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Tag: Ikpeazu’s wife

  • Ikpeazu’s wife to provide eye tests for drivers

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu has revealed plans by her organisation, Vicar Hope Foundation (VHF), to provide free eye tests and treatment for commercial drivers in the state in a bid to reduce road traffic accidents.

    VHF, she said, will be working in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Nigeria Optometrist Association on the exercise.

    Mrs Ikpeazu explained that the free eye check and treatment will be conducted only on registered commercial vehicle operators in the state, so that commuters and transporters can have a safe motoring experience this yuletide.

    She was speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, during an event held after a combined team from Women Optometrist Association and Vicar Hope Foundation had tested and treated 1,600 persons in celebration of this year’s World Sight Day.

    At the event, guest lecturer, Professor Uche Ikonne, Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, revealed that a large percentage of vehicular accidents happen as a result of drivers’ poor eyesight.

    The governor’s wife advised parents to ensure that their children are examined by optometrists at least once a year.

    She also decried the patronage of quacks and spiritual healers, insisting that eye disorders can only be handled by professionals.

    Speaking earlier, Prof Ikonne said 80 percent of eye disorders were preventable, if people would take a little care of themselves, adding that food and lifestyles affect eyesight.

    He said most people who have poor or deteriorating sight hardly notice until very late.

    Also contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Abia State, represented by Dr. Jachmike Enwereji pointed out the challenge of getting rural dwellers and the poor to appreciate the need to patronise qualitative care-givers rather than resorting to home remedies.

    He said a large percentage of blind people fall into this class and emphasised the need for sensitisation for rural people which will enable them to know the right things they could do to save their sight.

    Also speaking, the Chairman of the Abia State Chapter of Women Optometrists in Nigeria Dr. Maureen Aghaukwa and the matron of the group, Dr Kate Maduako both eulogized the wife of the Governor and her foundation for working with their group.

    The duo said the free tests and treatment of over 1,600 persons as part of the 2018 World Sight Day will go a long way to save lives and expressed gratitude for the support received and promised to collaborate with her in the future.

    They pointed out that their experience reveals that the wife of the Governor is so passionate about helping Abians regardless of class or affiliation and thanked all the volunteers that participated in making the free eye-care event a success.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife cheers up the needy

    The wife of Abia State governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu has lifted the spirits of the physically challenged in the state.

    She sponsored a badminton championship which featured athletes living with varying physical challenges. The sport is called para-badminton.

    The championship now in its third edition featured athletes from all over the country. It is called the Nkechi Ikpeazu National Open Parabadminton Championships.

    The event which held in Umuahia,  the state capital, gave the athletes a platform to practise a sport they loved despite their physical challenges.

    The governor’s wife said the current economic situation should not dampen their support for the development of sports in the country.

    Speaking at the Umuahia Township stadium venue of the three-day sports event, the sponsor Mrs. Ikpeazu said that Para-badminton is a new sport in the Olympics, which she has decided to promotie so that the country can win international recognition through it as well as improve on its medal hauls at the Olympics.

    Mrs Ikpeazu said that the current economic situation is affecting every strata of the country including the sporting world, stressing that the bad economy should not deter people who have the spirit to promote sport from doing what could help in rebuilding the economy and the country.

    She said, ”The current national economic state is seriously affecting sports development in Nigeria. We pray it will end soon so that our sporting community will once again thrive. Nevertheless I urge conglomerates and sports philanthropists to see this period as a challenge and do their best to keep our games alive.

    “Apart from this event I often sponsor our disabled athletes to several sports events all over the country. I am also a major sponsor of Abia Angels Female Premier League Club. Sports is in my blood and I love it”.

    In his reaction the state Comm-issioner for sports, Chief Chinwe Nwanganga said the event in Umuahia goes to buttress the fact that Abia is a major hub for sports development, pointing out that the state parades several champions in track, field and indoor sports while also boasting of being the only state with three premier League clubsides, Enyimba FC, Abia Warriors and Abia Angels FC.

    Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Parabadminton Association of Nigeria, Mr Samuel Ekeoma said the competition has afforded the athletes the opportunity of staying fit while evaluating their performance against other athletes.

