Women

Promoting Girl Child Education

Published

12 years ago

February 27, 2015

The Agbonchia
Community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State is now in a joyous mood following steps by some of its indigenes towards giving indigent students of the area greater educational opportunities.
The occasion was the inauguration of foundation for the promotion of University and Technical Education in the community. The foundation christened after late Chief (Sir) John Okparaji Obele(JP), which has all his thirteen (13) children as trustees, also gave maximum advantage to female members of the community in their educational pursuit.
Late Chief (Sir) John Okparaji Obele(JP) was the paramount ruler of Agbonchia before his death in 2010. He was an educationist and a promoter of girl-child education not only in Agbonchia his immediate community, but the entire Eleme Local Government Area.
His avowed commitment to the Girl-Child Education, it was gathered, was responsible for the quality education given to all his daughters among who is the current c airman of the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) Onene Osila Obele-Oshoko.
A copy of the biography made available to The Tide indicates that the late chief taught for 16 years in both primary and secondary schools before being absorbed into the mainstream civil service.
While in the civil service, he was said to have held positions such as administrative officer housing matters, Secretary to Departmental Selection Board, Executive Secretary Rivers State Tourism Board, Pioneer Executive Secretary and Deputy Rivers State and Stadium Authority and later as Principal of the Staff Development Centre Port Harcourt.
Children of the late John Okparaji Obele, in recognition of their father’s great strides, especially in the education sector were of the view that time has come for a foundation that will promote the core values of their father, especially, in the promotion of the girl-child education in Agbonchia . At a meeting in Port Harcourt recently the children of the late Chief reeled out objectives of the foundation to include an annual scholarship for indigent students of Agbonchia; five students for University and two for technical training.
According to them, the areas of emphasis would be law, medicine, engineering, accountancy and economics; for the technical field, the foundation would give more emphasis to indigenes of the community wishing to go into pipe-fitting and welding.
It was also revealed that out of the five undergraduate scholarships to be awarded by the foundation, three are for female candidates.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen during the meeting the chairman of the foundation, Dr Princewili Olungeonwi Suny Obele said that apart from keeping the memories of their father alive, the Foundation is to give back to the society what the family has received.
Dr. Obele also said that the situation would make the Agbonchia Community and the entire Eleme to continue to feel the impact of their father even though he is no more physically present with them. By this, the late educationist would continue to train Agbonchia sons and daughters for a very long time to come.
He explained that beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme who must be indigent students of Agbonchia must study in Nigerian public universities. According to him “they must be people of strong character and must not be found wanting in any way. They must not be found to be members of any secret cult. They will constantly be monitored to ensure that they keep to the tenets for which the scholarship was awarded to them”.
He also ruled out favouritism during the selection process, noting that the process would be conducted in a transparent manner that would be devoid of sectionalism, as every candidate will be subjected to the same clear terms for selection.
Dr Obele also said that the success of the scheme in the next few years will determine its extension to cover other communities in Eleme.
Osila said that as the first female graduate in Agbonchia and first female chartered accountant in Eleme Local Government Area, her father has set a record in the community as far as Girl-Child Education is concerned. She said that the family would continue on that line through the encouragement of women education in the community.
The children listed-some benefits the programme would bring to the community to include boosting education with a view to increasing development through skilled labour and reducing poverty in the area. The widow of Late Chief John Obele, Lady Beatrice Ochen Obele who is the grand- matron of the Foundation described the charity as a necessary ingredient for the promotion of quality education in the community.
Lady Obele who herself is an educationist said that gone are the days when a woman’s place is only in the kitchen, stressing that her husband during his life time was a promoter of Girl-Child Education.
The Sir (Chief) John OkparajiObele(JP) Foundation is a good one and must be supported to achieve set objective especially if others sharing same aspiration join hands to broaden the scope for more impact.
Also speaking, vice chairman of the foundation, Engr Abey –Obele said that the programme which takes off from the next academic session will be carried out by a panel that would comprise of all personalities in the area.
Engr Abey-Obele said that the family would ensure that the scheme is properly funded with a view to achieving its set target.
On the benefits of the scheme to the area, he said that it would improve education and the socio-economic standard of Agbonchia and other Eleme communities.
According to him, the beneficiaries who must be indigent students of Akpajo will be thoroughly screened to ensure that they are people who are good both in academic and in character.
Engr. Abey-Obele further said that apart form promoting academic excellence, the scheme would also check youth restiveness as more youths in the area will acquire useful skills that will improve their condition.
He further explained that the foundation will set a high standard both in the scholarships and the technical field and advised would be beneficiaries to take their learning seriously.
Some indigenes of the community who spoke to The Tide on the issue thanked the siblings of late Chief John Okparaji Obele for inaugurating a scholarship in memory of their fathers in the community.
According to elder Sunday Jah, the scheme will enable the people of Agbonchia to acquire the necessary skills that will improve the conditions of the community.
Elder Jah described the late paramount ruler as a great man whose influenced has touched every families of Agbonchia and commended the children for following in the foot steps of their father.
He also advised the youths of the community by law abiding, noting that success does not just fall from his area as everyone has to work for it.
Across section of the people who also spoke on the issue described the foundation as a good one that must be supported to achieve set objective especially if others sharing same aspiration join hands to broaden the scope for more impact.

