In the just concluded 2014 MMS Plus Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame which was well attended by icons of the industry and political circle from across the country. Both old and young, men and women have something to say about the event which has been described in some quarters as the best that anyone can do to womenfolk.
Below are the comments of the people at the event:
Jimi Agbaje, PDP Governorship candidate in Lagos State:
Women constitute some 50% of the population and it is important that they hold their own with the male counterpart because if we are not bringing up women, it means we are working at 50% efficiency; it means we are carrying the whole baggage that is weighing the country back. So, it is important that the women are holding their own with the male counterpart.
This award will encourage women. By the time you are getting role models, by the time you are recognizing those that have shown leadership hopefully other women would want to join.
My message to the younger generation of women is that everybody is a leader in his or her own right and we just have to imbibe those skills about good leadership and with more good leaders, Nigeria will be a better place.
Princess Ada Okwy Ibe:
Today’s event is very wonderful. People honored are well deserving of it. This is an avenue to appreciate women. This kind of event enlightens women and keeps them up to date to recent information. The younger generation should have patience. I advise them to attend forum like this to learn from the older generation. It is an educative event.
Kunle Folarin, Chairman, Ports Consultative Council (PCC)
Women are pathfinders in the maritime industry. That is how we can show the way and how we can support the women in developing the maritime industry. We are going to draw the roadmap to the promise land and in doing this, we have to look at what are the roles our women have performed and most suitable to perform in the maritime industry.
In administration, there is no question that our women folk have achieved a lot there. We are not going to talk about what the women had done in all the maritime agencies, the legal profession particularly maritime law, also not going to talk about the roles they have played in academics because a lot of women now actually involve in training the young people in universities and polytechnics in the maritime sector.
We are also not going to talk about navigation; women have come of age in navigation in Nigeria. When we say women are pathfinders in the maritime sector, we are saying women are more suitable to overcome multi-tasks and multi-professional duties in the maritime industry. Perhaps some of you know already that there are over 160 Nigerian young people who are undergoing training in the nautical sciences, marine engineering, nautical surveys and other aspects of the maritime sector.
That means that we are going to have a lot of women who are going to be marine engineers on most of the ships that are on Nigerian waters. What you are seeing today is that women have continued to open doors, play major parts in our national development and the maritime is key to our national development. Today, you all know that we are celebrating the women but we should be able to encourage them to open more doors for the women.
Women who are training today in the maritime sector either in nautical sciences, marine engineering or administration are key to the development of Nigeria. So, when we measure the GDP of Nigeria, we shall find a place for the contribution of women in the maritime sector.
Now the road map, when we are saying gender equality, before I was almost tempted to say that the female gender surpasses the men in certain areas. We know that women because of their family lives find it difficult to go to sea but today things have changed, a ship can sail from one port to the other within 24 hours, so women can still keep their family lives but most importantly, it is to look at the role of women in maritime sector for the future. We challenge all the men folk to give space for the women in positions of authority in the maritime sector.
It is only through this way that we will be sure that the women will continue to be pathfinders in the sector.
Theresa Chukwuedo, Assistant General Manager, FAAN representing Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma, the Executive Director, Human Resources, FAAN
I see the program of today as something to encourage women, not just sitting back and saying that it is a man’s world. The program is something that encourages women to come out and participate in activities in the country in various arts or trade. I think the program is a very laudable one and should continue, that is my Executive Director’s wish.
It is an encouragement; it will rather make them forge ahead the more seeing the models or inductees receive their awards. The late Dora has always been my role model, she is somebody I look up to so, seeing her honoured today, is a thing of joy personally to me and I think to every other woman that aspires to be something in the society. To those who are being honoured, it is dedication hard work and commitment that took them to the height.
My Director works smart not just because she is my Director she is a personal friend. She is someone that has human feelings. She is an unsung heroine. She touches lives. She is someone that loves people. She is someone that wants to impart people, make you productive, she is “I can do it woman. She believes in success, impossibility is not in her dictionary.
My message to the younger generation is that they should keep trying even if they fail, they should try again
This award will surely encourage my Director to forge ahead knowing full well that she is being recognised. She will keep impacting on people; she will bring people out of nothing ad make them something. She always has something to add to people.
