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Tag: governor’s wife

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife gives school materials to orphanages

    Akwa Ibom governor’s wife gives school materials to orphanages

    The wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Deaconess Martha Udom Emmanuel, has donated education materials, such as exercise books, text books, school bags, school boxes and toiletries to the children of the Divine Home, Atan Offuot under her ‘Back to School’ project which signifies the return of the children to their respective schools for the new academic session.

    Speaking at the event, Udom noted that in as much as she had sent her children to school with everything thing they required, it was expedient she replicated same with them by providing their basic needs.

    She advised the beneficiaries to study hard, be obedient to their teachers, elders and most importantly fear God.

    Mrs Emmanuel also urged the children not to indulge in behaviors that could hinder their success but rather concentrate on their studies so as to have a bright future.

    She also appreciated the coordinator and staff of the Home for their commitment and labour of love saying that their reward abounds.

    The Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Glory Edet, thanked the Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for his support towards ensuring that every Akwa Ibom child lives a better life. She commended the governor’s wife for being a mother to all Akwa Ibom children.

    Earlier, the coordinator of Divine Home, Mrs. Ime Ephraim Inyang, appreciated the governor’s wife for her benevolence and magnanimity towards the orphanage. She, however, intimated the wife of the governor on their needs such as a utility vehicle (bus), raising the height of the fence and the repairs of the road leading to the facility.

     

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife seeks financial literacy for women

    Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has identified lack of business skills, saving support and financial literacy as   factors militating against women in business. The governor’s wife made the disclosure at the 8th edition of the Onna Women’s day held at the Onna sports stadium.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Edet, the first lady noted that though many women have business ideas, they do not often have information and access to the small capital they need to launch themselves. “Our women need business skills, saving support, and financial literacy, often times, they have good ideas but they do not have access to the small capital they need to launch out and help themselves and their families.” She remarked.

    Mrs. Emmanuel stated that the need for the empowerment of women is long overdue, hence remains a key priority of the Udom Emmanuel’s development agenda, adding that on her part, she is poised to do all she can towards ensuring that Akwa Ibom women will never take the back seat in the economic life and development of the state.

    As part of the celebration, the governor’s wife  performed the ground breaking of the Onna Women’s daily market along Onna-Eket road.

    The chairman of occasion, Mrs. Ini Akpauso, thanked the governor’s wife for her love and support for the event adding that over the years, any programme aimed at touching and impacting the lives of women, she is always passionate about it. She appreciated the founder for the insight of establishing the programme saying it will go down in history.

    She also congratulated the governor on his first 100 days in office saying that with him on the saddle, the women will be better off.

    Also speaking, the founder and initiator of the event, Akwa Obongawan Patience Akpabio Ukpa  appreciated God for making the week long programme a success.

    She appreciated the governor’s wife for her motherly and supportive role in making sure the event was a success as well as her pivotal role in encouraging and developing Akwa Ibom women saying that indeed she is a noble and worthy daughter of the soil.

    Dignitaries at the event were thrilled with various cultural dances and renditions by the various women groups. Traditional titles were also given out to deserving daughters and friends of the area for their meritorious and selfless service by the Paramount Ruler of the area, His Eminence Akwa Edidem Akpabio Udo Ukpa, Oku Ibom Ibibio (111).

    Among dignitaries who accompanied the first lady were, former chairman, Technical School Board,  Comfort Etuk, wife of Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Anne Enoidem, wife of Commissioner Housing and Urban Renewal, Mrs. Inem Enobong Uwah, legislators’ wives and wives of transition chairmen.

     

  • Ebonyi governor’s wife launches project

    Ebonyi governor’s wife launches project

    The wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Rachel Umahi has kicked off a project aimed at providing skills for women and youths.

    The project called “Family Succour and Uplift Programme,” focuses on health, education, economic empowerment of women and youths as well as women liberation.

    She said, “On health the programme aims at achieving an effective and efficient primary healthcare…On education, the…programme has the mandate to achieve 100 per cent girl-child education in the state…which aims at giving the girl-child the deserved opportunities.

