‘Women Affairs Ministry Has Mandate To Develop, Promote Policies’

The Rivers State
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri, has said that her ministry has the mandate to develop, promote policies and programmes capable of enhancing women affairs in the state.
She said this while delivering her address at the stakeholders meeting workshop for women in political and leadership positions, Friday in Port Harcourt.
Oyaghiri noted that such programmes will enhance their potential in all spheres of life, while having equitable access to opportunities, resources and developmental initiatives.
The commissioner explained that the theme of the programme, “Women Empowerment and Sustainable Developpment”, was part of the benefits of the new administration of His Excellency, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
According to her, the government has broadly shared the creation of opportunities for generating income for the advancement of human development.
Upon achievement of such opportunities, she pointed out that the full potentials of women and youths would not be farfetched.
Stressing the need for women empowerment, she listed food security, stable homes, curtailed youth restiveness as part of the gains.
She also grouped women empowerment into four components which included women since of self worth, right to determine choices, right to have a power to control their lives within and outside the home  and ability to influence the direction of societal change to create a more just, social and economic order locally, nationally and internationally.
One of the keynote speakers, Mrs Churchill Ibeneche, has also urged women in power to support others who want to vie for political offices, while advising them to attain more political offices.
She further charged them to be involved in both political and legislative processes needed to ensure women’s rights in the country.
In his response, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, tasked the women on the need to stand up for their right, adding that his government will not tolerate anyone that would stand against women development in the state.
The governor who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Kenneth Kobani, admitted that the government has recognised women’s role in the state, thus the need to support them in all their programmes and projects.