The Dean of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny, the Very Revd Richard I. Hart with other dignitaries presenting the first position trophy to the winning school – Spring Foundation College, Bonny.

Women

Women And Dangers Of Obnoxious Practices

Published

3 weeks ago

October 9, 2026

The Tide

It is worrisome to hear that a woman or a girl is bathed with acidic contents just because she refuses to adhere to one instruction or the other from an opposite sex.

Sometimes, you see a woman with bruises on the face, with one eye swollen as if she is an animal perhaps she demanded one or two things from her spouse.

A situation where a widow will be mandated to marry a brother-in-law for her to still belong to the family where she is married and to partake in inheritance should be looked into.

Severally, there have been talks, seminars, workshops, fora, arguments, bills and laws abolishing the issues that concern women, especially violence. But much has not been achieved to curtail the menace.

Violence against girls and women has been on the increase. From time to time, it is either girls are denied access to father’s property or a widow is denied inheritance to husband’s properties. Even when laws are put in place about things that will help women have their rights, some persons feel that culture and tradition do not permit such laws.

We are aware that some women are rich and may not want to partake in the share of their late parents’ property, but there are vulnerable ones who may need to be empowered, through perhaps, late parents’ property inheritance.

Some of the obnoxious laws were made before now without the consent of women. There was no enough representation to either argue for or against so as to be beneficial to women generally. Some of the laws were so primitive that even when civilisation came, became difficult to change. Very unfortunately, it is the women sometimes who execute the laws made by men in their absence. But women are suffering it.

If government can establish laws abolishing certain practices against women and girls, it will be better for them and should be in the presence of women while they are in the parliament so that they can contribute as well.

For long, laws against female genital mutilation and circumcision have existed but some communities due to their culture and tradition have refused to put a stop to it with reasons best known to them.

Circumcision of a full-grown girl or lady may not be the only way of attaining maturity. It is a harmful practice and the pain associated with it cannot be imagined. The illegal operation is not performed in the hospital so the dangers inherent will be much.

For those who still practise it, the menace should be discouraged as that is not a proper way of ushering a girl into womanhood. A lot of women lose their lives due to pains experienced during the process. If it was practised in the past when civilisation was not there, it is a different case, nowadays with science and technology proving it wrong, those who still practice should resist.

We know that government is doing a lot to save women and girls from some of the pains they go through but right steps should be taken in the right direction and all stakeholders intensify efforts in dealing with persons who perpetuate evil against their fellow women.

One issue that comes to mind is implementation even if policies and laws are put in place by relevant agencies. The issue has been dwelt on for decades, but it is still practised as big ceremonies in some communities.

When it comes to inheritance, a girl born into a family, married or unmarried will be denied access to father’s property.

When parents are sick, the female child will pick him or her for care and offset medical bills. If it has to do with the demise of parents, the woman and the spouse to will be mandated to provide a cow and perform other burial rites.

If the National Assembly makes laws concerning the well-being of women, community heads, molecular leaders, women groups and associations, religious organisations, Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) should create more awareness through the media to sensitise rural dwellers.

In this digital era, it should be forbidden that a woman loses her spouse and she is mandated to drink water used on the late husband.

A legal practitioner, Tam Jacobs, said if one forcefully shaves a woman’s hair with the intention that she is mourning her late spouse, she can sue that person for assault.

He said if the woman is forced to drink water used on her late husband’s body, she can also sue for attempted murder.

