From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
ANNUAL Memorial Lecture series in honour of the late former first lady, Mrs. Maryam Ndidi Babangida has been inaugurated in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Chairman of the maiden edition of the lecture series, Obi Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Anioma in her remarks called for proper parenting as a way of curbing leadership failures and sustaining national unity and peace.
The Omu who also doubled as the Royal Mother of the occasion admonished traditional rulers to show honest leadership in their various domains, adding that every individual in any leadership capacity comes from a community where his or her king should without fear or favour speak the truth at all times.
She maintained that if every man from the family units could show leadership by imbibing in the members of the family sound societal values, morals and decent behaviours, the country at large would be better for it.
The Omu challenged women to learn from the examples of Maryam Babangida and become good mothers to their children, help mates, confidants and good wives to their husbands.
Dunkwu posited that the responsibility of proper parenting rests majorly with mothers, stressing that the type of person a child becomes in the future lies with the type of training received at childhood.
Guest Speaker, Dr. Fati E. Ibrahim who spoke on the theme: “Nigeria Women Before, During and After the Better Life Programme for Rural Women” praised the memory of Maryam Babangida as one First Lady that truly turned around the fortune of Nigerian women through the creation of over 320,000 cottage industries across Nigeria to help refocus women and create the entrepreneurship spirit in them.
Others who spoke at the event included Chief Emma Eboh, the representative of the former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Mr. Patrick Ukah, the representative of the Acting Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Barr. Kingsley Otuaro and Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications, ably represented by Dr. Ebere Obiakor.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Maryam Ndidi Babangida Annual Memorial Lecture Initiative, Amb. Leo Okogwu had welcomed all participants, going down memory lane to capture the elegant uniqueness of his dear sister, whom he said the family had decided to immortalise by keeping her memories alive.