By Onwa Ekor, Calabar.
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, says in order to build a healthy society, there is need to strengthen womanhood through support, encouragement and properly positioning the gender in the scheme of things in life.
Otu stated this, Tuesday, when he received the Wife of the nation’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, accompanied by wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hajia Fatima Abbas, wife of the Minister of state (Industry and investment), Rachael Owan Enoh, South-South APC Women Leader, Titi Ndifon, among others during a courtesy call at his Dan Archibong temporary office in Calabar.
Tinubu represented by Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Kashim Shettima, was in Calabar, the Cross River capital for the donation of food items to vulnerable groups under the Renewed Hope Initiative social investment program food outreach scheme.
According to the governor, it is time for the women to arise, hence the men need to offer them all needed support that they could afford, admitting that, “if there is no woman, there wouldn’t be any man.”
Applauding his guests for the event in the state, Otu remarked that although times are tough but the various programs introduced by the present administration are aimed at making the nation great, adding that “not too long from now, we will begin to enjoy.”
Continuing, he said, “Already the physical indices have shown that the economic situation is improving both in terms of micro and macro, it is just that it will take time to trickle down.
“The intervention and structures which the government has put in place would help to cushion the sufferings of the people,” the governor said.
In Cross River, Otu told his guests, “we have tried to make sure that whichever way we can, in this transition period, we are moving from a lame to a more robust and active economy, hence the introduction of resources that would tremendously transform our economy.”
The governor used the opportunity to extend invitation to the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima and his family to this year’s Calabar Carnival which he said would be bigger and better.
Earlier the Vice President’s Wife who represented the nation’s First Lady, thanked the government and people of Cross River for the warm reception accorded her and the entire team.
According to her, “truly I wish I communicated with my husband, probably I would have spent the night here because I am overwhelmed and so grateful.”
She informed that her visit to the state was on dual capacity as apart from functioning as the Vice chairman, she also represented the National Chairman and Nigeria’s First Lady, at the event which is geared towards handing over some food items to the state Coordinator, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, for distribution to the vulnerable groups.
According to Shettima, “the State Coordinator is with us and equal to the task and we are hopeful that she would use the items for the purpose they were meant and by the grace of God, in the next few days, we would be bringing out more items.
The event featured the presentation of souvenir by the governor to the Vice President’s Wife.
