Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has commended Women for their sacrifices and invaluable contributions to the development of society, describing them as “God’s special gift to the world”.
Governor Otti gave the commendation in Umuahia on Tuesday during the Abia Women August Delegates Conference held at the International Conference Centre (ICC).
The Governor, who noted that the place of women in the State’s history and progress cannot be overemphasized, said his target is to raise a critical mass of women who are sufficiently empowered to create value for themselves and their families.
He congratulated Abia women on the occasion of the August Meeting, which coincided with the 34th Anniversary of the creation of Abia State, pointing out that women have been central to the growth and sustenance of families and communities across the State.
“Abia women have in the last 34 years emerged as strong development pillars, offering of themselves and their resources in the collective push to build a prosperous and peaceful society.
“Today we honour the mothers who sacrificed their today to give their families and the wider society a better future, those who stay awake at night that their children may go to school the next morning, who keep vigil in prayer that things may turn around through divine assistance, the ones who never gave up, who kept believing, encouraging and sharing words of hope,” he said.
The Governor expressed gratitude to women for their steadfast support during the 2023 elections, particularly through their prayers, mobilisation, and determination, stressing that his administration would continue to prioritise women in policies, programmes and appointments.
He disclosed that the State Government had allocated ₦2 billion to support community-based cooperative societies, with 60 per cent of the fund reserved for women, especially in Agriculture.According to him, the majority of those employed in the just-concluded teachers’ recruitment exercise were women, while women also accounted for the bulk of beneficiaries of government capacity development initiatives in ICT, vocational training and other sectors.
“Our goal is to empower women and mothers economically, offering the leverage they require to support their families and contribute actively to the growth of the community. When women prosper, the community prospers,” Governor Otti stated.
He further highlighted improvements in public health services and the extension of the State’s health insurance programme to the informal sector to enable women and families to access affordable and quality healthcare.
The Governor urged mothers and women leaders to partner with Government in tackling social vices such as drug abuse, crime and the obsession with illicit wealth, stressing the need to inculcate in young people the values of hard work and resilience.
“The entire society shall be doomed if mothers refuse to collectively resist social behaviours that are inimical to the healthy growth of the population”, he warned.
Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to pursuing policies that empower women and families socially and economically, which he described as the “true purpose of public service”.
The Abia Women August Delegates Conference 2025 which featured the presentation of empowerment items to different Women group, including vulnerable ones, had in attendance the wife of the Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, the wife of the Deputy Governor Mrs Adaeze Emetu and a host of other women from across the State and beyond.
