“We will pray until women are given a chance in politics”- Akwa Ibom First lady

The first lady of Akwa Ibom State, Martha Udom Emmanuel has made a resolution that women in the state would not relent in prayers to God until the gender bills are being enacted into law in consensus with the recent protest embarked upon by women at the National Assembly gate on Wednesday last week.

The First Lady said this during the International Women’s Day celebration on Sunday at Apostolic Church Ikot Abia Edem.

The wife of the governor protested that,

“On the rejection of the proposed bill by the National Assembly to give women 35 percent of affirmative action, we are saying not so.

“We are going to join our voices together and speak in one voice that women should be given a chance. We have all that it takes to be in the position of authority.

“Our governor and so many governors have done that. We want it to be signed into law so that generations upon generations would not temper with that, but, shockingly, the national assembly decided not to consent to the bill.

“We shall fight for it. The whole world has come to the knowledge that women cannot be toyed with and Nigeria cannot be exempted.

“We are going to pray unto God for Him to touch the hearts of those legislators that voted against the bill and I have confidence that they will finally agree to do it.”

The commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Dr. Ini Adiakpan applauded the First Lady for always celebrating women. In her opening remark, she stated that “on a day like this, women across the state must in one spirit celebrate the governor’s wife in return for her quality leadership.”

The governor’s wife charged women to continue to unite and speak with one voice for inclusive leadership in the country, calling on the Federal Government to see the need for including more women in the political podium of the nation.

As the distinguished mother of all mothers in the State by virtue of her position as the Governor’s wife, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel is a quintessential lady with a unique style of leadership. She was born into the family of Chief Bernard Sampson Idiong and Prof. Stella Idiong of Obio Akpa in Oruk LGA of Akwa Ibom state shortly after the civil war as the third child in the Family of four.