    “The economic empowerment for women and youths aspect of the programme targets achieving sustained economic empowerment and creation of jobs for women and youths, through entrepreneurship and agriculture to put food on the tables of their families, in addition to addressing the problem of poverty”.

    “In the area of liberation, the…programme intends to liberate Ebonyi women from all vices against the female folk and ensure the uplift and enhancement of their general living status.

    ”In view of the harsh economic realities of our time, it is pertinent to harp on the importance of the programme on entrepreneurship centre for women and youth empowerment.

    “It is a well known fact that the major challenges facing families, especially women and children revolve around poverty. Statistics have shown that most of the social malaises prevalent in our society today are a result of poor or inadequate healthcare, school dropout syndrome, delinquency among youths, waywardness among our girl children such as prostitution and other anti-social behaviours all stem from poverty”.

    “Economic empowerment is a solution to poverty and this informed my determination to improve upon the family income of our people through entrepreneurship and job creation for women and youths”.

    She said the programme will utilize the entrepreneurship centre at the Women development Cengtre (WDC) ion Abakaliki to achieve the goals.

    “The centre provides such skills such as palm oil processing and palm kernel oil extraction, shoe making, hair dressing, fabric weaving/weaving of cardigans, fish farm, soap making, IT-software development, and system maintenance for youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development training among others.

    “The major activities of the centre includes; production /product development, processing and marketing, training retraining and capacity building as well as micro credit programme of the state government, it will provide graduates of the centre with micro credit to establish their micro credit programmes outside the ones provided by the state government, and other government agencies such as the Central Bank”.

    “It is pertinent to note that this programme is part of my effort at using my position as wife of the governor to mainstream certain issues that will improve upon the productivity of our women and youths; so as to reduce the burden of poverty among our people’.

    Representatives of various international agencies at the occasion promised to partner with Mrs Umahi to achieve the aims and objectives of the programme.

    The partners include IFAD, UNIDO, USAID, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, Un-Habitat, SFH.

    The Governor of the state, Dave Umahi assured of both personal and governmental support to the initiative adding that the project will bring succor to Ebonyi people.

    He noted that the programme is a prayer answered as it will assist the state government to cater for Ebonyi women, and youths as promised by his administration.

    The wife of the governor later distributed 464 bags of fertilizers, and other agro products to Ebonyi farmers. The other product includes cartons of vespamil plus chemical for clearing weeds from the farms, philo-16 sprayers and other agro chemicals.

    The hugely subsidized products were procured and distributed in conjunction with IFAD one of the partners of the programme.

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife gives joy to leprosy patients

    Akwa Ibom governor’s wife gives joy to leprosy patients

    In a bid to have a first-hand knowledge of the state of affairs of the hospital and also feel the pulse of the patients, the wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel  recently visited the Qua Iboe Church Leprosy Hospital, Ekpene Obom in Etinan Local Government Area. She donated several food items and toiletries to inmates of the hospital.

    The governor’s wife said she came to identify with the inmates because God appreciates it when the affluent in the society visits and donates to the needy. She added that because  they have been confined to the health institution because of their plight, it was pertinent they do not give up on themselves because God has not given up on them either.

    Mrs. Emmanuel urged the inmates not to be dejected by their plight but rather be prayerful and cultivate the ‘I can do spirit’. She promised that government would also look at measures to empower some of them who have undergone rehabilitation in order to be re-integrated into the society. She thanked the staff and management of the hospital for their continued services, praying that their labour of love to the needy would not be forgotten. The first lady also promised to be visiting them more often.

    The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Archibong Afia, said they were thrilled to receive her. He congratulated the governor’s wife for her husband’s emergence as winner of teh last election, praying that God would grant the First Family the grace to stay focused.

    Dr. Afia informed the governor’s wife that the hospital, established about 80 years ago, was administered under a tripartite arrangement between Qua Iboe Church Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State government and the Leprosy Mission, noting that it was quite unfortunate when the Leprosy Mission withdrew their staff and services in 2010 due to world economic meltdown. The CMD added that since then it had been difficult with the hospital.

