Ugo Willy, Gombe
Wives of fourteen Northern State Governors have spent two days in Gombe brainstorming on how to support their husbands address the challenges that has given the region a negative perception.
Among issues that were in the front burner in their discussions and activities were the issues of out of school children, almajiri syndrome, banditry and kidnapping, drug abuse and the use of narcotics, insurgency, educational backwardness, poor healthcare and other socioeconomic issues.
The women who met under the chairmanship of the wife of the Gombe State Governor, Hajiya Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya, told Governor Inuwa during a courtesy call at the commencement of their activities that the Gombe gathering was their first quarterly meeting.
She told Governor Inuwa that the First Ladies did not come empty handed but with goodies to empower the women of Gombe State as part of their efforts in supporting their husbands.
She outlined a number of challenges facing the North which the Forum, with the support of their husbands, seeks to address. Particularly, she identified the issue of almajiri and drug abuse where the Forum planned support and a public paper presentation on the dangers of drug abuse in the society.
Responding, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, expressed delight in the efforts of the First Ladies to support their husbands to uplift the lives of the people of the region whose challenges he described as one of the worst in the world.
He said, that is the more reason why there is an urgent need for all of them to join hands together to overcome the challenges that has placed Nigeria as having the highest number of some of these challenges.
According to him, “it is very unfortunate that almost a quarter of the 21st century is gone, we are yet to key into the development agenda of the world”, stressing that, “nothing happens without education.
“It is education that brings development, change lives and brings good life to the people. Education helps to modernize, enables us to understand God and religion. Without education, you will not even worship God well”, he pointed out.
He assured them of the Governors support under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the renewed hope agenda saying, “we will not relax untill we overcome the challenges and make Nigeria work better for all”.
At the end of the meeting session, the First Ladies issued a communiqué where they all agreed to undertake a project in their various States to be financed by the Forum.
The Forum also agreed to observe the International Humanitarian Day every year and also collaborate with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Other activities embarked by the Forum during the two day event included a tour and donations to the NDLEA rehabilitation centre Gombe, presentation of empowerment materials to some women, a public lecturer on the hazards and effects of drug abuse as well as a tree planting campaign at Government Girls Mega College, Doma, Gombe State where all the First Ladies present planted a tree.
All the First Ladies of the Northern States were present during the two day event with the exception of Benue, Kwara, Kano and Yobe States.
