 Welcome back. Yesterday we had some kind of heated argument if I might say that, but even though we knew where the pendulum should swing, we were talking about women participation in politics and whether the ground is free and fair enough for the women to participate in politics and all that. But what better person to talk about this than someone who is already in the field and struggling to carve out a niche for herself and for all the women who might be looking up to her. And of course, like we said yesterday, under international standards, both men and women should have equal rights and opportunities to everything, and most especially to participate fully in all aspects and at all levels of political processes. Globally, women constitute over half of the world's population and contribute in vital ways to societal development generally. In Nigeria, we see politics as the man's tough. This is an unspoken slogan. Nobody talks about it, but we all know it. You know, it's like hamatan in the air. You breathe it. You breathe it. You just know it's there, but you can't touch it. And this has, you know, continued to play over the years as we witness a low participation of women in mainstream politics. And joining us this morning to talk about this is Barista Juliet E.C. Ikahere. Please forgive me if I didn't get that pronunciation properly. You would correct me later. She's the ADC House of Representatives candidate for AMAC and Bwari Federal Constituency, Abuja. You're welcome, ma'am. All right. Let's take it up from where we, you know, started last yesterday. We were going to ask you, how would you describe women participation in politics in Nigeria as of today? Okay. The honest is that men are only three. In fact, it's two-thirty days in Nigeria. Why do I say we have to wait for the men to attack them? For me, that's the rest of the day. Well, had we men over the age of eight, we are old, as leaders, since I just say, it's about interest. So, over the years, we have been creating policies, but the problem is, have women be able to reach for an exit that puts them at a position by which they can reach a national policy, a state policy, and all policy. So, at the point where they play their role in this, and something is better for the entire group. That side is either lack of intentionality, and these are as a result of the clause that if you make a decision at some time, none of them are likely to reach your family, yourself, as you move out, and it will not work. All right. I think we had a little challenge with your, you know, connection again. We could barely hear you, but let's see how that goes. You've mentioned a couple of things, you know, about women participation in Nigerian politics. But what would you say are the major challenges facing women's ability to participate fully in politics? Oh, yes. These are numerous. One of the problems that I bring up every time is the lack of translational education from older generation to older generation. You see that a whole lot of things, if it's for display policy, are aiding people to get to different positions. What might you say? Yes. How much women come forward in a year. For now, able to identify women's candidates and able to amplify their policy problems related to female issues and domestic issues in the negative. So that is a problem. Okay. We want to apologize for the poor audio. We would call back the barista. She will join us shortly before the end of this session. Yamgul, from the little things that she has said, what did you pick out? I hope it will not be like the day that someone said something, and I heard wrongly. So if I heard her correctly, she mentioned some of the challenges that women face, family, and so many other things. But she made a very salient point when she said transmission of some kind of knowledge or education from an older generation to the new one, there's been a gap. And the reasoning of the people of the new generation is different from what the older generation was reasoning, like how they did politics. The women in those days did politics. It's not the same way the women of today may want to take politics. And that's why some of them are getting to the level that they're getting. So I think education in a political space to the people who should be involved in politics generally is not as good as it should be. All of us have to be deliberate about educating the people. It doesn't matter the sex anyway, whether man or woman. We need to be deliberate about how we tell the people their responsibility and their rights when it comes to seeking political positions, whether to be voted for or voting for someone else. We need to do more. And by the time she joins us again, one question I would want to ask her is, she mentioned about this passing on knowledge down to the younger generation. And I'm sorry, I stand to be corrected. But then the women who had played politics before women in my generation right now, there are the goals that the complaints started from. You guys are not doing enough, you're not doing it properly. We want more of you in politics. Do you think the way that they played politics is the same thing we want to come and repeat at this time? Because what I feel like is if we're saying educate the women, because we're talking about women in politics today, so I would like to keep it to that. If we're saying educate the women and bring them further into the front burner of politics in the country, I don't