    He also highlighted various challenges facing the hospital to include dilapidated buildings, patients’ feeding, rehabilitation of patients, tarring of access road, water reticulation, security fencing and the absorption of some mission staff into the civil service.

    The CMD called on the government to help solve these problems.

    An inmate of the hospital, Mrs. Offiong Bassey, who doubles as the President, Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities, Akwa Ibom chapter, thanked the governor’s wife for the visit, adding that her coming had given a sigh of relief to them. She bemoaned their lack of inclusion in the scheme of things in government, advocating that they should also be considered for positions.

    Similarly, Mrs. Emmanuel visited the Goodnews Gospel Village Community, Abak where she donated cash, food items and toiletries to the home for their upkeep. She appreciated the founder of the home and wife, Arch. Bishop and Apostle Elijah Mboho for their love and vision for the less privileged in the society, saying that what they had achieved over the years was a no mean feat. She also took time to admonish the children of the home to be of good conduct and respect their elders adding that they have what it takes to become successful in life.

    Apostle Mboho thanked the first lady for her support and donations towards the home, pointing out that they were answers to prayers. she prayed for her success and bountiful rewards. Apostle Mboho said the home, which has produced many graduates, had recorded many signs and wonders .

    Commissioner of Information Mr. Aniekan Umanah, who is an indigene of the area, appreciated the governor’s wife for visiting the home, adding that since time immemorial, the home had been doing a great job. He also thanked the founder for his consistent running of the home, praying that God would sustain him.

    There children sang and danced  to the admiration of all.

    On the governor’s wife’s entourage was  Commissioner for Women Affairs Dr. Glory Edet, her health counterpart, Dr. Dominic Ukpong as well as Science and Technology, Dr. Elizabeth Obot. Others were legislator’s wives, chairmen of board and parastatal and other government female dignitaries.

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife urges teachings on moral values

    Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor,  Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has urged parents and guardians to inculcate good moral values in their wards to secure their future. The governor’s wife spoke when she received a delegation of Beautiful Imagination, organisers of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom beauty pageant at the Government House, Uyo, the state capital.

    Mrs. Emmanuel lauded the organisers of the beauty pageant for their insightful and visionary initiative in floating an outfit that is geared towards raising children to becoming assets to their family and the society at large. She also commended the chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, for her ingenuity over the years, saying that she was elated by what she was doing to help the girl-child in the society. She urged the little Miss Akwa Ibom, Miss Rachel Ekpo, not to relegate her academic pursuit to the background, but rather stay focused and study hard so as to be a good ambassador of the group and the state.

    Miss Rachel Ekpo congratulated Mrs Emmanuel for  her husband’s success at the poll and swearing in as the governor, adding that it was divine manifestation of the hand of God.

    She appreciated the organisers of the beauty pageant for creating a platform to nurture and groom the girl-child, stating that she had been afforded the opportunity of learning good moral values that would aid her through life. She also solicited for the first lady’s support on her upcoming project slated later this year.

    Also speaking, chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, highlighted the aims and objectives of the organisation to include; raising the girl-child to become an asset to the society. She said the group established 10 years ago did this through fashion, movie production and pageantry while calling for synergy between government and the group in touching the lives of the youth.

    The highpoint of the visit was the award of the ‘Grand Patron’ of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom project on the first lady, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel.

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife advises women

    The National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) Akwa Ibom chapter has been challenged to engage in economic activities that will help re-orientate, rehabilitate and empower women.

    Akwa Ibom First Lady Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel gave the charge when she received a delegation of the executive of the association led by its president, Mrs. Mmeyene Nkwo at the Government House, Uyo.

    Mrs. Emmanuel said the group being an umbrella women organisation with over 140 affiliated groups needed to do more to create programmes that will change the status of women.

    She said the task of developing and empowering women remains the collective responsibility of all, calling on the group to be more active in the discharge of their duties and also work towards inculcating good moral values on teenage girls and women.

    On issues bothering the organisation, the First Lady assured that government was committed to meeting the yearnings of women in the state. She also promised to look into the group’s various demands.

