By Steve Unegbu

The wife of the Abia state Governor Dr Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu has disclosed that her vision for Initiating Abia Women August Delegates Conference ( AWADEC) was to have it reckoned in the future as a watershed,a turning point that made the difference in the development of the Abia women, individually and collectively.
Mrs Ikpeazu who made this disclosure at the International Conference Center Ogurube layout Umuahia during the 8th edition of AWADEC with the theme,’Women in Abia Engineering Development, creating legacies’ noted that AWADEC deliberately provides ingredients for the agenda of the various women groups who would hold their annual meetings in communities and societies throughout the month of August.
She revealed that she initiated AWADEC to gather women from all walks of life in a classless environment to mull over and distill ideas that revolve around progress and development for the Abia women to influence and instigate sustainable actions that are gender driven.
She pointed out that beyond just talking to women, AWADEC has been used to enrich lives and empower women directly, setting up small businesses for them and equipping them from scratch with relevant tools of their trade .
Giving her stewardship for the past 8 years as the wife of the Governor, she noted that a Gender policy for Abia state was developed under her watch and that her interest in Gender -based violence has led to the passage of the violence Against person prohibition law ,the setting up of GBV incidence reporting centres in 17 LGAs, establishment of GBV Resource center in Umuahia.
Chronicling some of her achievements,she said the National council for women societies have a new ultra-modern Secretariat initiated and co-funded by her and a sprawling half home and skill acquisition center for displaced women was completed in Umuahia.
” I have set up clusters of traders in 13 rural communities, providing business growth funds and built and donated 172 houses for indigent families, especially widows in Abia state put a total of 600 people through a 3 months skills development and entrepreneurship course and provided them with starter packs ,start up funds and equipment.
” Through my vicar Hope Foundation,I set up a breast cancer prevention and detection program that includes sensitization, examination and diagnosis” she said

In their separate speeches while interacting with Newsmen, the chairperson of Isialangwa South local government and Abia ALGON chairlady, Lolo Victoria Ik Anyatonwu, the chairperson Ohafia local government, Mrs Sarah Okoroafor Ukiwe, the State Coordinator Abia women for Uche Ndi Abia,Hon. Ojo Loveth Adimoha from Bende LGA, the ASAMATA women president Abia state,Lady Joy Akudo Aeron and the chairperson Police Officers Wives Association Abia state chapter, Mrs Fashola Stella extolled the wife of the Governor for initiating the annual women conference described her as a great Mummy and pray that God should strengthen her for other tasks ahead.

Lolo Victoria Anyatonwu said the Abia women August Delegates Conference,gives the Abia women the opportunity to come together and brainstorm on how to develop the communities and Abia state in general, while Mrs Stella Fashola said they were at the meeting to identify with the numerous good works of the wife of the Governor.

Continuing, Mrs Sarah Okoroafor Ukiwe said the meeting brings all women from different part of Abia together and represent what women can do to contribute in the development of the state.