According to him, several cases of girl-child inheritance have been won and documented in the law court but some cannot claim it.

“Even a widow who is handicapped may not be able to make attempts, so NGOs, CSOs should be in the forefront to support them and ensure that the laws are implemented at the grassroots level where they are practised”, he said.

A pharmacist, Eno Amos said any culture that does not add colour and value to life, especially as it concerns women should be abolished.

She added that implementation can be easy in the cities where awareness has been created but expressed fear that it may not be easy in the rural areas where culture is really practised.

A business woman, Agnes Ugwu, said tradition and culture were made by man and not God and wondered why people who claim to be educated still follow the tradition of ancestors who never went to school.

Ignorance also comes to play here. If you have watched a documentary showing female genital mutilation and the gory experience the young women go through is something else. Some of the perpetrators claim that the practice has existed for ages. Women have to learn more about issues that concern them.

A nurse, Rosy Ekeocha, said it is not about culture but about the behavior of a group of people in the community who force it on others.

According to her, let people change their behaviour and leave culture alone. It does not happen in every family and if any family allows it that is its business.

She said we are in the 21st century, certain cultures and tradition need to be reviewed to ensure that they align with today’s reality.

Culture is dynamic she said, but that implementation of laws relating to the vulnerable in the society calls for concern.

We should not behave the way people behaved twenty decades ago, after all, we do not dress the way our forefathers dressed. Time has evolved and things are getting better as it concerns women. We are getting more exposed and more enlightened about issues that concern us. Information is moving round as the world is a global village.

Talking about culture nowadays, we wear shoes whereas our forefathers never had any. They walked barefooted far distances to get family necessities but things are better now as we are mobile.

That should also happen to culture and tradition. There are certain aspects of our culture and tradition which are practised today that have expired long ago. We should get rid off them.

Sometime, the bill for prohibition of obnoxious practices against women at the National Assembly was seen as a welcome development, how far have the powers that be gone to ensure that it favours women.

It is expected that the bills abolishing obnoxious practices against women and girls in the society should have started achieving results as it concerns their wellbeing.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

Women

What A Woman Wants In A Man

Published

1 month ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

A woman needs a man that is honest, trustworthy, nice, loving and financially stable.

There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, If there is no money, it is always difficult.

Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3:Your desire shall be unto you……..

That is one aspect the woman expects her husband to take care of.

A woman wants a husband that is not lazy, at least helping to do one or two things. A man that is educated and intelligent.

She knows that there is a trait that her husband has. Traits of taking care of people, giving freely to people and caring for her family.

A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family, remembering his family even as he is away from home.

A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.

According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that the women builds her home.

It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit. Don’t be a monitoring spirit. Don’t allow anything to take your joy.

Don’t loose trust in your husband.

The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.

The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man. A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.

Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.

A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode

Women

Who Is A Classic Woman?

Published

1 month ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

A classic woman is one who has identified herself in terms of fashion, occupation or the kind of business she does.

A woman can be classical in the way she entertains her audience in terms of music and movies. You will discover that some female musicians are identified with the kind of music they sing.

A classical woman is one who always wants to appear trendy.

Generally, classical women are normally identified with the kind of things they are involved in.

There are ladies that want to be identified with wearing of shorts (short trousers) in the public. They use it to showcase their beauty. They want to be identified with such things as they see it as socialisation.

Some wear trousers that are so tight just to showcase all the curves they possess.

Consultant stylists and etiquette experts say some fashions won by some persons are inappropriate because of how and when they are won.

A classic woman is supposed to dress properly. She should be able to wear clothes that will not expose hidden parts of her body. When such occurs, then it is indecent dressing.

Ladies should be known for two things, classical and beauty. One can be classic with minimisation. The minimum woman should go is to look good, decent and presentable.

Some ladies like wearing short skirts but no matter how short the skirt is, it should look elegant. The skirt should not be too short like the mini-skirt.

Dressing or fashion depends on the environment the persons finds herself. The kind of clothes won to the office may be different from the one won at home. Likewise, a dress won to a party may be different from the one won too swimming pool.

For one to look classical or decent, body shape should be taken into consideration.

Colours of a particular fashion can make one look odd or nice. Looking model does not mean that one should go naked or dull.

Don’t wear clothes that you need to drag from time to time in order not to expose yourself.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode