Commissioner Tasks Women On Development Challenges

Women in Rivers State have been called upon to unite and take full advantage of government’s commitment to make them equal partners with men in the development of the state.

They have therefore been charged to appreciate the need to provide education to the girt-child as well as de-emphasise the penchant to ask for monetary handouts from government instead of empowerment, infrastructure and rural development.

The state commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Joeba M. West made the call in Port Harcourt Monday in an interview with The Tide.

The commissioner who commended the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his wife, Dame Judith Amaechi for giving practical expression to the 35 percent Affirmation Action for women in government, noted that Rivers is the only state with 57 female councillors, which she noted was the highest in the country. West also noted that Governor Amaechi and his wife ensured that four women were appointed into the state executive council while many others were appointed into other decision-making bodies . She thanked the governor for creating the enabling environment through seminars and enlightenment for women to exercise their voting rights and become relevant in the development of the state.

While urging women in the state to shun the Pull Her Down (PHD) syndnome in order to sustain the admirable tempo of women development in the state, the commissioner stressed the need for all to support the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) programme of the governor’s wife.

She noted that the ESI programme had taken over the training of the kindergarten in the state which she said would have a major impact in taking children off the streets.

The commissioner therefore appealed to all, particularly people in the rural areas to support the ESI programme.

Government, she said, set up the Ministry of Women Affairs in appreciation of the need to address women issues as a strategy for ensuring balanced development.

The commissioner said she was committed to building on the foundations led by her predecessors in order to leave a solid foundation for her successor.