Governor Udom Emmanuel has called on women to use their humane disposition and numerical strength to promote the unity and progress of the country.
Governor Emmanuel made the call during a courtesy call on him by the Southern Governors’ Wives Forum (SGWF) at Government House, Uyo.
He said Nigeria, by extension Africa, has been left behind in the development matrix of the global community and urged them to use their platform to speak with one voice and change the status quo.
The Governor commended the Forum for coming together to brainstorm on how to improve the living standard of the people particularly the girl child and the less privileged members of the society through their pet projects.
He specifically commended the forum for living above biases, gender, ethnicity and political platforms to complement the developmental programmes of their husbands and reminded them of the sacrifice of the matriarchs who protested against act of injustice in 1929 and urged them to rise up against issues that threaten the peaceful co-existence of the country.
Earlier, the host and wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, said the Southern Governors’ wives were in the state for their quarterly meeting to enable them brainstorm on ways to improve on the lives of the people in their various states.
She expressed appreciation to the wife of the President, Her Excellency, Hajia Aisha Buhari, for giving them the platform through the forum to meet and cross-fertilize ideas on how to improve on the living standard of the people particularly the Women and Children.
Mrs. Emmanuel thanked the Governor for the encouragement given her to impact on lives through her pet project, Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Path-initiative (FEYReP) and for the warmth reception accorded the women.
The state First Lady acknowledged with pride that it has been a rewarding experience touching people’s lives, restoring hope to the hopeless and adding value to humanity.
She said the Forum which approaches interventions as an investment on the people and the society have recorded social returns by way of reduced incidence of teenage pregnancy and reduction in youth-related crimes.
Mrs. Emmanuel pledged the forum’s determination to work as sisters beyond boundaries to foster unity and bridge the gap of underdevelopment in the country.
The Forum’s Chairperson and wife of the Governor of Imo State, Mrs. Ugo Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, while commending the effort of Akwa Ibom State Government in infrastructural development explained that the forum which is a brainchild of the wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, was formed to engender unity among wives of governors in southern Nigeria as well as complement the development effort of the various state governors within the region.
She commended Mrs. Martha Emmanuel for using her pet programme, FEYReP, to launch advocacy for the improvement of the lot of the girl child and youth reorientation and lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for his gender friendly disposition.
On the entourage were wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunsho Omosun; Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu; wife of Cross River State Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Ayade.
Others were Mrs. Racheal Umahi of Ebonyi State; first lady of Enugu State, Mrs. Monica Ugiwuanyi; Mrs. Bonlade Ambode of Lagos State and wife of Delta State Governor Dame Edith Okowa.