated Nigeria’s foreign debt to the Paris club and paid it
off, He granted GSM licences to competent operators
and created an enabling environment for them to create what has now become the largest telecoms market
in Africa. Prior to 1999 you could count on one hand
the number of people outside of government that had
access to mobile communication but today, they’re as
common as agege bread.
Banks and financial institutions flourished, the
stock market came alive and flourished, international
investors flocked to Nigeria and invested billions
upon billions of dollars across the country. President
Obasanjo brokered a peace between the North and
South that was comparable to the “Pax Romana” that
was created by Caesar Augustus (the sacred one)
arguably the greatest Emperor in the history of the
Roman Empire. Of President Obasanjo’s numerous achievements, the one act that stood head and
shoulders above the rest was his recognition of the
countless talented and qualified Women of Nigerian
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BY PAUL OKADE Jr
ancestry who needed to be grafted into the very centre of national leadership.
From national icon’s such as Professor Dora Aku-
nyili to World renowned bankers like Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala , President Obasanjo recognized the
fact that as a nation which claims to adhere to the
true democratic principles of fairness and equality,
Women had to take their rightful positions within
the corridors of power. As a Man who was raised by
a strong, educated and highly accomplished Woman,
and now also married to one, and also become the
proud Father of yet another one, I have experienced
firsthand the immeasurable and irreplaceable qualities that Women possess. They simply have an innate
ability to make anything that they touch “better”.
Women are the backbone of every home and the
lifeblood of communities, Cities and nations, and
it was only just and right that they should also be
well represented in national politics. This quality
that President Obasanjo possessed was passed on
to his protégé and current head of state of the federal republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele
Azikiwe Jonathan. President Jonathan has continued
this trend of selecting and appointing to their rightful
positions educated, experienced and service driven
Women to strategic positions within his cabinet, and
also within government run institutions. It was this
philosophy that informed his decision to appoint on
the 6th of April 2010 Mrs Deizani Alison-Madueke
to the position of Minister of Petroleum resources.
Mrs Deizani Alison-Madueke, who holds an MBA
from Cambridge University, has well over 10 years
experience in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry and
amongst her numerous accomplishments in the private sector was her appointment as the first ever