TONE SETTING BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE WIVES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN, AKWA IBOM STATE CHAPTER. MRS BRIGHT FRANK ARCHIBONG ON THE OCCASION OF THE WALGON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME. THEME; WOMEN CAPACITY BUILDING AND PRODUCTIVITY; CREATING WEALTH FROM AVAILABLE RESOURCES BY RURAL WOMEN. ON THE 28TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2019 IN UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE.
PROTOCOLS.
 It is with great pleasure that I welcome all our guests and women here to the WALGON Women empowerment programme. On behalf of the Wives of Local
Government Chairmen, Let me begin by thanking our Mother, Her Excellency, Dr (Mrs) Martha Udom Emmanuel for granting us the permission, counsel and support to host this epoch making empowerment event.
Let me also thank the chairman of today’s occasion, Hon Udo Ekpenyong who through his office, has always made himself available for WALGON and her programmes.
Permit me also, to specially thank the Algon Chairman and all local government Chairmen in Akwa Ibom State ( our husbands) without them, this event would not have been a success. Their passion and commitment for the empowerment and capacity development of the women in the various communities led to the massive support they gave us to host this event.
 
Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen today we are all assembled here to witness the fulfilment of a pledge by WALGON to empower 3 women per ward round the 329 wards of the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State. Close to a thousand women will be empowered with startup capital to support their trade, sewing machines and dryers will be distributed to women to boost their commercial output for a better economic yield in their various small medium enterprises.
This empowerment is a measure of support intended to improve the quality of lives of our rural women at the same time meeting their basic needs. It is our means of appreciating our women for their humongous support and commitment towards the successful re- election of His Excellency, Mr Udom Emmanuel, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State for four more years from 2019-2023. We all agree that the rural women of Akwa Ibom state played pivotal roles in the mobilization of voters and spreading the message of peaceful conducts during the last general elections. Today, WALGON is here to say thank you to the women and also distribute grants to help and encourage our rural women to have the means of finding their own solutions and creating values for themselves economically
Over the years, WALGON watched our mother Her Excellency, Dr (Mrs) Martha Udom unleash the economic power and abilities of women through her various models of empowerment and we decided to not just learn, but to also
imitate her model of touching the lives of women, regardless of their social status.
Your Excellency Ma, Kindly, grant us all the full patent right to copy all your empowerment models for the capacity development and productivity of our rural women.
Your Excellency Ma, since the Governor of our dear state, your husband, His Excellency. Mr. Udom Gabariel Emmanuel spurred us to rise up to the faith of greatness with the Dakkadda creed, a greater percentage of rural women had started shaking off the shackles of cultural roles and beliefs defined for them. They are now becoming self-sufficient revenue earners in areas of trade, agriculture, fashion, entertainment, media and several commercial ventures and even to some extent competing with men in areas exclusively dominated or reserved for men. With the little support in cash and materials they would get today, it will further give them the necessary motivation to be further industrious and achieving their economic objectives in no sooner time
However, with all the remarkable improvement in the development of women, a lot still need to be done. There is still a yawning gap to be filled as it regards women empowerment that is why I will use this opportunity to solicit for partnership from well-wishers to collaborate with WALGON in this empowerment programs so we can increase the number of beneficiaries from 3 per ward to 5 per ward as well as increase the support of the empowerment both in size and scope to the women.
Finally, to our women who have been empowered, I appeal to you all to make judicious use of this privilege to create wealth. For the women who are not beneficiaries today, I employ you to join the beneficiaries as collaborative partners in wealth creation for the collective good of your community just as you are patient for your own opportunity in the nearest future. Let me end this remark by agreeing with the quote from Kofi Anan that the empowerment of women is the most effective tool for development of a nation. Today we have showed intent to build a future prosperous nation by laying brick by brick the empowerment of our rural women.
I thank you all for Finding time in your tight schedule to attend today’s event . MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AMEN .