Naira is on a free fall with the impact on inflation. Nigeria’s first female SAN wonders why people are not protesting
By Eberechi Obinagwam,
With the rising fall in the value of Naira against the dollar, the first Nigerian female senior advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), Folake Sholake, has wondered why there is no public alarm against the devaluation.
Solanke who made the call on Thursday, November 4 while delivering her keynote speech during the 20th anniversary of Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (Wimbiz) in Lagos, said that the depreciation of Naira is a calamity, and it is disastrous for the country.
She cried out that Nigeria is going through perilous times, urging that the Central bank of Nigeria, the public, and Wimbiz should not allow the Naira to sink into nothingness, rather, raise a public alarm against its devaluation and exchange rate.
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Solace urged Wimbiz to engage the CBN, create a public jingle with the caption: ‘ Stop the Crash’, get women to protest so as not to allow the prediction of many that the Naira may get to N1000 by December come through, “it is possible”, she said.
In grief, she said the devaluation of the Naira has led to the high cost of food items, making people starve as she recalled that about five decades ago, the Naira was as strong as the United States dollar and equal with the pound Sterling, but, today, the Naira is nearly N600 to a dollar.
Director general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala, while commending Wimbiz on their impact on women this far, advised them not to be discouraged, and not be afraid to take risks for an assignment or job, “sometimes you have to take risks to breakthrough. If I did not take risks, I would not have been where I am today,” she said.
She disclosed that her greatest joy will be the day people will stop saying this is the first woman to do this or that, but, then, she said men should learn to give way to women to come in.
Speaking on leadership, she pointed out that a good leader should be focused, and not please people, be yourself, be humble and simple, and always learn that everyone matters including the cleaners, ”you can not be a good leader if you are not a good follower, ” she said.
Also, the chairperson, Executive Council, Wimbiz, Nghove Iheyembe Nwankwo, in her opening address decried the low representation of women in boards, disclosing that in management, women represent 17 per cent of board chairs, though it is significantly higher than the global average of six per cent. She said it is low when compared against the large percentage of the women in the workforce, which is 33 per cent.