Naturally, the best quotes of the past week were in celebration of women, and the thoughts drawing our minds to #PressForProgress, hoping the conversation continues beyond the week to become part of humanity’s daily consciousness.

But let’s begin on the home front, first with Nigeria’s legislators and their mammoth paychecks:

SHEHU SANI

The Kano Senator revealed what many Nigerians have been so eager to know for a long time.

“I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month.” This ‘running cost’ does not include the N750,000 salary, other allowances and ‘others’ that accrue to the lawmakers.”

GAUDAJI KAZAURE

Outrageous as it was, Senator Sani’s revelation was not the most shocking thing to come out of the National Assembly. Have a listen to a Honourable member of the Nigerian House of Representatives giving his opinion on opportunities for women:

“If you give them more chance, one day they will overthrow us. If women understand this thing, they will vote us out. If in my constituency I have somebody like Nnenna (Elendu), she will gather women and vote me out. We should not give them too much opportunity. They will mess up.”

Over to you women of Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi federal constituency in Jigawa state.

BUHARI

“I was in Taraba earlier this week to see what is going on there. I was made to understand that the same people fighting themselves today have lived peacefully together for at least 300 years. And if that is the case, we have to trace where things went wrong so as to find the appropriate solution and restore peaceful coexistence that had been existing before now. This is where the traditional rulers are very key. We the politicians will soon go away, but the traditional rulers have been there and they still remain there till death.

In Taraba, Benue, Plateau, the problem is the same, herdsmen, farmers clash and I think the solution will be the same, our traditional rulers should get down to work and find out what went wrong and why. We must just find solution to these clashes.”

OMOYELE SOWORE

Nigeria’s 2019 presidential elections should be an interesting one if the controversial Sahara Reporters publisher ‘Yele Sowore is throwing his hat in the ring. But why does he want to?

“This is a natural progression of my commitment to moving Nigeria forward. This will not be politics as usual. I have always been a part of the movement to move Nigeria forward. I have always played a leading role in that movement… It is Nigeria’s moment to see revolutionary politics in action!”

NYESOM WIKE

President Buhari made a quick tour of Middle Belt states and on the rumor he will visit Rivers next, Governor Wike could not but be amused:

“I hear they say that the President is coming to our state. I have not been told the president is coming and why he is coming. He has the right to come to any state. Maybe the president is coming to make sure that he will improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers State. Apart from Jesus Christ, we don’t know of anyone who has risen a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up.”

EDO STATE APC

Speaking of the life of the ruling party, all is not well in the home state of the party’s chairman as they have rejected the extension of his tenure beyond June:

“There was no decision to extend tenure. A motion was passed, indicating a preference that tenure be extended, but there was the realisation that the constitution does not permit it and therefore there needed to be a further action taken on it. No decision was taken to extend tenure of the executives.”

ONYEKA ONWENU

Now, to Women. Nigeria’s queen of soul pretty much sums it up here:

“Those of us who refused to buckle into the common narrative of being ‘loose’, we were tagged ‘difficult’, ‘aggressive’ and all sorts, but you are the one to define yourself. If you remain consistent with it at some point, that respect and appreciation comes.”

ATIKU

“Over the weekend, I joined my children to watch the much talked about ‘Black Panther’. It was a good film, and I was happy they took me to see it. However, I came out of the movie theatre a little upset. Seeing another African country come play ‘Big Brother’ to Nigeria made me very sad. We must return to a place of respect. Nigeria has once again been thrown into sorrow with many of us wishing that there was indeed a ‘Black Panther’ to help rescue the girls.”

WILFRED OKICHE

If Nigeria were Wakanda, what would Okoye be?

“In much of Nigeria, Okoye would have been warned from childhood to soften her features so she can find a man to marry her. Shuri would have been discouraged from spending too much time at the laboratory for the same reasons. And as for Nakia, everyone would ask: what kind of girl chooses a high-flying career over the chance to become queen?”

CHIOMA AGWUEGBO

Reality check: there is more to be done for women, by women

“Are women in positions to advance the rights and protection of women asleep? Nigeria’s representation of women in public offices is shameful, but have we held a light to the women currently occupying positions to demand accounts of stewardship of our causes? Beyond chorusing the rhetoric of politics in Nigeria being unfavourable to women and encouraging women to “keep their heads up and remain hardworking”, what have the women currently in politics done?”