(Picture, Left:Wife of Rivers State Governor Dame Judith Amaechi decorating First Lady Federal Republic, Dr patience Jonathan during the visit of a delegation of Rivers Women to State House, Abuja recently)
(Below:First Lady Of Rivers State Dame Judith Amaechi (middle)flanked on the left byWives of Members of House of Representatives Mrs Boma Nwuke, and Mrs Elima Peterside and on the right by Mrs Odochi Parker wife of Commissioner For Health and Mrs Pat Mpigi wife of member House Of Representatives during a courtesy call at State House Abuja)
By Adoye Iyalla, Port Harcourt
Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has urged women to be advocates of peace in the face of current security challenges.Mrs Jonathan stated this recently while playing host to a delegation of women of Rivers State on a courtesy call at the State House, Abuja.She stated that the security situation in the country has made it imperative for women at all levels to be strong advocates of peace and unity.
“I urge you all to be strong advocates of peace and unity which is an important ingredient that will promote the actualization of the socio-economic programmes of the present administration”.
The First Lady stated that the recent trend of bombings and ethno- religion crises have called for vigilance, adding that security should be every Nigerian’s watchword.
Emphasizing the importance of mothers to national unity, Mrs Jonathan urged them to raise children in the fear of God and to inculcate the spirit of peace in them.She added that the survival of the Nigerian project was hinged on the integrity and defence of the nation’s nascent democracy, describing it as a platform that can accelerate rapid development.
The President’s wife commended the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi for impacting positively on the lives of the less-privileged and needy in the society.
“I am happy to note that the welfare of women and youths is paramount in the mind of Your Excellency, Dame Judith Amaechi and that your programmes are in line with the objectives of my NGOs, “A-Aruera reach out Foundation” and Women For Change And Development Initiatives, which are similarly working so assiduously to impact on the Nigerian women, the less-privileged and the needy particularly in her devotion to giving quality education to the children of less privileged in the rural communities”.
In her speech, leader of the delegation and wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi stated that Rivers State was on the verge of achieving 35 per cent affirmative action and women economic empowerment, in line with the ideals and tenets of the women for change and development initiative.
Dame Amaechi noted that women in Rivers State have been provided with gainful and sustainable means of livelihood, adding that some are beneficiaries of the commercial transportation scheme initiated by her NGO, the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI).
The governor’s wife further added that the Rivers Nursery School programme has a record of 4,553 school enrolments while 1,140 pupils have graduated from the scheme.
She further disclosed that the state government has embarked on training and re-training of women to develop and update their entrepreneurial skills in line with the internationally acceptable best practices.