think the education we need is from the old to the new. I think the education we need is the proper, correct way to play politics. Okay, well, let me just say this. No knowledge is wasted. The older generation may not have played politics the way people nowadays want to play the politics, but they should know what made them not able to reach the apex of political aspirations. So whatever knowledge they share with the people who are more daring, who are the people of nowadays, then the people of nowadays will now take that knowledge and see what they will avoid. That's the much there is to take from the older generation. It's not a safe, okay, we couldn't do this, and then we'll come and tell you that you also cannot do it. They will tell us because of this and that, because of ABC in our time, we couldn't do it. It's left for the new generation to say, okay, this thing in our generation does not exist again, or even if it does exist, this is how much we are daring enough to take the bull by the horn and do what we need to do. But once you start stifling history, putting it, relegating it to the background and all that, no matter how bad it was, the viewer will be very bleak. I don't think you understood what I meant. I'm not saying stifle history or take it away. You said it is not from the older generation that didn't play the politics that women should have played that we should take as that. It was a question. There are women who have been actively playing politics that are still relevant today in Nigeria. Those of them, we know them, we know their names. Those are the people that could actually pass the knowledge that we're looking for. My point is... But those are the only ones that we know. If the ones that you say are relevant till today are the ones we can take advice from, these are the only ones we will look for. They are not the only ones. You don't understand what I'm saying. How do you take advice from a person who never participated? Oh, there are people who participated, but we didn't know about them. We didn't hear about them because, you know, okay, our guest is back. I'm sure she's the best person to answer these questions. Welcome back, Parista. Can you hear us? Very well. All right. Your audio is proper way better now. So when we had that short interruption, we were bantering among ourselves and Gula and I. Because before you went off, you said something about passing the knowledge from the older generation to the younger generation. And I was asking a question. If we heard you right. Yes. I was asking a question. These people that we would want to tag as the women who had played politics in the older generation are the same women who the entire society has been complaining about how they are very complacent with politics. They are not forthcoming and they are not playing it properly. Do you think that that is the kind of knowledge you want to pass from the older generation to the younger generation? Or do you think it's a different knowledge altogether? Not at all. What I mean is the knowledge that we send in place to pass is the knowledge of association. Good association coming together after people. You know, now that it's signed by a lot of people who do not form the race association to portray the right cause. It's more of like NGOs. But it still forms part of this. But you know that the association is in NGOs from participating in politics. So what I want to understand is that it could be women in business, women in entrepreneurial, women doing skills and a whole lot. Young girls coming together not just seeing themselves as beautiful people but as women that are more passionate about mission building. Now, this older generation, that was the only point at the beginning they should have passed on. How to relate to fellow women so that they can be able to see themselves more as teachers than as competitors. Now, what the older generations could have been doing was is the fact that they have used the opportunity given to them to actually shape the society. Whereby they go together in their numbers to collect gift items from these politicians it's all standing up to demand for what is actually necessary. Just women among themselves who have played good roles in the society and provide their voices. The major challenges women have and I see it most of the time they say women are too loud. Even here your fellow man telling you you shouldn't be loud. You shouldn't be very vocal. You shouldn't be attractive. So what did the women want? What kind of politics did they want women to play? Is it the politics of silence? When people are going out and telling us to talk about how they are accepting about ambitions I don't know if they forget that many women work in universities and take on the commerce of their class. So to get this position to themselves it's all standing in a position whereby they can be able to propagate this business itself in class, in sex, in business fields and this also plays its role in governance. Even in governance where business when contractors come to talk to the whole lot you bring your skills up in building, in contracts and all you bring your knowledge in clearing and this are the women we want to see who actually help to amplify the voices of not just young women for themselves. The potential to tell it is a state policy that I need more to women organizations because if these women come out to their normal to see how much effort we are putting into play