Women
Group Celebrates Christmas With Widows In PHALGA
It was a thing of joy for widows in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (PHALGA) as Ogbakor Ikwerre California celebrated this year’s Christmas with them.
Christmas also called Yuletide, is a season set aside by Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a season of love and it symbolises the exchange of gifts to the down- trodden, less privileged, widows as well as loved ones.
In the Holy Scripture, the birth of Jesus Christ was announced by an Angel in Luke 2:7-18, which brought joy, peace and salvation to mankind.
In the time past, it was learnt that three Middle Eastern Kings, named, Gaspar, Melchior, and Baltasar, popularly known as the “Three Wise Men”, who felt compelled by God and were led by a new star in the sky to go to Jerusalem, brought gifts to the son of God (Jesus Christ), who was to be born.
Till date, God has often times continued to speak to man to be a blessing to one another, especially for the rich to help the poor in the society.
In line with God’s command, a group under the auspices of Ogbakor Ikwerre In The Diaspora has been complying to that command since 2014 till date.
Tuesday, December 20th, 2022, the California representatives and their press crew here in Nigeria embarked on group mandate to celebrate 2022 Christmas with some widows in three communities namely: Rumukalagbor, Oro-Adasobia, Rebisi and Oroworukwo, all in Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA) through the distribution of some food items such as beans, rice, tin tomatoes, salt, groundnut oil and maggi to the widows.
First, they started with the distribution of food items in Rumukalagbor community, where the group representatives were received by the Chief of the community, the Nyenweli of Rumukalagbor Community, Nye Nweli Chile R. Kalagbor, who introduced the widows to the Ogbakor Ikwerre in Diaspora representatives. He charged the beneficiaries to maintain peace and remain hospitable to the visitors.
Chief Kalagbor expressed joy, saying that the kind gesture by the group would go a long way to cushion the demands of these widows during the season.
He prayed and thanked the group for their benevolent acts of showing love through giving, stressing that they would never lack as the bible supports what they were doing. He said: “It is better to give than to receive and since they are interested in giving, they will never lack anything good from God.”
Some of the beneficiaries appreciated Ogbakor Ikwerre in the Diaspora for the show of love even when they had no hope from anywhere.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Scholar Chinda said: “This is just a surprise as I heard that our people in the California remembered the widows. Like I earlier said in Ikwerre Language, Exodus 22:22 says, whosoever afflicted the widow invokes the anger of God to rise. In other words, when you bless a widow you have a blessing attached to it.
“Since they are there and are remembering the widows by doing what our husbands are supposed to do for us and because of death they are not able to do it again”.
“As they are feeding us, God will feed them over there, God will always make a way for them, the American land will favour them, will honour them. Their children will be useful and none of their girl children will be widow early, so we bless them, we appreciate them in Jesus name, Amen,” Mrs Chinda added.
Another beneficiary and one of the oldest among the widows, Mrs Comfort Robinson, also expressed joy and happiness to be alive to witness such a kind gesture by her own people and prayed in Ikwerre Language saying: “God bless our daughters and sons in California for remembering us. God will remember them in their time of needs”.
Also a beneficiary, Madam Linda Goerge, representing her widow mother, who is sick said: “I thank them very much for what they did. For me I will say let God bless them for remembering the widows. May their pockets never run dry. May God replenish their pockets and whatever they lay their hands on to do, shall prosper in Jesus name, Amen”.
At Oro-Adasobia Community in Rebisi, Port Harcourt, the team was received by some chiefs, among them were Eze Nyenweli Amadi Worha; Eze Okani Adasobia, the XII of Rebisi Kingdom, Chief Charles Dede and Chief Okechukwu Abbey.
Speaking to The Tide correspondent in an interview, Eze Nyenweli Amadi Worha said: “This is the first time we have witnessed what is happening here in the hall today. I remember when I was in the United States, this idea has never crept up into my mind.