    Ekeoma emphasised the need for more support to be given to Parabadminton and other disabled sports, pointing out that Mrs. Ikpeazu has so far given the development of the game a desired push. He used the opportunity to challenge corporate bodies, individuals and state governments to emulate Mrs. Ikpeazu and support the growth of the games.

    He further revealed that para sports have remained the leading source of international laurels and recognition for Nigeria given the consistency of athletes in the various track, field and indoor events and called on the federal government and the Nigeria Olympic Committee to give more attention to the games.

    The Nkechi Ikpeazu National Open Para-badminton championship held at the indoor sports hall of Umuahia Township stadium, attracted athletes from 11 states of the country converged in Umuahia for the three-day sports competition. Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Kano, Kaduna, Imo, Delta, Edo, Kwara and host Abia.

    Reigning champion of men’s sitting category Dada Dixon from Delta State won the star match and took home a gold medal and cash prize courtesy from the sponsor, while a total of 26 winners in various categories of Gold, silver and bronze got medals with cash prizes while every athlete that participated in the competition received cash gifts all courtesy of Mrs. Ikpeazu.

    With the sponsorship of this competition, her backing of female premier league side Abia Angels Football club, and sponsorship of the state female public servants sports competition Nkechi Ikpeazu is gradually etching her name as a sports philanthropist.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife kicks off August Meeting

    Ikpeazu’s wife kicks off August Meeting

    The women look forward to the eight month of the year during which they gather and discuss their welfare and way forward for their people. It is called the August Meeting

    This year’s edition was not different in Abia State as the wife of the governor Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu met with  grassroots women, giving them a feel of what the state government has been doing in the last one year.

    The wife of past governors of the state had always taken a day to kickstart the women’s August meeting in the state, which is normally done in a chosen area within the state before different communities in the state commence their own.

    This year, Mrs Ikpeazu decided to take the kickoof of the programme  to all the three senatorial zones of the state to make the women to have a feel of what the incumbent administration has been doing especially for the women of the state in the last one year.

    Speaking dring the flag-off of this year’s August meeting with the theme, ‘Education for Better Life’, Mrs Ikpeazu said that August meetings have always been a platform for women to discuss some communal matters and do fund raising program to carry out community projects.

    Mrs Ikpeazu said that last year the august meeting was rebranded and turned into more meaningful conferences where women can come and learn and be educated about topical issues.

    She said that this year’s august meeting for Abia women could be said to be a successful one as the women in the state have been taught things about agriculture, “This would enable them to increase their farm produce output and thereby make more money for themselves and their families”.

    The governor’s wife said that this year’s August meeting will provide the needed opportunities for the women of the state to learn and improve themselves, stressing that it would make their lives better.

    She recalled that last year that women groups in the state during the august meeting were encouraged to carry out community projects that will empower them, “I believed that we succeeded as many of our women have shifted their focus to skill acquisition and empowerment instead of building community halls.”

    Mrs Ikpeazu said, “Women are now more focused on emerging issues that have direct bearing on their wellbeing, after our last year’s August meeting, we noticed that a couple of women groups embarked on building collective businesses like bakeries, water treatment and bottling plans and I want to commend their efforts as it will put money in their pockets”.

    She commended their husband, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for providing the women of the state the required platform like the august meeting to express themselves and for making gender and children issues first-line charge in its policy formulation and implementation.

    Mrs Ikpeazu noted that Governor Ikpeazu has approved the disbursement of interest free loans to indigent women to support them in any trade or business of their choice, “This program will be launched in the next two weeks and women from all parts of the stat will benefit”.

    She said, “We have been supporting our women especially the indigent ones and those without skills to learn a trade and become self-reliant and empowered, currently we are training about one hundred women in various skills across the state”.

    In her reaction the wife of the transition chairman of Ugwunagbo local government area, Mrs Theresa Onuoha Uche commended the wife of the governor for bringing this year’s august meeting to the door steps of the rural people.

    Mrs Uche noted that the wife of the governor has been able to uplift the indigent people in the state especially women, stressing that whatever they are learning at this year’s august meeting will be taken to the rural areas for the women there to benefit as well.