among other women doing this women to win elections why don't we ask the right question do women a place in Asia and if you work in a media station how do the other women to get a state jet do women doing this to high cover positions to cover programs why don't women do this is there a crime to actually help a fellow woman how many voices to be heard if all women come together to be able to vote more jobs vote as a woman I know people less often in the world are the women are the women focus on the competency of that female candidate and do not at any time place her over a mass make it seem as if you are giving the board genders equal opportunities and when you see the woman doing as much as she will amplify her voice it doesn't take anything and these are the challenges we face aside money money but there are so many strategies women will be able to able to sell through in politics without always focusing on the money imagine it in a group they have said about 1,000 women who have 1,000 children who's youth also have 1,000 friends and it's going to get like that just as the issues that we need to have time to celebrate about so the challenges are born the amplification of women's voices by women men are already doing a lot for themselves if a student is doing a party giving the other party handshake a public meeting and the party but they are giving up on cost-manship in politics and these are the things I've told people I admire women like I admire women who are deliberate and they know what they are doing in politics the part I'm going to mean I will not give up on other women who is doing excellently well and we have quality talent if you see they are going on you tackle them in a constructive manner don't tear down don't call another woman a person who is doing quality amplify those haters who feel that you know she will be able to excel and commit to nation beauty but we are intentional on how to have a society of women that are more being governed for the right reasons Thank you Before we get to how you climbed to where you are right now a lot of people have said the political climate in itself is not very favorable to the women apart from the fact that you are talking about the fact that women may not be supporting women the way they should which I agree but what are some of the things within the political space that you think need to be urgently changed to make the playing field more conducive for women to participate in politics Right because two days ago I was able to see to arrive a woman who gave to reach out but before now what for the lack of the lack in the executive and the lack of a women issue I left the female gender I was expressing the right in the executive it is so much to agree of the executive of the fact that I want to be executive before you you know and it's like just like yeah we were fully participate of the party we have to have what are some of those things that you feel should be changed now to make the playing field more conducive and level for the participation of women you started answering it but we didn't get the audio quite well so you might want to start from the beginning again Oh yes I was talking about the same treatment given to the executive by giving them the left finger ground to hide their voices but also to be given to the executive yes and these are also saying I am a woman but give them the both all candidates to be able to debate on a national also national offices so if it's for the state level we put the same for the house of a candidate and also the executive for the government and also for the nation and also the federal you do the same try to make it the place for for the executive you also do the same for the so that's the word because if truly Nigeria wants to separation of power they should understand that given the executive so much power next to the executive and try to do a product of the executive and also another level that should be given media outflattens also deliberately reach out to women not just men so while I think I thought I was trying to downplay the issue of the known party system women who are trying to get their voices in and also to be as their male bigger platform because we already know most big political platforms got this wrong by giving only the male for example we are running for the house of red the APC and PDC have male candidates so you can also do the same platform as big parties because you should not judge the candidates based on their parties but by their individual competence and skills that they are bringing to the people so that was one of the things that you need to also do and then also I think it's not the media it's not the media because we cannot talk about organizations because they are not allowed to play politics but they can also need help so we cannot just reach out to talk to political women who are in top political parties but also women in other political parties who actually could never claim for all women to be given an equal opportunity to show their skills and then another thing I think that is just it because the right media women's voices will be heard because of their publicity people's faces will not be able to forget if you are actually interested but you I don't know how this would sound but most of the things you have talked about are not really directly concerned with the political space as it is this is what I mean media house for instance will interview the people in political