“I take this opportunity with my fellow chiefs and Oro Adasobia in general to thank the California members, who are actually rooted from this part of the world and they are doing marvellously well to feed the hungry persons in our midsts instead of sending the hungry persons out without food”.
According to Chief Worha, “they have fed thousands, no matter how they started, I know tomorrow will be greater. My prayer is that let God Almighty keep, protect, preserve and save them”.
Also speaking, another Chief, Eze Okani Adasobia, the XII of Rebisi Kingdom, Chief Charles Dede, said: “I am very much impressed and so happy that our people in the disapora have such a kind gesture.
“This is the first time we are witnessing such a thing, as such we pray for more grease to their elbow for them to have remembered that there are people here that need assistance, it will go a long way to help these poor ones, so I thank God for what they are doing”.
“I also pray that God bless them in the name of Jesus Christ, God should prosper the works of their hands. I’m appealing to the people in the diaspora to assist in training some of the children of the widows, so as to reduce the high level of crime on the society”, he emphasised.
His words: “Also to the parents of these children that have gone hay wild due to lack of proper home and educational training, that God is the husband to the widows as such should grease their efforts in whatever they lay their hands to do, so they are able to take care as well train their children properly”.
The crew went to Oroworukwo and were received by some chiefs as well and the same testimonies and appreciation were recorded.
Earlier, the Ogbakor Ikwerre, California representative in Nigeria and lead speaker, Dr Christiana Chukumati, stated that the gesture started since 2014 and has been up and running.
Chukumati explained that the team has visited several communities in four Ikwerre Local Government Areas namely, Obio/Akpor, Emohua, Ikwerre and PHALGA, adding that their set goals and aspirations are to put some smiles on the faces of Ikwerre widows.
She stressed that the Ikwerre Widows’ Outreach Project has been up and running with other various projects such as scholarship to the less privileged ones in the society, skills acquisition programme for youths, medical outreaches, among others.
Even the press crew were not left out as they also benefitted from the gesture. As a result, they expressed joy and pray that God continues to bless and keep those their bothers and sisters in California, so that they can continue to do more for the less privileged and down trodden in the society.
On her part, Pastor (Mrs) Constance Walker charged all the widows to see God as their husband and a great provider in time of needs.
Walker further charged them to look for something to do with their hands, instead of sitting at home doing nothing.
She emphasised that a struggling widow would always be respected by all in the society, adding that a lazy widow will wait for some irresponsible men to take them for granted which at the end will not give them the respect they had when their husbands were alive.
The woman of God charged them to seek God’s face and do things that would add positively to their lives.
By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Women
Echoes Of IWD : Need To Invest In Women
As this year’s Internatinal Women’s Day (IWD) has come and gone, there are calls from different quarters on the need to invest in women so that we can achieve accelerated growth.
It was, indeed, a thing of joy when Rivers Women Unite For Sim, took delivery of large quantities of sanitary towels and some bags of rice provided them for this year’s celebration.
Many young women expressed joy that they got such gesture since some of them have financial problems getting sanitary towels whenever they are on.
Some secondary school students were also lucky to have a share of the benefits. They also got some sanitary towels.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs organised a platform to celebrate and honour the women for the remarkable jobs they perform in their homes and society.
Addressing women on the occasion, the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, noted that women from time immemorial have been great pillars in achieving remarkable heights and stressed that IWD across the globe is pivotal all women for the roles they play in bringing, nurturing and sustaining life.
Dr. Uranta said that IWD, which started in 1911 and celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day that provides women a platform to address economic inclusion, participation in political and public life.
She said the day was set aside to look into lack of access to education for the girl-child, gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, harmful cultural practices as well as other challenges facing women around the globe.
The Hon. Commissioner, who described March 8 as a day to celebrate the socio-economic, cultural and political achievements of women, emphasised that it is a day that offers women the opportunity to reflect on progressive achievements.
Noting that it is an opportunity to call for change, she stressed that it is also an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and every achievement made by ordinary women who did extraordinary things and are remembered in history.
