{"id":5913,"date":"2025-11-08T16:54:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T15:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pillartoday.ng\/?p=5913"},"modified":"2025-11-08T16:54:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T15:54:44","slug":"ngsf-advocate-womens-inclusion-vaccination-awareness-at-obongs-palace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"pillartoday.com.ng\/?p=5913","title":{"rendered":"NGSF Advocate Women\u2019s Inclusion, Vaccination Awareness at Obong\u2019s Palace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of NGSF, during their courtesy call on the Obong of Calabar at his Palace on Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n

By Ita Williams, Calabar<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Nigeria Governors\u2019 Spouses Forum (NGSF) has renewed its call for greater gender inclusion, public health advocacy, and the empowerment of women across all sectors of national life.<\/p>\n

The call came on Friday in Calabar, Cross River State, when members of the Forum paid a courtesy visit to the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, as part of their retreat themed \u201cGender Equality and Public Health Advocacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking during the visit, the First Lady of Cross River State, Bishop \u00a0Eyoanwan Bassey Otu expressed deep gratitude to the Obong for the honour of hosting the governors\u2019 wives at his palace. \u201cYour Eminence, thank you for receiving us so warmly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have once again demonstrated that you are a true father to the people. We are grateful for your kindness and for the privilege of being here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Otu stresses that the retreat provided a vital platform for first ladies across Nigeria to exchange ideas and reinforce their shared commitment to improving the welfare of women, children, and vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur gathering in Calabar reflects our unity of purpose and determination to build a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive society,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

In her welcome remarks, the Chairperson of the Forum and First Lady of Kwara State, Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq, commended the Obong and his consort, Her Eminence Queen Ansa Ekpo Abasi Otu, for their unwavering support toward women-led causes and the advancement of social justice.
\n\u201cYour Eminence, we are truly honoured to be in your presence,\u201d Prof. AbdulRazaq said. \u201cYou are not only a revered traditional ruler but also a treaty king and a great patriot of the Efik Eburutu Kingdom. We thank you and Her Eminence for your gracious hospitality and for standing with us as we continue our advocacy for gender equality and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her welcome address, \u00a0Prof. AbdulRazaq, commended the Obong and his wife, Her Eminence Queen Ansa Ekpo Abasi Otu, for their hospitality and enduring support for women-led initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Eminence, we thank you for opening your doors to us. You are not only a traditional ruler but also a treaty king and grand patriot of the Efik Eburutu Kingdom. We deeply appreciate the warmth and solidarity shown by your Queen and the Cross River Traditional Council,\u201d AbdulRazaq said.
\nShe maintained that the Nigerian Governors\u2019 Spouses Forum was founded in June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, through an initiative called Nigerian Governors\u2019 Wives Against Gender-Based Violence (NGWA-GBV).<\/p>\n

The forum, she said, had since expanded its focus to include issues such as drug abuse prevention, cancer awareness, nutrition, women and youth empowerment, child education, and climate change advocacy.<\/p>\n

According to her, \u201cWe have continued to work closely with our state governments and traditional rulers to promote peace, stability, and development. The synergy between traditional institutions and the government in Cross River State is worthy of emulation. We urge the State Traditional Council to sustain this partnership for the good of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also called on traditional leaders to encourage their communities to participate in the Federal Government\u2019s new immunization campaigns.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Eminence, the HPV, measles, rubella, and hepatitis vaccines recently launched by the Federal Ministry of Health are vital for protecting our young girls and children. We urge you to use your influence to encourage families to participate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The NGSF Chairperson further appealed to the Obong to lend his voice to the ongoing advocacy for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, which seeks to guarantee women\u2019s representation in legislative and executive positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud of Cross River State for ensuring women\u2019s inheritance rights and inclusion in governance. Some states already have up to 20 percent of women in their Houses of Assembly and women serving as deputy chairs and commissioners. We must push for more progress at all levels,\u201d she added.
\nThe forum members, numbering over 21 First Ladies, also expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Traditional Council for its support of government initiatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot achieve our goals without the cooperation of traditional institutions,\u201d AbdulRazaq said. \u201cWe pray that God continues to strengthen Your Eminence for the benefit of your people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding, the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, lauded the governors\u2019 wives for their efforts in promoting national unity and development. The King suggested that women deserve greater opportunities in leadership, noting that competence should take precedence over gender or tradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking forward to having women governors, and later, women presidents. We are big enough to do that,\u201d the Obong declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, we should begin to set aside old barriers that prevent women from sitting where men sit. When it comes to politics, give them every right. It is the quality of the person that matters, not their gender or religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further remarked, \u201cThe best administrators, in many cases, are women, I\u2019m sorry to say, but it\u2019s the truth. We must give them room to perform to the glory of God. Here in Cross River, we don\u2019t joke with our women. They have every right in the family and in society.\u201d<\/p>\n

The revered monarch also commended the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, for supporting his wife\u2019s active participation in public advocacy. \u201cSome leaders may not allow their wives to step out or take part in such gatherings, but it\u2019s heartwarming to see that all of you are together for a common cause. I welcome you again and wish you a happy stay in Calabar,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Members of NGSF, during their courtesy call on the Obong of Calabar at his Palace on Friday. By Ita Williams, Calabar The Nigeria Governors\u2019 Spouses Forum (NGSF) has renewed its call for greater gender inclusion, public health advocacy, and the empowerment of women across all sectors of national life. The call came on Friday in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}