…as indigent share N25m cash

The wife of the Archbishop of Province on the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese in Anambra State, Dr. Mrs Martha Chioma Ibezim has tasked President Bola Tinubu on the need to adopt more pro-active measures to curb the rising security challenges, with their ripples effect on development of projects and well-being of the masses.

Dr. Mrs Ibezim who is the President of the Woman’s Ministry in the Diocese made this known at the three-day 40th Awka Diocesan Wonen’s Conference/ 3rd Diocesan Mothers Union coinciding with the 150th Anniversary celebration of Mothers Union ending today, with the theme: “Pressing Towards the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus,” Phil. 3:14.

She said that the Mothers Union has over the years has faced such challenges as changing attitudes towards marriage, family life, economic hardship, declining mural values, generational differences, and limited participation of younger women.

According to her, the Mothers Union founded in 1876 by Rev. Mary Summer, wife of Rev. George Summer, a devout English clergy also tackled such problems as modern realities associated with social media, peer age influence, unemployment, and changing family structures.

To contain the challenges, she noted that Mothers Union has initiated programmes for women like embracing technology, social influence, expensive agricultural projects, economic support, stronger Christian homes, enhanced evangelism, improved welfare support systems, entrepreneurship, better health care and empowerment of women/youths, leadership development and mentorship, among others.

While wishing both the Senatorial candidate of Labour Party (LP), Venerable Ikezue and the party’s House of Representatives candidate, Dr. Mrs Obi-Okoye well in their aspirations, she believes they have enormous potentials and energy to navigate the tortious, murky waters of politics and deliver democracy dividends to the majority of suffering masses.

Similarly, the Archbishop of the Province on the Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Alexander Ibezim observed that the presence of LP’s flag bearers at the event was a big boost to the celebration of Mothers’ Union, noting that Nigerians desire leaders and representatives who can solve myriads of problems facing the country.

The Bishop of Awka Diocese described Venerable Ikezue as a clergy-turned politician and a highly respected servant of God who wants to prove the biblical saying, “when the righteous is in power, the people rejoice.”

Contributing, a prominent Mothers Union Worker in Awka Diocese, Lady Felicia Nebolisa noted the last 150 years of Women’s Ministry in the Diocese has demonstrated that “when women unite in faith, prayer and service, they become powerful instruments of transformation in the church, family and society.”.

Addressing the participants, the Senatorial candidate appreciated both Archbishop Ibezim and his wife, Dr. Mrs Ibezim for being able shepherds of the flock in order not to go astray in the face of monumental sufferings, stressing that their commitment has brought about family stability, visible women’s Ministry, evangelism, discipleship and community development within the confines of Anglican Communions.

Venerable Ikezue further reiterated that the Women Conference affords a great opportunity for women to come together and take a position on issues affecting them, promising that, if elected, the challenges of high unemployment rate, mass poverty, economic hardship, decline in moral values, unstable family, escalating marriage conflicts, moral decadence, misuse of social media platforms and poor access to quality healthcare would be a thing of the past.

In her remarks, Dr. Mrs Obi-Okoye who had served as the President-general of both St. Mary’s Anglican Church and St. Michael’s Anglican Church respectively expressed delight for participating in the Women’s Conference, describing it as a great day in the life of women in Awka Diocese.

The House of Representatives candidate said: “This is where I fall in, because if I’m elected as the next House of Representatives member for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, the women in Awka Diocese will rejoice, because when a woman is in power, the nation progresses.”

The Mother in Israel honouree asserted that women have the numerical strength to turn the table in their favour if only they can unite, lamenting that women are their worst enemy as they work against their fellow women in all developmental spheres.

Obi-Okoye who was also bestowed with the titles of Faithful Mother in the Anglican Communion also called on fellow women to stand up and take what belongs to them, as according to her, “a woman can also do what a man can.

She lamented that “the attainment of six percent from 2.5 percent of population of women in power is a far cry from the 35 percent benchmark in the Affirmative Action reached in the Beijing Conference.

According to her, the best time for women to rise up, support their own, enthrone fellow women and maximize their numerical strength is now when a woman of repute is unprecedentedly a national party chairman in Nigeria in the person of Senator Nenadi Usman of the LP.