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The Rivers State Government says it
would float a special scholarship scheme
for women in the state.
The State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi, who announced this today
while speaking at the opening ceremony
of the Rivers State Summit on Women in
Politics in Port Harcourt, said
beneficiaries of the scheme would
include daughters of non-indigenes who
reside in the state.
He said the state government decided to
float the scheme as a way of enhancing
the chance of women to compete
favourably in the society, reminding
them that education was the only vehicle
through which women can achieve their
goals.
“If women must succeed in their 35 per
cent affirmative action, they need good
education”, the governor emphasized,
while urging them to step beyond seeking
for improved recognition to asserting
themselves at all times, as “nobody
would be prepared to willingly give them
the right”.
The Chief Executive, who noted that
women were mostly architect of their
problems, also advised them to shun
gossips, rumour mongering and running
others down in the search for
recognition.
Governor Amaechi, who pointed out that
he has always supported women through
political appointment and economic
empowerment and a donation of 147 cars
through the Empowerment Support
Initiative, the non-governmental
organization initiated by his wife, Dame
Judith Amaechi, promised that he would
encourage as many female aspirants as
possible in the 2011 elections.
While promising to advise the PDP to set
conditions that would encourage more
women to participate in politics, he
urged them to start preparing for a more
educative future today.
The governor, however, said one thing
that would qualify women to participate
in politics was for them to embrace the
party and voters registrations and
commended the female Commissioners and
other top women appointees in his
administration for being pragmatic in
the discharge of their duties.
In her keynote address the wife of the
Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith
Amaechi, commended the First Lady of
Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan for
championing women’s political
emancipation and empowerment through a
formidable platform capable of giving
Nigerian women a pride of place.
Mrs Amaechi said the vision of the First
Lady has not only awakened the
consciousness of Nigerian women but has
given greater impetus to female
politicians in the country to ask for
equity and justice in national politics,
describing the theme “Women in
Democracy: An Imperative for Good
Governance and National Development, as
appropriate.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Rivers
State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Tonye
Harry advised the women to carry the men
along in their quest for positions and
urged them to come out and participate
in politics in their various Local
Government Areas.
The Chairman of the occasion Dame
Christie Toby, urged women to be bold to
come out to contest elective positions
in the 2011 elections.
Women leaders from the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party
delivered goodwill messages at the
occasion
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