    Mrs. Nkwo thanked the governor’s wife for granting the group audience. She also congratulated Mrs. Emmanuel on her assumption of duties as the First Lady of the state, saying that with her, the women were secured. She highlighted the aims of the organisation to include promoting the economic, social wellbeing and progress of women, youths and the physically challenged, with emphasis on education, training and empowerment adding that within her stay in office, she has been able to conduct 24 local chapters elections, visit orphanages in the three senatorial districts of the state and as well organise seminars/ workshops for women.

    Mrs. Nkwo solicited for government’s assistance to enable the group function effectively and also pledge their unflinching support and unalloyed loyalty to the administration of Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

    The highpoint of the visit was the conferment of the organisation’s Patron award on the governor’s wife .

    In a related development, the wife of governor also received the Cornelia Connelly College Old Girls Association at the Government House. Its National President, Mrs. Hannah Essien, said they were at the Government House to intimate the first lady, who is also an old girl of the school, on events mapped out to celebrate the re-union party for the old girls. She said the school having been a citadel of academic excellence over the years has produced worthy ambassadors in different endeavours.

    She said the group has achieved some results in the furnishing of the Home Economics department and the expansion of the school refectory while soliciting assistance for the construction of a two story building to serve as dormitory for the school girls.

    Mrs. Emmanuel thanked the group for the visit, saying that she was delighted to see some old faces she has not seen for a while. She thanked the group for their unflinching support during and after the elections promising that she would not let them down. She harped on the need to ensure that the school was restored to its glorious days, calling on the principal of the school to scale up disciplinary measures.

  • Honour for Akwa Ibom governor’s wife

    A group under the aegis of the  African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) has decorated the wife of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, for her contributions towards the organisations’ visions and the uplifting of womanhood.

    The honour was done during the inauguration of the African Women in Leadership organisation, (AWLO) Akwa Ibom chapter held at Ibom Le Meridien hotel, Uyo and the flag-off of the organisations’ mentoring programme aimed at celebrating motherhood.

    The founder of AWLO Mr. Elisha Atai said AWLO remains committed to ensuring that women on the African continent are given their rightful place in leadership positions. He said AWLO seeks to advance the status of women in Africa by creating an empowering platform and harnessing the synergies of alliance noting that the inauguration of the state chapter was in line with the groups’ agenda of creating awareness for local women to aspire to take up leadership positions.

    Mrs. Emmanuel said Akwa Ibom State has recorded unprecedented gains in women’s advancement due to the gender-responsive policies of the immediate past administration. She paid tribute to her predecessor, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, whose robust legacies in the mobilisation and empowerment of women and girls has set a standard that cannot be ignored.

    Others honoured at the event were the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Noble lady Valerie Ebe and Mrs. Gloria Umoren, wife of the Secretary to Government.

  • Governor’s wife set to save her jobs scheme

    Governor’s wife set to save her jobs scheme

    What happened to one of the most vibrant employment schemes in Gombe State? As unemployment statistics rose, confidence in government was at perhaps its lowest ebb. But then, came along the Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo administration, and hope began to return.

    Also, the governor’s wife, Hajiya Adama Dankwambo, injected a huge boost into the state, with her pet project dedicated to lifting the profile of women in the state. But after making waves, has the Hajiya Adama Women Empowerment Programme (HAWEP) run into a storm?

    HAWEP aims at enhancing the capacity of indigent women through skills acquisition and cash grants to enable them to stand on their own.

    It empowered about 4,474 women from inception to date, even as 648 trainees graduated on January 8, 2014.

    The programme, which began in 2012, has trained 1,519 women on five skills. These are hairdressing, soap and jelly making, fish farming, tailoring and knitting. Last year, the programme was expanded to accommodate more women. About 2,107 women were trained in skills. Within the period, 200 women were trained in poultry farming.

    To spice up the programme, trainees are given stipends to augment their transportation to the various training centres. When they graduate, they receive complete kits for the skills they learnt, with an additional cash grant of N50, 000 each to enable them to start off their businesses.

    Those who make soaps and jelly receive kits and chemicals with which they produce the items, those who learnt tailoring receive sewing machines, sewing accessories and three wrappers.

