Okotete, Edu: Two birds with a stone

Hon. Stella Okotete and Dr. Betta Edu are leading the charge in modern times for more women to poke their manicured fingers into political pies. Armed with sound education and sound professional skills, they are being noticed beyond the mascara and the lipstick. It is evident from their current positions that they have been able to scale over the road blocks of ‘patriarchy.’

While it is obvious that they are women based on biology and how they identify (identification is important in today’s world), they are in their youth. Edu at 36 and 39 year-old Okotete are women and are Nigeria’s youngest ministers designate.

In other words, they are representing two constituencies that many would agree, have been largely underrepresented in the scheme of things. Nigerian youths used to be represented adequately in the past when the likes of General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) and late General Murtala Muhammed were rulers of Nigeria aged 32 and 37 respectively. But women yesterday and in recent years have been excluded, except for a few, who have been the symbols of tokenism.

Their appointments can be best described as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu using one stone to kill two birds. As a politician, he knows what this would do for talking points or the narrative about his administration. Youth and gender inclusivity should be beyond lip service and he has walked his talk.

To be clear, I am not a fan of identity politics. I’m for competence before representation home and abroad, especially if a country is in dire need of development. The term two birds with one stone is also applicable when you look at the political significance and the competence or qualification of both women. Yes they are women. Yes they are young. But beyond being youthful women, they are qualified. President Tinubu while playing identity politics with their appointment, ensured he got those who are qualified. And that’s what matters.

Speaking of qualification, both women weren’t picked from the cradle. They have soared in their respective career parts before being worthy of ministerial nomination.

‘’Okotete don tey’’ is what many who have known her since her days in Delta State would tell you. Between 2011 and 2015, while she was Special Assistance (SA) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Delta State, she led the establishment and execution of programs with agency groupings to guarantee that the targets of the ‘’United Nations Millennium Declaration’’ were met.

Stella received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Diplomacy from Benson Idahosa University in Benin City.

Hon. Stella is a co-founder of the E ‘Girls Right Foundation and a graduate of the Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University) Enterprise Development Center program in entrepreneurial management and the Harvard Kennedy School Certificate program for Emerging Leaders.

Prior to being the SA MDG’s in Delta, she briefly served as an elected councillor in Ughelli-North Local Government Area of the state prior to being appointed as Special Assistance (SA) MDG’s in Delta State. This role enabled her get closer to the grassroots and when she got the MDG position, she ensured that poorest of the poor benefited from intervention programs.

Apart from working with internally displaced people at IDP Camps in Ughelli, Delta State, her voluntary work also took her to IDP Camps in Maiduguri and Abuja.

As a result of Okotete’s passion for empowering the less privileged, on April 20, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her as the Executive Director, Business Development of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM). The rest is history.

Okotete’s counterpart, Dr. Betta Edu, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Health, was the National Women Leader of Nigeria’s ruling party.

She was Cross River State Commissioner for Health until her resignation in 2022. She was so good that she became the National Chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum.

She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health for Developing Countries from London School Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a master’s degree in Public Health in Developing Countries from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Doctor of Public Health from Texila American University.

In 2015, Edu became the youngest person to be appointed Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Cross River State Benedict Ayade on Community and Primary Healthcare.

In 2020, she became chairman of the Cross River State COVID-19 Taskforce. In August that year, she was appointed National Chairman of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum.

Betta Edu became the youngest national woman leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2022.

She has warmed her way into many hearts of APC members. It remains to be seen if she will be able to do the same for millions of Nigerians across board.

Going forward, women should not only be known for their bag of cosmetics but also their ability to bag top political positions.

The appointment of these amazons (brain and beauty) should be a catalyst for more women and youth to add politics to their ever expanding frontiers.

Twitter: @Yusufwrites