parties if I find that in APC for instance there are all male candidates and I want to interview them I will interview the male candidate I won't interview the female candidate who is not there and in your state I am sure you might just be the only woman who is running for house of reps and so if we are talking to you right now for instance you are one among a thousand people who we are likely to talk with but we have seen deliberate steps by some parties maybe reducing the amount of money for buying of forms some of them actually giving out the forms for free women contestance so to speak and then doing some other things to encourage the women but the women themselves may not be as forthcoming as they should come up so are there other things that we do not know that we need to voice because we can only voice what we've had a complaint about so what are these things that we need to amplify it's a two way thing as I said I was very fortunate to reach out to buy contacted by IRISE I've been very delicate about my political choice look out on my social media to see the high-risk of the party and talk about gender because it is something we are strategic about our mood and for me what I'm doing I think in like I said we will see more in chapter although I know there are so many clogs like family distraction a lot of things and people look at me like and say ah Julia how do you know how do you know and I tell them no why do you keep on with the right mindset it's just like how you read books in school don't give up because you know all those things people in this to really stay down home to our young women when I run for contact sorry I remember going up on the streets to give flyers and talk at school my fellow genders because I was not there I was on mails it was something that was ridiculous and I was like come help us take your bangles everything by the market you're helping yourself but why are you thinking that politics doesn't affect the general way of life I feel that life will be opportunity to satisfy these people not just like people who go to school and come out and they don't have to they get courage to give the women more incentive to give them all hope to stay at home to understand to talk about your life to know what you've got to do to know what you've got to do to know what to say to know what you want to say so these are the things that help us so that not be that of people. It could be that you despise the story of people going forward. And I can't be discouraged because I thought it would be too hard to be real gender. I thought that it could go off background. What's the difference? How much difference is there about patriotism and self-sufficiency? How much difference is there about hard work? How much difference is there about self-worth? So, what is the difference between the political offices of Canada and that? Really, what can we do forward as a team here? Alright. It's been very enlightening actually, you know, speaking with you, Barista Juliet. And we want to say thank you very much for coming by on the run-up this morning. We appreciate every minute you spent with us. Thank you so much. And we wish you good luck in your endeavours. Thank you, I appreciate it. She said one thing that got to me. She said she was deliberate. She said, in her words, I asked for it and she deliberately put herself out there. I know someone who is contesting but you would not find one of his flyers on his social media platforms. And this is a big person actually, already very popular people know him. I don't know why he's doing that. It's not my business, not my problem. But, you know, the fact that she is deliberate about putting herself out there because it stemmed off of the question that you asked, you know, about how that even the little effort that has been made to give women the chance, the opportunity. A lot of people are not forthcoming. They are not picking up on the opportunity that is being put out there for them. And that is where I hold my agenda. Because, I mean, it's all of us inside. Unfortunately, a lot of times when women are being spoken about, they generalise about everybody. And if we are in that race together, then we need to start holding ourselves accountable. There are lots and lots of women out there who have actually held leadership positions. They might not be political, and they did it, or they are doing it very well right now. And leadership is leadership. Whatever level that, you know, I'm just talking right now. Whatever level it is that you are operating from and you are in a leadership position and you are doing it very well, your people need you as a woman. I'm talking as a woman right now. Your people need you. And there is, let's call it what it is. There are lots of opportunities for women in politics in this generation, in the Nigeria of today. Why are we not picking up on it? It's actually annoying. I used to feel like screaming. That's what I've always been saying. But sometimes when you are of my gender and you're talking and passing the buck to the women, it will sound like, okay, you are supporting the men, you're against the women and all that. But I think women should decide to be what they want to be. Because when you go into an exam hall, for instance, YAG, there is no seat for women, no seat for men. And they have been excelling. They don't give them 35% affirmative action. They don't give them slots for free and all that. But they show their worth