Governor Udom Emmanuel has assured that all pending bills seeking to promote the rights of Akwa Ibom State women shall immediately be signed into law.

Addressing a large gathering of women during the grand finale of the 2022 International Women's Day celebration at Ibom Hall Grounds in Uyo, the Governor extolled the ingenuity of the state Ministry of Women Affairs, the Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Path (FEYReP) Initiative and the entire Akwa Ibom women on their determination and commitment to championing the cause of women in the State.

Reflecting on the theme of the 2022 International Women's Day, "Gender Equality for Sustainable Tomorrow", the State Governor maintained that, "I've just learnt that there are one or two women-related bills that I still need to sign into law. I have asked the Attorney-General that once I leave here they should bring those bills and I'm going to sign all of them".

"I also want to commend Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs) Martha Udom Emmanuel and her pet project FEYReP, for what they have done, they've made the whole country proud by the way the take care of the women. So I want to use this opportunity to thank most deeply, the great and inspirational work of my wife in reawakening the women through this programme".

On the agitation for 35% inclusion of women in government, the Governor assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has put in place a gender friendly template to promote the inclusion of women in the politics and that his administration will continue to create equal opportunity for women. These, he said, include 35% inclusion of women in the party executive across all structures of the party from units to the national and free nomination forms for any woman declaring intention to run for any office on the party’s platform.

Speaking further, Governor Emmanuel appealed to women in the state to pay equal attention to both male and female children in their motherly role, attributing the increase of vices in the society to neglect of the male child in the family especially in terms of vigilance and discipline, promising to pursue a review of the law exempting underage youths from prosecution especially for cases of murder and mayhem on fellows.

He also charged the women on continuous capacity building, self confidence and urged them never to be limited by external forces.

"Please don't limit yourself. You need to believe and be sure that all that you need is all that you have, then you will excel to wherever you want to", he said.

The governor condemned in totality any venture that promotes violence or antisocial tendencies. According to him, politics should be a game of persuasion and not violence hence no Akwa Ibom woman should allow herself to be lured into what is not in the interest of the people of the state.

In support of the empowerment packages for needy women in the state under the auspices of the First Lady Martha Emmanuel's pet project, FEReP, the governor announced additional donation of N62 million to be given to 10 women from each of the 31 Local Government Areas of the state, stressing that 5 from each local government area must be widows.

In her remarks, the wife of the governor, Dr. Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, expressed delight with the support and inclusion enjoyed by women under the administration of her husband, which she described as unprecedented.

Mrs Martha Emmanuel acknowledged that some obnoxious practices enshrined in the culture and traditions of the society have posed serious challenges to women development and create uneven playing against the female gender, in terms of access to opportunities. These, she stated are the barriers and biases Akwa Ibom women seek to break, soliciting the support of the state government in their eradication.

Earlier in the event, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, in her welcome speech, hailed the goodwill of Governor Emmanuel in creating a template that protest gender equilibrium and maintaining a governance trajectory that closes the valley between the men and women.

She however pleaded with the governor to expedite action to sign into law the bill concerning persons with disabilities, bill for provision of free and compulsory medical treatment for victims of sexual abuses and other women-related bills already passed by the state legislators, but awaiting Executive assent as well as increase the chances of women in the upcoming National and State Assemblies elections.

Also speaking at the occasion were the Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Ekaette Obot, Professor Valerie Solomon of the University of Uyo, the University of Uyo Chairperson of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr. Happiness Uduk and a host of others.

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