By Bridget Ikyado
The former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pallen Tallen, has called for more empowerment programmes for women to rejuvenate the economy of the country.
Tallen made the call at the inauguration of officials of the Progressive Empowerment Project for Nigerian Women (PEP4NW) a women organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
According to her, women have the capacity to turn the fortune of the country around and that men and women must work together as a team.
“What women need is empowerment and, whatever we do, we need the support of one another.
“Women have all that it takes to turn things around in this country; what is lacking is the support we are not giving one another.
“The men cannot do it alone, the men need the support of the women and the women too need the support of the men.
“If we work together as a team, this country will be better off for it,” Tallen said.
Also, the National Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs Ene Ogidi urged the Federal Government to prioritise women empowerment.
Ogidi called for more political appointments for women, especially members of PEP4NW who had contributed a lot to the emergence of President Bola Tinubu.
She noted that women were the backbone of the family, community and the economy.
“Empowering women is empowering the nation.
“Progressive Empowerment Project for Nigerian Women is a group of APC women who are grassroot mobilisers and card carrying members of APC
“A group whose structure cuts across the 36 States of the federation including the FCT and nearly in all the 774 Local Governments of Nigeria with numeric strength of over 23,000 women.
“Our mission is to ensure that all our members who worked for the success and victory of our dear party, the APC, during the 2023 general elections at all levels, benefit from the empowerment programs of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu- led administration.
“These APC women trooped out in their large numbers, -morning, afternoon and night, under the rain, in the sun with so many sleeping on the roads during the campaigns, to ensure the party’s victory.
“We spent our hard-earned money, time and other valued resources, to ensure victory for all APC candidates.
“So many of us lost our valuable belongings; worst still, some of us were involved in life threatening incidents.
“Some lost their lives, others sustained varying degrees of injuries, which they are still nursing till date without any form of ratification from our party or even the candidates,” Ogidi said.
The Director-General of the Amalgamated APC Support Groups, Dr Nasiru Ladan, said empowering women remained central to economic rejuvenation in the country.
According to him, when a woman is empowered, the family is empowered and when the capacity of women are built, the nation is built as well.
“My appeal to all Nigerians and the government of today is to ensure that empowerment of women should be of top priority.”
He also harped on the need to foster the symbiosis of men and women for the development of any nation.
Ladan, who is also the patron of the group, said he was impressed by the potentials of the group and pledged to support the group at all times.
Mrs Bridget Ikyado, the National Publicity Secretary of PEP4NW, commended the women for being industrious and creative.
She is also the Principal Special Assistant to the Benue Governor on Media , Publicity and Strategic Communications.
According to her, women have continued to demonstrate their ability and capacity to contribute to nation building at all levels.
“Women are peacemakers, women are nation builders, women are coordinators and we are here to demonstrate what women can do in service to the nation,” Ikyado said.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards and recognition of outstanding members who had distinguished themselves in various endeavours.
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