in whatever they are doing. So women should stand up. Also, we need to talk to the women that when your gender is doing something, support them. Support on the credit of that person. Not just because she's a woman anyway, that you bring anybody who doesn't fit the bill. But if you see that the person has the capacity, why not? Because a lot of people leave their gender because, yes, whether you like it or not, more men have more money than the women and they run after the money. But have you thought about the well-being of your children? At least women think about that. The future of your children. The truth about it, this is my truth and what I feel is that women, more women see politics as leadership and not as business. Do you get me? More men see it as business, money making venture. It is more women that actually understand what it takes to be organizational, what it takes to be, you know, putting things together and arranging things and making them look good. It is more women that have that skill, which is what is required of leadership. God gave them that. Exactly. So please, let's do this. You're going to be like me till now and you're talking to the women. But it's true. It's whatever we do, the future is ours. And if anybody is concerned about the future, women are more concerned about the future because they have kids in it. Men, yes, they want to provide, they want to do everything, they want to measure up and stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers. But women are meticulous. But you see, like I always say, if politics is a race that requires a fight and you want to go into it, go in with your all and then fight the fight. And then some of us, like she almost accused us, the media, we're open to letting people know what you are about. But if it means that to go to the media, it means giving the media house a million naira. If we collect from the men and ask you to pay, we won't say because you are a woman. We should do it for free. I'm not saying that's what we do because we didn't do that at least for this one. But do have a different mindset. Play your own part. Yeah, play your part. Don't say, I cannot get it. It's a man's thing or anything. If you're ready to enter, go all out. We know women in the society that are better than the men in that same society. We know them. But to get them to come and do what they need to do is a problem. I've had experience of trying to get women on my show in various media houses have worked and they declined. And they need this show to showcase what they are about, not for money-oriented people. I think that's also where the orientation that she was talking about comes to play because a lot of times tradition and society, especially in the African climate, has made it that women are not supposed to be vocal. Women are not supposed to be outspoken. Women are not supposed to be seen. So a lot of times when you open up a program, for example, and you say women know, they say this, this, this, and that, that about us. Or there is this trend on Twitter. Women are complaining about a certain thing. Let's talk about it. It is men that will call. Well, you know, yes. So I'm sorry to cut you short. You know what? What I'm going with that is because, you know, women have been shot down a lot of times. Please try and understand what I'm trying to say here. So it's not easy. In fact, a lot of them don't even understand how that they need to speak up, how that they need to speak out. So that is where the orientation comes up. We need to start changing that mindset. We need to start changing that orientation of a man or a woman. Or you don't know that you're a woman. You should keep quiet. You don't know that you're a woman. Why are you so loud? I'm a woman. I have mouth and voice. I should speak. But you see another thing is my question is, is it the same African continent that shot down the women that had Queen Amina? Who was a woman who could fight? And now we will say in the North women do not have a voice. But Queen Amina came from the North. How much of her voice was quieted down? We had this, the movie that Netflix is just showing right now. The Woman King. The Woman King. All time favorite. It's like a historical thing. But how many of them were like that? But if you go to the same society that produced the Woman King then, you will see women who are resigned to faith. My point is, no matter how we think that the Africans want women to be silent, there are women who have still stood out and done what they are supposed to do. So we should hold on to those? Yes. And see them and see that if they could survive in this society, I too can. So yes, Africans want the women to be silent. But people who survived it are testimonies that you too can do it. So don't go with the mindset. And there's only so much we can do in the media. We can talk to you like we're talking. We may not be able to go to every village and say it. We are hoping that our television station gets to every village. And that's the much we can do. We can't carry the advocacy like National Orientation Agency should do, which they are not doing. We can't carry it like the political parties themselves could do. Because in a village that someone could contest for consulorship as a woman, you will have to hear the news that in their headquarters, there is a form free of charge for women. Some of them don't get to hear this. They don't know. So parties should do it. The government, which