The women group noted with emphasis that Melaye’s attitude is suggestive of medieval men who lack respect for the women in their lives and women all over the world.
“It is now glaring why the issue of rape and violence against women are treated with levity since a federal lawmaker could threaten to use rape as a weapon of retaliation against a female colleague whom he felt insulted him.”
In a statement in Abuja, CoWAA’s Executive Vice President, Jummai Samuel, asked Melaye to tender an unreserved apology to Senator Oluremi Tinubu over the insult he directed at her last week in the National Assembly.
She said that Melaye is symptomatic of an emerging undesirable breed of men that objectify and belittle women contrary to the global trend of promoting equality.
Jummai said that Melaye and his likes pose great threats they to women advancement in Africa.
“Even if his colleague, Senator Oluremi Tinubu had offended him, the Senate has Rules he could have used to seek redress without resorting to the caveman approach he adopted.”
She also quarrelled with a newspaper columnist, Sonala Olumhense over his assault on the wives of the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, even as he asked both men to respect women.
Olumhense had in his article ridiculed the wives of Buratai with suggestions that they are not independent enough to own property or contribute to their family’s investment.
Jummai said: “while the rudeness of Senator Melaye’s puke inducing rant may be shocking the greater worry should be the dangerous premise put forward by Sonala Olumhense, who suggested that women are mere fixtures in marriages and that they are not capable of being economically productive to the point of owning businesses or contributing to the family.
“If Mr. Olumhense had bothered to do a little fact checking, he would have possibly learnt more about one Sana’armu Micro Finance Social Scheme and a Buratai Farm. The COAS’ wives are brains behind these ventures even if as respectful women they make their husband the symbolic head being the head of the family.
“The way the Senator and the Columnists went after wives should make every Nigerian woman worried that the trend is now for those who want to hit at males they have issues with is to attack their wives. We find this unacceptable and condemnable. It is a practice that must not be encouraged.”
Jummai demanded apologies from both men with the explanation that it was necessary to discourage other menfolk from following in their infamous footsteps.
“Senator Melaye and Mr. Olumhense must tender unreserved apologies not just to the women they have slighted but also to all Nigerian women since their crime went beyond the individual women at which they were targeted and extended to womanhood.” [myad]
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