Dr. (Mrs.) Christabel Reagan Okoye is the Executive Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Drug Monitoring (NANDRUM); Coordinator, Excellence Women International (EWI), Publisher, Christabel Magazine and Ambassador, Joint Committee on Drugs and Aquatics, National Assembly. In an interview with ABBANAOBI EKU-ONYEKACHI, she urged the Senate to consider incorporating a provision into the constitution that guarantees that two of the three senators from each state should be women and one third of membership of the House of Representatives also. Excerpts:
Gender equity is one of the bills to be discussed at the constitution review, what is your views on that?
I think one quarter of House of Representatives should be women. Women should be considered. Is very, very important. We are mothers, and we have passion for this. And when women are included, you see a lot of difference. Sorry to say, so many women are not corrupt. Women are out to build, so I plead that up to quarter, one quarter of women be included in this Constitution for a beginning.
What I mean is one female Senator out of the three senators in each zone. Just two for men and one for women. It is very good, do you understand? Yes, one senator should be a woman and two men. This is a very good consideration for us as women.
But there some women in the present Senate, what are you complaining about then?
We only have four senators among the 109 senators. Is it not laughable and is this significant? You know, the number is almost nothing. It’s zero. So it’s not fair.
Are you satisfied in the area of appointive positions?
Not at all. You know, let the Belgian Declaration be implemented in Nigeria. In Nigeria, 30% of appointment should be for the women. Please consider women. We are human beings, and we have this urge to do things right. Belgian declaration should be strictly adhered to and several countries had taken it, why not Nigeria do the same?
Can you react to the belief that women are enemies to themselves and that most women will not support women in an election?
Well, I can’t say it’s true or not true. Women are not as strong as men and those things you consider women are fighting one another, that was then, because at the moment, women are out to fight women. I coordinate Excellent Women International for 24 years.
This year we will be having our 24th annual international conference. And this is place where women gather to encourage each other. Please discard the belief that women are fighting each other. We have passed that level. The positions have been occupied by the male, and as you know they are equally fighting against each other. So that one is no longer an issue.
Can we also have your views in the law on local government autonomy?
Let the local government autonomy be implemented in line with the verdict of the Supreme Court. I don’t understand the essence of this, after the Apex court of the land has passed a verdict that the local government autonomy be included in the constitution and implemented fully.
Can we have your views on the Bill for the establishment of state police?
State police should be the first thing to be considered. Now, I’m talking this minute, if there’s state police, you see, this reckless killings, thes illegal trespassing, the recklessness everywhere, will come to an end. So, why not do something immediately?
It should be the first thing to be considered, because it is when you have life that you talk of appointment, talk of women being this and being that. Please, let state police be considered. What is delaying it defeats my imagination.
I travel far and wide. I go from Abuja to Sokoto, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger States, among others to do programs, and at any slightest noise, my heart will skip a bit. I know God is there for us, but we are human beings. You understand me?
If I travel outside the country, you see there’s this kind of peace that you don’t even want to come back home, but you don’t have any option on returning home. This is our country; we all have to protect our country. So, state police is very crucial; it had to be done today.
You are always in forefront of the fight against drug abuse, why the interest?
Thank you very much for a beautiful time, guys, you know that I still want to talk about drug abuse which is breaking down our youths and if we don’t do anything fast about this, it will degenerate to uncontrollable level. You see youth of this nation, and I’m an employer of labor. I keep employing people.
Their brains have been tampered with. As I talk to you now, for one year, I don’t have a driver and the reason is that when I get a driver and discover that he is smoking hemp, how can a reckless person carry you once you are smoking, your head is gone gagger, Don’t you see what is also happening in hotels, reckless killings. You cannot even get a hotel to rest without great fears catching you, as if you would be slaughtered in the night.
You see, you are walking in the street and talking murmuring. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is doing very well. They are okay, but let all hands be on the deck concerning the reckless use of drugs.
This is the the fight l started since 2006 with NAFDAC, later with the NDLEA and now with the National Assembly. Please we need to do something fast about drug abuse and reckless behavior, trafficking and so many other things, so that all these problems you know, will be brought to a zero percentage.
PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Okoye