has an agency, National Orientation Agency, should do it. Civil societies should do it. Even the women societies themselves that talk about women all the time, forming NGOs here and there should do these things and show working. We could continue having this conversation and it would never end. Trust me. So moving on on the run up, we promised you to bring you newspaper headlines. And that is where we're heading to right now. We're starting off with this very trending headline actually, because we've seen it in different other newspapers. But we're starting with this newspaper. And here this one says, between politics, obese investments, and soludos tirade. Hmm. This conversation doesn't seem to want to end anytime soon. Why would it end? It will not end. But from what Soludo said, a lot of people that I've heard have described this with a saying, that he who the gods want to punish, the first make him mad. I don't know who has been made mad right now. He would have said it. Let's just continue. I don't know. But you know, some utterances from some certain kinds of people should never arise no matter what divide you are. True. They should never arise. Onveiling articles manifest to, before editors and the business communities. That's also from this day newspaper. And still on this day newspaper, this one says, obese Nigerians. I will be in charge of Nigeria. Hold me responsible. My young people on the streets will say he's saying it with his full chest. Yes. Well, personally I like Ruby and what he stands for. But we've heard that before. I know people in government now that have survived with their heads that asked the people, the citizens of Nigeria to stone them. If they do not perform. So far no stone has been aimed at them. Ruby, who you see you go stone? They're still among us. They're still among us. Buying Hennessy for people, buying drinks for people and all that. Settling the boys with packs and all that. But we haven't seen anybody because maybe because there is no avenue like town hall meetings that will really have town people. Because if you say town hall meeting in Lagos here, it's the same elite that will attend the town hall meeting. And then you'll be given questions to ask. Let them go to the villages and say we're having a town hall meeting. And quickly, let's move on because we're running short of time. This one says Adebanjo, it's Ibo's right to produce next president. That's a headline you might want to check out. Yeah, Ibo's right. Or more clearly put, the southeast right. Adebanjo has always said that it is a turn of the southeast. North has had it, south-west, south-south and all that is a turn of the southeast if it has to come to the south. Because northeast may not have had it. And if it comes to the south, southeast should have it. And they have chosen a candidate and they gave reasons or he gave reasons. Only that I do not know if a fenifera will survive 2023. Because now they have five factions. Yes, we've had the ones that endorsed Obi, the other one endorsed Tinugu, the other one endorsed Kuangka. So whoever can come and get endorsement from a fenifera. I hope a fenifera realizes that they are larger than life as it were because they are the only surviving political party from the days of old. Because Pa Adebanjo said they came up as a political party but they survived, they were able to survive because they maintained the name a sociocultural group of the Yoruba people. And the things that they stand for remain the same from their war era till now. Alright, moving on to the next newspaper which happens to be the Von God. It says, as to threatens to speak sessions missed during the strike over no work, no peace. Oh my goodness. So what if they say, well no problem federal government, don't pay for work not done. You can't hold them accountable for... And then who suffers? I am more concerned about the students because there are the people that suffer the most. Imagine if Asu actually goes ahead to do this. That is eight months of work lost. And if you ask me, they will be justified. Okay, we didn't work. Let's go on. No problem. Draw the line, pay us where we start to work and the one behind is lost. Please. There are things that we need to, like they say, use our heads and do what we need to do. This must never arise again. Affliction must never arise again. Fixing economy, poverty reduction, key to solving Nigeria's insecurity problem. That's from OB. And this one says, I will wipe out Boko Haram and revive businesses at Iku Promises Gombe Voters. World Bank to inject $700 million for adolescent girls' education in 19 states. It's another headline. And this one says, you should apologize to Nigerians, not campaign. PDP tells Tinubu, really. Let's move on quickly to the daily post. It said hold 1000... Okay, 2023. 2023, rather. Hold a rally in Kanu. Ganduja challenges Kwon Koso. And moving on to daily trust, it says, as Bihari kicks off all drilling in the north, Bouchi Gombe residents demand jobs and clean environment. I agree. Okay, Nigerians will be poor in... 250 million Nigerians will be poor in the future unless something happens. That's from the UNFPA. They won Nigeria. And I think this is where we draw the curtain, you know, for this... Before the news. Before the news, yes. No, we're not running. We're going back. Before the news. After the news, we'll be back with yet another guest that we might not just want to let out of the bag right now. Stay with us.