Ayade in a hurry to provide democratic dividends —Mrs Okorocha, Gov charges on children, women welfare

Efio-Ita Nyok|28 October 2017 

President of Southern Governors’ Wives Forum (SGWF), and wife of the Governor of Imo State, Her Excellency, Mrs. Nineoma Rochas Okorochas, Friday, commended the Executive Governor of Cross River State for being in a hurry to bring about the dividends of democracy to the people of the state as reflected in the gigantic projects he is undertaking NegroidHaven can report authoritatively. 

Okorochas stated this when she led members of the forum on a courtesy call to Governor Ayade at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Calabar on Friday. She led members of the Forum on a courtesy call to Governor Ayade at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Calabar on Friday.

The President of SGWF on behalf of her colleagues expressed happiness that Ayade’s projects are people-oriented, especially the Garment Factory that targets the empowerment and welfare of women and children, besides such noble projects as the ultra-modern rice mill, cocoa factory, the super highway and the Bakassi deep seaport, among others, stressing further that Ayade is in a hurry to provide democratic dividends that will impact positively on Cross Riverians.

Her words, ‘We are aware that you are in a hurry to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people through your rice city, Garment Factory, super high way,… Your drive to turn Cross River State into a smart city has endeared you to the people’. 

Ayade charges SGWF on children, women empowerment

While responding, Gov. Ayade of Cross charged the Southern Governors Wives’ Forum (SGWF) to place emphasis on the welfare and empowerment of children in their respective states.

According to the Governor, children and women are vulnerable in the society, hence the need to care for them by initiating policies/programmes that would protect and empower them.

His words, ‘I must admit that wives of this forum are doing exceptionally well in their different states as it concerns children and women empowerment.

‘I want this forum to focus more on children and women which are the vulnerable in the society. I have decided to host you in Calabar because your emphasis is on women and children.

‘My first project, the garment factory, was set up primary to empower women. Today, over 90 per cent of the workers there are women and a majority of them are widows’, he said.

The host of the SGWF and wife of Cross River Governor, Dr Linda Ayade, said that the forum was charting a new course of development for women and children in the South-East, South-South and South-West.

Mrs Okorocha, said that there were in the state for a two-day visit with a view to interact and empower women in the state.

She explained that the SWGF is an association instituted by the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari to complement the welfare and children in southern states.

`We are in Calabar for a two-day visit. Our aim in the state is to chart with the women and empower them because the SGWF believes in building bridges of development.

‘Our objective is to promote the girl-child education, eradicate child labour, empowerment of women and children and supporting of pet projects of wives of governors’, she said.

The President of the forum commended the wife of Cross River governor for her health pet project `Mediatrix Development Foundation’, which she said has rendered free medical services to the vulnerable in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that governors wives from Cross River, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states were currently in the state for the visit.