    In the same manner, those who are into knitting received ultra-modern knitting machines. The hairdressers were given hair dryers, washing trays and other items while those who learnt fish farming were given a free plastic fish pond with 50 fingerlings. Those whose learnt poultry farming during the programme received a package of 25 broiler day-old chicks, one drinker, one chick tray, one long feeder, drugs, two bags of starter feed and N20, 000 cash to start their farm business.

    Also encompassed in the programme is the distribution of hundreds of empowerment materials such as masa (rice pudding)-making pans powered by gas. The aim, the initiator of the programme said, is to reduce exposure to smoke which has been scientifically proven to be dangerous to sight just as the gadgets make frying easier, quicker and more hygienic.

    Similarly, HAWEP has also been distributing fertilisers to women farmers across the state at highly subsidised rate to supplement their efforts which results in increased yields.

    Today, HAWEP is synonymous with economic empowerment even though it was meant for empowerment of women in the area of healthcare. Over 1,000 women have benefitted from the free treatment on vesico virginal fistula (VVF) at a health facility outside the state.

    Recently, the HAWEP health programme attracted women with visual impairment, particularly cataract.

    Hajiya Adama Dankwambo, through the programme, has engaged the services of Gombe-born expert in ophthalmologist who was practising overseas and some local support staff to perform cataract surgical operations as well as examine, treat and prescribe drugs for other eye problems.

    No fewer than 1,000 indigent citizens of the state had benefitted from the free eye treatment.

    This is aside from her active participation in polio eradication activities and other healthcare advocacy programmes that have been of immense benefit to residents of Gombe State.

    It could be true that some beneficiaries may have misspent their cash and, invariably their opportunities of wriggling themselves out of poverty, but the wise and prudent ones have utilised these opportunities and are better for it today.

    They are now happier because they can augment the efforts of their husbands in enhancing the economic well-being of their families.

    Recently, however, this laudable programme meant to make life better for the women seems to be on the threshold of collapse due to squabbles over finances and enhancement of the socio-economic well-being of women. Those entrusted with its management are, allegedly mismanaging the programme.

    HAWEP, which is coordinated by Alhaji Hassan Adamu, has lost focus and now appears to be a shadow of itself so much so that the women are crying out to the initiator of the programme to wade into the crisis with a view to correcting the anomalies that are capable of dragging her name to the mud.

    Women who are supposed to receive N50,000 cash grant now get about N30,000 less. This is because the women were compelled to offer N20,000 down payments to facilitate their enlistment for training.

    Those who were able to offer such amount were meant to take an oath that it should be deducted from source before handing over to them the balance of the supposed cash grants of N50,000.

    As a result of this, beneficiaries of the programme are mostly women of means. Some of them are even civil servants or politicians. The exposure of this scam was during the closing ceremony of the training conducted on January 8, where 648 women graduated.

    Among those who graduated was a high profile retired civil servant. She quit the service to join politics and was, until recently, a councillor in one of the local government areas of the state.

    Besides, some influential politicians have cashed in on the programme, using it to grease their ego as political godfathers by securing forms for their cronies who are, in most cases, supposed to be more comfortable than most of the participants at the expense of those who really needed to be empowered by the programme.

    Adamu refused to field questions from reporters. He also did not pick his calls, especially those from perceived enquirers.

    The situation, it was gathered, degenerated that much because the initiator, Hajiya Adama Dankwambo is not always around to supervise the operations of the programme.

    However, the situation has changed as she has started being keen to know how the programme is run, even as she cautioned women against giving anybody money to facilitate their enlistment.

    HAWEP is a laudable programme that must be saved from opportunistic predators.

  • Rights Commission seeks access to governor’s wife

    Rights Commission seeks access to governor’s wife

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday said it has written Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime requesting access to his wife, Clara.

    Clara petitioned the commission, alleging among others, of being held incommunicado by her husband.

    She prayed the commission to intervene and save her from alleged abuse by her husband.

    NHRC’s Director of Information and Communication, Muhammed Nasir Ladan, said the commission has begun investigation into the petition.

    “The NHRC has commenced investigation into the complaint received from Mrs Clara Chime. It has requested Governor Chime to grant the Commission access to the complainant.”