Stakeholders Seek RSG, OPS Synergy On Women Dev

As the Rivers State Government intensifies efforts to improve the lots of women, some stakeholders have called for a joint collaboration between government and organised private sector in order to fast-track development of womenfolk.

Speaking at the Graduation Ceremony of the Young Women Economic Empowerment Programme organised by the State Ministry of Women Affairs, together with the Empowerment Support initiative (ESI), in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday, the stakeholders tasked private bodies to support government initiative.

The wife of Rivers State Governor Dame Judith Amaechi, charged financial institutions and corporate bodies to provide soft loans for more than 2,000 Rivers women who graduated from the scheme.

She explained that soft loans would go a long way to assist trainees to establish small scale businesses in order to drive the economy.

Dame Amaechi was optimistic that skills acquired by the women would help diversify the economy  and also create employment, instill division of labour saying, “what we need is to differentiate between artisan education and formal education”.

Dame Amaechi, who is the founder of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) pledged the support of her NGO in engaging most of the trainees who learnt driving, as part of her “Lady Cabbies Scheme”.

Chairman of the occasion, who is also Chairman of the Social Rehabilitation Committee in the state, Chief Albert Horsfall, said that women empowerment schemes would reduce poverty in the country, since a lot of them support their family upkeep.

He lauded the state government for sowing the seed of development, since the scheme would assist the women in pursuing long term livelihood.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, who was represented by the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Mrs Irene Inimgba, pledged the support of the House to improve the plight of women in the state.

Hon. Otelemaba promised that the state Assembly would ensure that more feminie friendly laws were promulgated to make sure women were given more chances in governance to contribute their quota.

Also speaking, Chairperson of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Council,  Mrs Maureen Tamuno, said that the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) would partner with the ministry to empower women.

She hinted that her local government council would ensure that a similar training is replicated in the area so as to provide employment opportunities for grassroots women.

Earlier in her remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Patricia Ogbonnaya said the scheme was aimed at improving the quality of lives of women and girls through productive ventures.