She noted that the IWD2024 theme:”Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress”, is timely and apt because according to her, to achieve gender equality, we must ensure that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women do not elude them.
Her words: ” We must see investing in women as a human right issue and consider investing in women as a social tool to eradicate poverty since women are helpmeet in the homes while a handful are breadwinners in their respective families”.
The commissioner urged women to uphold the deliberate act of investing in themselves, be it furthering formal education, developing a new skill as well as learning a trade.
“Shun idleness, always find something positive and productive to do, regardless of your age, social status and financial capabilities”, she said.
In a paper presentation, Dr. Dabota God’swill Jumbo, reiterated that investing in women would attract good and positive dividends to herself and the society at large and noted that it is essential in addressing poverty, hunger and climate change.
The guest speaker said women need more opportunities in elective and appointive positions, hence the need to encourage and support them in politics.
According to her, when you invest in women, they will be able to create safer environment devoid of gender-based violence.
In a goodwill message, the spokesperson, Rivers Women Unite For Sim, Mrs Charity Deemua appreciated the organisers for making it possible for women to gather and celebrate themselves.
She commended those who created a day like March 8 of every year to celebrate women and regretted that the girl-child was seen as a second-class person decades ago.
The former commissioner, Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, described those who taught it wise for women to celebrate as conquerors, tough and strong.
International Association of World Peace Advocates, a world-class organisation with the United Nations, honoured different categories of women.
In Cross River State, 150 women were empowered with about N15m to boost their small and medium scale businesses.
According to stakeholders, the women empowerment is vital in addressing social, economic and political challenges and will make them self-reliant.
An NGO, Association of Professional Women Engineering Technologists (APWET), said it’s aim is to promote professional excellence among engineering personnel, advocating for women and girl-child education.
With what we saw in terms of response to women’s call on issues affecting them from relevant authorities, we are optimistic that the women will do better whenever they are empowered.
If we must kick out cervical, breast and other forms of cancer in women, underage marriage, prostitution, we must invest in women.
There were goodwill messages from National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC, Nigeria Association of Female Journalists (NAWOJ), among others.
By: Eunice Choko-Kayode
News
Women Empowerment, Key Priority Of Fubara’s Govt -Deputy Gov
The Rivers State Government has said that empowerment of women is one of its key priorities.
The Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, stated this during the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration, at the Women Development and Skills Acquisition Centre, Ministry of Women Affairs, Port Harcourt, at the weekend.
Odu described International Women’s Day as a catalyst used to push for women empowerment and assured that their welfare would be boosted by the government.
The deputy governor assured the women them that the state government would live up to its campaign promise by investing in women and advised them to utilise their starter parks whenever they are empowered.
In a keynote address, the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roseline Apawari Uranta, noted that women from time immemorial have been great pillars in achieving remarkable heights and stressed that IWD across the globe is of pivotal essence to celebrate all women for the roles they play in bringing, nurturing and sustaining life.
Uranta said that IWD, which started in 1911 and celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day that provides women a platform to address economic inclusion, limited participation in political and public life.
She described it as a day set aside to look into lack of access to education for the girl-child, gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, harmful cultural practices as well as other challenges facing women in the continent and beyond.
The commissioner, who described March 8 as a day to celebrate the socio-economic, cultural and political achievements of women, emphasised that it is a day that offers women the opportunity to reflect on progressive achievements.
Nothing that it is an opportunity to call for change, she stressed that the Day is also an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and every achievement made by ordinary women who did extraordinary things and are remembered in history.
She described this year’s IWD theme:”Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress”, as timely and apt because according to her, to achieve gender equality, we must ensure that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women do not elude them.
She said, “We must see investing in women as a human right issue and consider investing in women as a social tool to eradicate poverty since women are help-mates in the homes while a handful are breadwinners in their respective families”.
Uranta urged women to uphold the deliberate act of investing in themselves both in formal education, developing a new skill as well as learning a trade.