    The highlight of this year’s august meeting was the lectures delivered by Prof Christopher Ogbonna Emerole who spoke on Motivating Women into Meaningful Farming, The Menace of Rape in Our Contemporary Society by Bar. Mrs Uzoamaka Ikonne and Overview of Sickle Cell Disease by Dr Mildred Oluchi Ukoha.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has built and commissioned two more houses for widows, bringing the number of such homes she provided for the poor to 11 in the last one year.

    The three bedroom bungalow with full amenities and furnishing were handed over to Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs. Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa communities, both in Umuahia North council area of Abia State.

    Speaking while handing over the houses to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ikpeazu said her mission of building houses for the homeless was a way of alleviating their suffering and of fulfilling a covenant she made with God to use her position to touch the lives of the people.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured that she will continue to provide assistance, welfare and empowerment to indigent men, women and children, revealing that the building of houses will go round to all parts of the state.

    She said that Governor  Ikpeazu has made welfare and empowerment a strong component of his administration’s policies and called on public-spirited individuals, non-governmental organisations and multi-nationals to join the government in reaching out to the needy.

    The wife of the Abia State Governor said that the task of empowering the people should not be left in the hands of government alone, stressing that government has a lot in its hands, “Which is the reason we are asking public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to join us in the task of helping the needy in the society.”

    In her speech the commissioner for women affairs in Abia State, Lady Chinedu Brown praised the performance of the wife of the Abia governor, for her efforts in ensuring that the indigent people in the state have a feel of the present administrations democratic dividends.

    In his own reaction the Chairman of Umuahia North council, Chief Okezie Ezeigbo, said that the governor’s wife has shown that the current administration is a public spirited one and pledged their unalloyed support to the administration.

    Responding Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa both who are above sixty years old said the wife of the governor has brought joy and happiness to them in their old age.

    The beneficiaries used the forum to pray for the wife of the governor that God will preserve her life and that of the governor her husband and grant them success in governance and give them wisdom to make Abia better.

    Mrs Ikpeazu later distributed clothing materials and other items to hundreds of other indigent women from the area after commissioning the buildings and urged them not to lose hope as God is in control of their lives at all times.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds for the needy

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has built and commissioned two more houses for widows, bringing the number of such homes she provided for the poor to 11 in the last one year.

    The three bedroom bungalow with full amenities and furnishing were handed over to Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs. Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa communities, both in Umuahia North council area of Abia State.

    Speaking while handing over the houses to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ikpeazu said her mission of building houses for the homeless was a way of alleviating their suffering and of fulfilling a covenant she made with God to use her position to touch the lives of the people.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured that she will continue to provide assistance, welfare and empowerment to indigent men, women and children, revealing that the building of houses will go round to all parts of the state.

    She said that Governor  Ikpeazu has made welfare and empowerment a strong component of his administration’s policies and called on public-spirited individuals, non-governmental organisations and multi-nationals to join the government in reaching out to the needy.

    The wife of the Abia State Governor said that the task of empowering the people should not be left in the hands of government alone, stressing that government has a lot in its hands, “Which is the reason we are asking public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to join us in the task of helping the needy in the society.”

    In her speech the commissioner for women affairs in Abia State, Lady Chinedu Brown praised the performance of the wife of the Abia governor, for her efforts in ensuring that the indigent people in the state have a feel of the present administrations democratic dividends.

    In his own reaction the Chairman of Umuahia North council, Chief Okezie Ezeigbo, said that the governor’s wife has shown that the current administration is a public spirited one and pledged their unalloyed support to the administration.

    Responding Mrs. Rosemary Ogbonna Ikwuakolam of Amuzukwu Ibeku and Mrs Abigail Ugonma Onuzuirike of Umudiawa both who are above sixty years old said the wife of the governor has brought joy and happiness to them in their old age.

    The beneficiaries used the forum to pray for the wife of the governor that God will preserve her life and that of the governor her husband and grant them success in governance and give them wisdom to make Abia better.

