Cross River State digital governor, Prof. Ben Ayade on Friday put smiles on the faces of 200 indigent widows in the state by offering them appointments during the inauguration of the headquarters of Cross River Women Emancipation Initiative (CROWEI).
The governor Ayade who spoke at the event disclosed that the gesture was aimed at putting an end to the plight of lack of money to carry out their basic ecessities.
Ayade immediately directed the Commissioner for Women Affairs and her Information counterpart to take the names of the widows. He said that those from the villages would be given appointment into the Local Government Councils while those in the state capital would get jobs at the state level.
The governor also donated a 32-seater coaster bus to the organization, to enable it to undertake its functions effectively.
He said CROWEI afforded him the opportunity to reach out to all the women in the state so that he could assist them whenever the need arose.
“This is what made me Governor; that I swore to my God that I would protect the weak and vulnerable.
“As many women that are in challenging circumstances, please get close to CROWEI, so that we can deal with the issues that are peculiar to you at the family level.
“The opening of this office opposite the Governor’s Office is deliberate; so that I can have immediate and direct contact as soon as there is a problem.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”none” author=””]“When women are exposed to acquiring skills, with or without CROWEI, the skills will remain even beyond 2019 and that way, CROWEI will not die”,[/penci_blockquote]
“I know that rural electrification and roads are important but what is more important is creating jobs so that people will have food on their tables,” the governor stated.
Ayade urged the women to visit CROWEI office whenever they were faced with difficult challenges, stressing that the welfare team will always be available to take care of them.
The governor directed that the sum of N5 million be shared among the women present at the inauguration, adding that he would do his best to ensure that all women seeking elective positions in the state received his support.
“For all women seeking appointments and elective positions, I will do my best to protect the 35 per cent affirmative action.
“I will never take a job from a woman sitting in an elective position,” Ayade said.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Stella Odey, in her remarks, said that CROWEI was established to sensitize and empower women in the state.
[penci_related_posts taxonomies=”undefined” title=”Online Related Posts” background=”” border=”” thumbright=”no” number=”4″ style=”grid” align=”none” displayby=”recent_posts” orderby=”random”]Odey said that part of the reason for the gathering was to appreciate the governor for his benevolence toward the women in the state.
The commissioner disclosed that the state’s First lady, Dr. Linda Ayade, had touched the touch lives of so many women through CROWEI by providing them with different skills and small start-up capital.
The Caretaker Working Committee chairman of CROWEI, Mrs. Lorentia Etta, in her speech, said the organisation was established to emancipate women in the state from the shackles of all forms of poverty.
Etta recalled that similar programmes in past had gone into oblivion but expressed optimism that CROWEI would be sustained even beyond 2019, so long as women were trained.
“When women are exposed to acquiring skills, with or without CROWEI, the skills will remain even beyond 2019 and that way, CROWEI will not die”, she stated.
She urged the women to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as CROWEI would embark on a tour of the local government areas of the state to sensitize the women to register and vote during the forthcoming election.