“Shun idleness, always find something positive and productive to do, regardless of your age, social status and financial capabilities”, she advised.
In a paper presentation, the guest speaker, Dr. Dabota Godswill Jumbo, reiterated that investing in women would attract good and positive dividends to herself and the society at large and noted that it is essential in addressing poverty, hunger and climate change.
She said women need more opportunities in elective and appointive positions, hence the need to encourage and support them in politics.
According to her, when you invest in women, they will be able to create safer environment where women will dwell devoid of gender-based violence.
In a goodwill message, the spokesperson, Rivers Women Unite For Sim, Mrs Charity Deemua, appreciated the organisers for making it possible for women to gather and celebrate themselves.
She commended those who created IWD to celebrate women and regretted that the girl-child was seen as a second-class person decades ago.
The former commissioner, Rivers State House of Assembly Commission, described those who taught it wise for women to celebrate as conquerors, tough and strong.
There were goodwill messages from National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC, Nigeria Association of Female Journalists (NAWOJ), among others.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Women
IWD : Perusing The Importance And Contributions Of Women
All over the globe, women generally are celebrated in the month of March. The celebration comes once in a year to mark the tremendous tasks women perform.
With this year’s theme, ‘Count Her In, Invest In Women, Accelerate Progress’, let it be an opportunity for leaders and stakeholders to peruse the importance of investing in the female gender and to empower them.
Scholarship should be granted female students instead of forcing them into underage marriage.
The roles they play in their various countries, states, local government areas, communities; \societies, religious organisations and families can never be over-emphasised.
In business organisations, women have proved that they can form greater part in number in leadership.
In politics, they are not left out as they form not less than 35 percent of affirmative action. You can find quite majority of women in the parliament, Senate and the House of Representatives}.
In the Judiciary, the female Judges and Justices, which may be the highest rank are doing well also.
Women have become Presidents and Vice Presidents in their countries.
In many nations of the world, women are governors and deputy governors even in State House of Assembly, they are doing well.
Women form part of local government council administration. They are chairmen and vice chairmen of some local government councils.
In the academia, women have risen to be Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Bursars and other principal officers of universities worldwide.
In their local communities, they form part of the grassroots who engage in agriculture and sole proprietorship. Their roles in food chain are second to none.
It is the women who give birth to children who in future grow to adulthood.
They nurture and nurse their younger ones to grow into maturity from breastfeeding stage.
When it comes to domestic affairs, they utilise all available resources maximally, ensuring that fund is allocated to every item at home. Where there is a housekeep or nanny, the mother plays a supervisory role’ other wise, things may not go well.
With all the roles women play in our societies, how well have they been treated?. In politics, they still have low turnout in participation. Their partners sometimes do not give them that opportunity to participate fully in politics. When women are at the helms of affairs, things may get better.
In the area of healthcare, women need free medicare from antenatal stage to delivery because of their roles in the families. This needs not be negotiated. If this is provided them, the rate of maternal and infant mortality will be less.
Women need soft loans not just from government at all levels, but from spirited individuals and Non- Governmental Organisations, NGO, to boost their petty trading. Some of them have lost their spouse and find it difficult to cope.
We need more women in the schools at every levels, especially at the tertiary leve where we have the teenagers and adolescent girls. These groups of people need attention. Female lecturers will provide them with the right guidance and counselling in this 21st century. In this computer age, where they are exposed to many things, their folk will play better roles in their lives.
As women mark the International Women’s Day, today, it is important to honour, cherish and appreciate their contributions to the family and society. It is important that we reflect on those things that affect them negatively, as today is being set aside to honour them.
As Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital hosts one of the biggest associations in the world, the International Association of World Peace Advocates, a world class organisation with the United Nations, stakeholders should emphasise more on the place of women in national development and world peace.
The United Nations through the IWD 2024 should raise more awareness on the importance of women and their contributions towards world peace.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
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