    Mrs Ikpeazu later distributed clothing materials and other items to hundreds of other indigent women from the area after commissioning the buildings and urged them not to lose hope as God is in control of their lives at all times.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife sensitises Corps members on HIV

    The wife of Abia State governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has called on stakeholders in the health sector and donor agencies to help government in the sensitisation and funding of HIV/AIDS education to avoid a resurgence of the disease.

    Speaking during the flag-off of the National Reproductive Health/ HIV AIDS Prevention and Care sensitisation for 2016 Batch A Corps members held at the NYSC Camp Umunna Bende Local Government Area, Mrs Ikpeazu said it is necessary to educate the youths on the disease.

    Mrs Ikpeazu described the HIV pandemic as an enemy to all, stressing the need for collective, articulate and right dissemination of information to the target populace in order to halt the spread of the disease.

    The governor’s wife commended the NYSC for remaining focused in the fight against HIV AIDS in the country and encouraged the corps members to surpass the achievement of their predecessors.

    In her speech, the NYSC state coordinator Mrs. Franca Ifon expressed happiness at the presence of the wife of the governor, stressing that it was the first time the wife of a governor is visiting the camp to fraternise with corps members deployed to the state.

    Mrs. Ifon used the opportunity to thank Governor Okezie Ikpeazu whom she described as committed to the enhancement of the welfare of both staff and corps members in the state.

    A spokesman of the corps members Mr. Ogunsanya Oluwatanmi thanked the wife of the governor for gracing the occasion and pledged that they are committed to fighting against HIV/AIDS in the state.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife donates to NYSC

    Ikpeazu’s wife donates to NYSC

    The wife of Abia State governor Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has donated food items to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state, hailing the corps for providing good orientation for young graduates.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu made the donation in her office in response to an SOS from the state coordinator of the NYSC who told her there was no food in its camp to feed the Batch A 2016 members coming in for orientation.

    The items donated by Mrs. Ikpeazu included bags of rice, tubers of yam, cartons of noodles and toiletries, among others.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu assured the NYSC of her support, adding that as leaders of tomorrow, the youths deserve adequate attention. She urged the coordinator to ensure the safety of the corps members.

    The state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Franca Ifon, thanked her for her generosity, and her husband for approving the rehabilitation of the state NYSC camp.

    Ifon called on public-spirited people to emulate Mrs Ikpeazu’s gesture.

    She said, “I want to thank the wife of the governor, Mrs Ikpeazu, for the food items she donated to us which will go a long way to ensure that the corps members are well fed.

    The governor’s wife gave us foodstuff like yams, rice, tomatoes, noodles among others including toilet rolls and sanitary pads for the female corps members, which will make the stay of the corps members comfortable in the state camp.”

    Ifon also thanked Governor Ikpeazu for his love for the state chapter of the NYSC, saying, “The governor has been very magnanimous towards corps members in the state since he assumed office”.

    She called on employers of labour in the state and those who are in need of the services of corps members to submit their requests for corps members at the NYSC secretariat in Umuahia for processing.

  • Ikpeazu’s wife builds houses for widows

    Ikpeazu’s wife builds houses for widows

    The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, in collaboration with the Vicar Hope Foundation, has inaugurated two bungalows for two indigent widows in Bende and Ohafia concils of the state.

    Speaking during the Commissioning, Mrs. Ikpeazu stated that the houses were built in fulfilment of her covenant with God to provide succour to this class of people who have no one to help them.

    She also said the gesture was equally to thank God for her husband’s victory at the Supreme Court.

    Mrs Ikpeazu urged well-meaning Abians to assist the government in ameliorating the plight of the widows and other vulnerable persons.

    She said that with the dwindling economic fortunes of the state, it was becoming very difficult for government alone to take care of the indigent and vulnerable people in the state.

    The beneficiaries included Mrs. Egbichi Okorie from Ezeukwu Community in Bende Local Government Area and Mrs. Aria Ugba from Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government Area.

    The beneficiaries, Mrs. Egbichi Okorie and and Mrs. Aria Ugba thanked Mrs. Ikpeazu and prayed for God’s protection and divine health for the gesture.

    Some of the dignitaries witnessed the inauguration were the Deputy Governor of the state, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Hagler Okorie, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs Lady Chinedu Brown.