STILL ON CELEBRATING WOMEN

It is very refreshing to know that in Nigeria, there are tens and hundreds of women who thinks, and have expressed their thoughts in many great ways, who are thoroughly free and thoroughly conscientious, who have neither been narrowed nor corrupted by the heartless creed of the politicians with downcast eyes for timid acquiescence for corrupt wealth. Women are no longer satisfied with being told that all their duties are all within the kitchen corners. Women who have achieved greatness, women who examine things for themselves and have ceased to be the prisoners of society, the satisfied serfs of husbands, they demanded and have also gotten the rights that naturally belong to all intelligent beings. If wives, they wish to be the equals of husbands. If mothers, they wish to rear their children in the atmosphere of love, liberty and philosophy, hard work with greater achievements, they are the women I adore and respect, women who believe that woman can discharge all their duties without the aid of a man, and preserve all that is true, pure, and tender, with greater sacrifice, I say and I quote Women are not intellectual inferior to men. They lacked not mind, but opportunities.

 In the old days of barbarism, the days of the evolution of the first man, physical strength and the cruelty were used by men as a badge of superiority over women, where muscle was over placed more than the mind; the loving nature of woman was then totally abused. Her conscience was rendered morbid, horrid and diseased. It might almost be said that she was betrayed by her own virtues of beauty. At best she secured, not opportunity, but flattery -- the preface to degradation. She was deprived of liberty, and without that, nothing is worth the having. She was taught to obey without question, and to believe without thought, without thinking or hopes for greater aspirations.

  But today stories are different , the age of holding women down has pass away ,a lot of women have emerge to become great ,if not greater through simple share of hard work ,dedications ,illuminations and social enlightenment ,these women are too numerous and they are makers of the modern Nigeria , women like Oluwafunmilayo Ransome-Kuti – a political activism once described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria and also regarded as “The Mother of Africa.” early on she was so powerful to have force for the advocating of women's right to vote, the Obiageli Ezekwesili - Co-founder of TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL a woman of undiluted originality, simplicity and focus, the madam-due-process ,Dora Akunyili -Director General of NAFDAC (National agency of Food and Drug Administration and Control)prize-fighter against fake drugs, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala- the Finance Minister and Foreign Minister of Nigeria notable for being the first woman to hold either of these positions, chimamanda Adichie - the young novelist with chinua Achebe style of writing ,Margaret Ekpo- the foremost Nigerian women's rights activist and social mobilizer who pioneered female politicians in the country's First Republic ,Queen Amina of Zaria - A fierce warrior who loved fighting, She refused to marry like Queen Elizabeth the First of England, for the fear of losing power, She made Zazzau (Zaria) become the center of trade and gained more lands for zaria and also the introduction of kola nuts into cultivation in the area is also attributed to her , Flora Nwapa -a writer and the mother of modern African literature, first internationally published female African author (1966) builder and planner of the modern city of oguta her own home town , NWAYIRIUWA-the leader of the 1929 Aba women unrest and revolution, May Ellen Ezekiel [ MEE ]- is one of the greatest women in Nigerian history, She was Richard Mofe Damijo's ex-wife and she is dead and the publisher of the highly respected Classique Magazine [ No celebrity Magazine has ever matched the quality of Classique Magazine ] and she was also a solid novelist, She remains the most accomplished Female Journalist and Publisher in Nigeria ,MARY ONYALI - Queen of the tracks, HAJIA GAMBO SAWABA - woman politician who suffered torture and abuse for democracy and human rights - EFUNSATAN ANUWURA – Iyalode of Ibadan, KUDIRAT ABIOLA – Fighter for democracy in Nigeria, who challenged the brutal Abacha´s Regime and paid with the ultimate prize of death , DR. MRS BOLANLE AWE - foremost and internationally professor of sociology and head Institute of African Studies- Under her nose, the institute was one of the best globally. SUSAN WENGER - Nationalised high priest of the Osun shrine, the great mama and the preserver of culture whom brought osun shrine into a UNESCO World Heritage sites, CHINYERE ONYENUCHEYA, Falilat Ogunkoya- former sports caster on NTA back in the days, CHRIS ANYAWU – writer, publisher, human rights activist, politician and a senator, MADAM TINUBU - slave trade abolitionist, GRACE ALELE WILLIAMS - VC Uniben, the first Ph.D. Holders in Nigeria, , ONYEKA ONWENU - musician with angelic voice, CHIOMA AJUNWA – a great athletic -,BIMBO ODUKOYA- was a great pastor with passions, Agbani Darego the first African miss World, MODUPE OSIKOYA- first woman medallist in international athletics events and my own dear maternal grandmother, the late Mrs NWAKU NWAOYEOCHA- IFEME OKONKWO of Enugu-Agidi who personally and selflessly laboured to train all her children, even sending some abroad on scholarship with little or no means, all for her strong believes for quality education and great many other. some women without doubt have written their names in the Nigerian chronicles and worth celebrating.

 This piece of writing is devoted to all women out there whom wants to make some great difference and also to my one time old friend, whom I have sometime ago sensed the women`s libber in her, she is a dyed-in-the-wool, acclaimed Christian fanatic, to her I say; I will meet you again at the walkway of prominence.