Stella Oduah bows out as president of ECOWAS female parliamentarians

– Senator Stella Oduah has taken a bow as the president of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA)

– The term of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator, elapsed in May

– Honourable Filomena Vieira Martins from Cape Verde has been unanimously elected to replace Oduah

Senator Stella Oduah has taken a bow as the president of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA).

TRACKNEWS.NG gathered that the term of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator elapsed in May 2018.

Honourable Filomena Vieira Martins from Cape Verde has been unanimously elected to replace Oduah.

Other members of the Bureau elected include Hon. Kaboule Reine Bertille Sakande Benao (Burkina Faso) 1st Vice President and Hon. Biodun Olujimi (Nigeria) as 2nd Vice President.

Hon. Guiro Oulimata (Senegal) was appointed to serve as Secretary General while Hon. Fatoumatta Njai was elected as the Association’s Treasurer.

The new bureau was unanimously elected following their proposal by the Oduah-led out-gone executives at a meeting held at the seat of parliament in Abuja.

The election followed the presentation and review of the activities of ECOFEPA in the last two years, while Oduah presided over the association.

Presenting the report, they noted that the association spent thousands of dollars on humanitarian service in the sub-region and visited victims of insurgency in northeast Nigeria in 2017 where the president, Oduah donated N850,000 while ECOFEPA donated clothes worth $1,600.

Reacting to the assessment report on the tenure of the Oduah-led Bureau of ECOFEPA, members of parliament did not mince words in commending the out goint executive.

They particularly commended the president for her selfless service, using her personal funds to handle many of the activities of the association.

Hon. Njai Fatoumatta (The Gambia) while commending the leadership, urged the incoming executive that there were more jobs to be done especially in the area of advancing the course of women in politics.

Hon. Niamali Fatimata Fomba (Mali) particularly commended Senator Oduah for her dedication to the association.

She noted how the president always boosted the visibility of the association by sponsoring media events.

Fomba stressed that even after losing her son, Oduah still persevered and didn’t forsake the association.

Hon. Adama Sylla (Senegal) said that the activities of ECOFEPA was acknowledged during her campaign to be a member of the Senegalese Parliarment, urging the new members to do a good job.

The newly elected executive will be inaugurated on Monday, December 10.

Senator Oduah recently disclosed that the Nigerian Senate will soon reintroduce the bill for 35 percent affirmative action for women as ministers as well as 20 percent for women as commissioners in states.

She made this known at a press conference in Abuja, as part of activities commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day.

The senator pointed out that the bill which was rejected by the Senate in July 2017 in the constitution amendment exercise, would be reintroduced and forwarded to the 36 state assemblies for endorsement.