Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka and Jeff Amaechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The 2019 Anambra State Mothers’ Summit otherwise called August Meeting was quite unique as the attendance and activities were much richer and all embracing. Wife of former Governor Peter Obi, Margaret, initiated central August Meeting to officially kick-off the annual ritual in the various communities, churches and down to villages and kindred.
However, on the assumption of office of her husband as Governor about five and a half years ago, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, took the August Meeting to a higher dimension, introducing some other innovations into it. The summit became a platform for Ndi Nne Anambra (mothers in Anambra) to deliberate and celebrate excellence and chart the course for the annual August Meeting in the communities. It also sets the agenda for the year ahead.
This year’s summit at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, was a gathering of accomplished Anambra women from various walks of life. The theme: “Promoting gender balance and social values” was aptly chosen to direct the attention of the women to issues on the front burner nationally and across the globe, as they affect adequate participation of women in the growth scheme of society.
Again, this year’s event was unique and impressive due to the novelty of the Anambra women achievers’ awards initiated by the Governor’s wife, to recognise women of exceptional achievements in various fields of human endeavours.
These women achievers and daughters of Anambra defied the rains, which threatened but could not dampen the pomp and ceremony on display, to be part of the epoch making event. It was indeed colourful as the women adorned various uniforms commemorating the season that has turned to period for mass homecoming for Igbo women.
Obiano’s award list recognised women achievers adjudged to have demonstrated commitment and excellence in leadership, business management and entrepreneurship, philanthropy, sports, visual and creative arts, politics and propagation of religion and culture.
Twenty seven deserving recipients who met the criteria were awarded in six categories which include; seven awardees as woman of excellence, three as epitome of leadership, three as business ambassadors, two as sports amazons, two as beacon of hope, and nine women as beacon of faith, respectively.
Governor Obiano whose presence added verve and panache to the ceremony in his speech, gave reasons for being very supportive of his wife’s noble initiative especially the awards to the women: “I am always overjoyed whenever we gather to celebrate our mothers. My one reason for that is because in celebrating our mothers, we celebrate the rebirth of the society.
“My other reason is that when we celebrate our mothers we give the future generation a chance at greatness. I say this because I believe that mothers are the repository of the values of a people and the moral conscience of the society. There is no act of gratitude to our mothers that can be considered too much for them.”
His wife explained that the award recipients were selected without regard to age, partisan or religious inclination: “The list is not exhaustive but we chose to start rather than dither. Many of you are equally award winners and will be duly recognised in due course.”
Among recipients of Excellence Awards are the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu; wife of former President of Nigeria, Prof Emeritus Uche Azikiwe; former Governor of Anambra State, Dame Virgy Etiaba; Princess Stella Odife, Professor of Physics, Francisca Nneka Okeke and wives of two former governors, Mrs Njideka and Grace Ezife.
The Epitome of Leadership Award was received by former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih; former Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Ebele Okeke, and former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Ifeoma Anigbogu.
Other awardees for the business ambassador’s category were the MD/CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Dr Stella Okoli; Chairman Fymak Marine and Oil Services (Nig.) Ltd, Dr. Ify Maduka Nwakwesi, and Dr. Uju Uchendu Ozoka. There were also awards in other categories.
However, Mrs Obiano did not stop at the one day summit, as she has continued the August Meeting with the women in their various communities, bringing her succour to the needy in the local areas.
She has also taken advocacy, awareness campaign and genotype education among intending couples to Anambra communities in the course of her humanitarian tour of the 21 Local Government Areas as a means of stemming the incidence of sickle cell disorder.
At Awka South where she kicked off the advocacy, Obiano said the genotype campaign has become necessary to educate parents and guardians, and intending couples, on the dangers of sickle cell anaemia and how it could be avoided by making the right choices before marriage.
Elsewhere, Ogidi women in Idemili North Local Government Area took a cue from the governor’s wife and singled out one of their daughters, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, for special recognition.
Ezeilo (Née Emekekwue) who is Ogidi by birth but married in Ezeagu, Enugu state, is Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria (UNN), Enugu Campus and founder of Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), a nongovernmental organisation advocating for women’s rights.
President of Ogidi Women, home and abroad, Dr. Amaka Okeke, said the award of excellence was in recognition of the significant impact, the don has made in the lives of women and girl children.
“It is a home coming for a daughter par excellence who has changed the lives of women and girls, wiped away tears in their eyes and restored hope to them”, Okeke said.
Presenting the award to Ezeilo, traditional ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido (Ezechuamagha) stated that she had made Ogidi community; her fatherland, Anambra and Enugu states as well as Nigeria, at large, proud.
He disclosed that a higher honour will still be bestowed on her by the men folks of the community once it was deliberated by the cabinet and council of chiefs meeting.
The monarch urged her not to relent in her fight for women and girl child’s rights.