Abia First Lady celebrates last August meeting, says AWADEC scored for her

The wife of Abia State Governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu, celebrated at the last August Abia Delegates Conference, AWADEC, on Tuesday with the firm belief that the program offered her the opportunity to score many points as the state's first lady.

Speaking at the event which is the 8th in the series, Ms Ikpeazu said, “AWADEC 2022 would be my last as First Lady.

"The theme is 'Women in Abia: Engineering Development, Creating Legacies.' This evokes reflections on how women deliberately created lasting legacies in the spaces they found themselves using God-given grace and all the skills at their disposal, be they professional, entrepreneurial, maternal and spiritual to bring about societal change and development.< /p>

“Eight years after its inception in 2015, I sat in retrospect, wondering if my original vision for AWADEC had come true. It is just a score that can be measured when my management as First Lady will be over in a few months or maybe years later.

"AWADEC's vision has driven me to score on so many other fronts, which I hope can be sustained.

"One of the major successes I have recorded is that I was in the driver's seat when a gender policy for Abia State was developed: setting the policy direction not only of the current government and successive with regard to gender, but dovetail with the action plan of the private sector with regard to gender balance in various aspects such as development planning, resource distribution, education, health, social protection, political appointments, labor and the workplace, the provision of social amenities, in access to the justice system and the rule of law, in almost any expression of strategic social development”.

She further mentioned, "My unprecedented interest in gender-based violence led to the passing of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, the establishment of GBV Incident Reporting Centers in 17 LGA, the creation of a GBV resource center in Umuahia, the creation of an action committee on gender-based violence, the referral center for ongoing sexual assaults and numerous capacity building interventions for improve the GBV prevention and response ecosystem in the state.”

She recalled her assistance to the Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Council for Women's Society, NCWS, saying, "We have an extensive halfway house and skills acquisition center for women completed in Umuahia, as we are on track to revive other shelters for vulnerable women in Umuahia and Aba.

"At last count, I have built and donated 172 houses for destitute families, especially widows, in Abia State, I have put a total of 600 people through a skills development course. 3 months of skills and entrepreneurship (facilitated by NDE) and provided them with starter packs, start-up funds and materials.

"Through my Vicar Hope Foundation, I have established a breast cancer prevention and detection program that includes awareness, examination and diagnosis. I have played an indelible role in maintaining maternal and child health care and nutrition.

"I have set up traders' groups in 13 rural communities, providing funds for business growth, making direct cash injections into the businesses of hundreds of small rural women traders, and building market stalls so that traders can do business in comfort”.

Over the past 5 years, AWADEC has directly enriched lives by empowering women through the AWADEC loan program and AWADEC cooperatives and she says, "We have implemented a zero interest revolving loan program which is deemed effective.

“Hundreds of women from the 17 LGAs in Abia have received fifty thousand naira (N50,000) and one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) injected into their businesses. For very small businesses, this is a huge lifesaver. The program is sustainable and will therefore continue to deliver results even after we leave office.”

"To the women of Abia, I am grateful for the support you have given me. I would not have accomplished all that I have done without your help. I urge you to continue to support us as this administration is coming to an end and to also support us in the appointment of a competent successor whom you will also support as you have supported me,” she said.

Speaking on this occasion, the Commissioner for Women's Affairs and Social Development, Deac. Nna Rose Urenta described the event as a “unifying event that crosses all geopolitical zones of Abia and creates an opportunity for our women to discuss the socio-economic developments of their different communities, villages and women's groups in their different localities. ". p>

The theme for this year, she said, is “a call on our women to redouble their commitment to the overall development of Abia State.”

In his speech, the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, who was represented by his chief of staff, Okey Ahaiwe, said that women are major pillars of his administration,...