Akwa Ibom First Lady gets decorated as Patron of AWLO

The wife of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel has been decorated as patron by the African Women in Leadership Organization (AWLO) for her contributions towards the organizations’ visions and the uplifting of womanhood in the state.

The honour was done during the inauguration of the African Women in Leadership organization, (AWLO) Akwa Ibom chapter held at Ibom Lemeridien hotel and the flag-off of the organizations’ mentoring programme; # 1 Mother 1 Child, a programme aimed at celebrating motherhood while also encouraging members of the organization to adopt, foster and sponsor a child by ensuring they attain the highest level of education.

The founder of AWLO Mr. Elisha Atai in his welcome remarks said AWLO remains committed to ensuring that women on the African continent are given their rightful place in leadership positions. He said AWLO seeks to advance the status of women in Africa by creating an empowering platform and harnessing the synergies of alliance noting that the inauguration of the state chapter was in line with the groups’ agenda of creating awareness for local women to aspire to take up leadership positions.

In her keynote address wife of the Governor, Mrs.  Martha Udom Emmanuel said Akwa Ibom state has recorded unprecedented gains in women’s advancement due to the gender-responsive policies of the immediate past administration. She in particular paid tribute to her predecessor, the immediate past First Lady of the state, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, whose robust legacies in the mobilisation and empowerment of women and girls has set a standard that cannot afford to ignore.  The first lady noted that Akwa Ibom State currently stands at the cusp of an historic economic take-off since one half of the population which constitute the female gender cannot afford to be left behind, saying that Governor Udom Emmanuel and his team have assured women that their empowerment programmes will be scaled up by the current administration.

She applauded the efforts of AWLO in launching a state chapter as this will contribute greatly towards enhancing the leadership potential of the women of the state while also assuring of her personal commitment in the days ahead towards addressing existing gaps in women’s leadership capacity in the state.

Others honoured at the event were the immediate past deputy Governor of the state, Her Honour, Noble lady Valerie Ebe and Mrs. Gloria Umoren, wife of the Secretary to Government for their numerous contributions to the organization.