By Ukpong Ukpong

Akwa Ibom Women have been urged to embrace NEPAD Youth and Women Initiative as a means of repositioning themselves in the state affairs. This charge was contained in an address made by Dr. (Mrs.) Helen Eka, State Women Leader of the organization at a meeting held last weekend at St. Patrick's Primary School, Uyo to strategize on a way forward for women in the initiative. She observed that women have over the years remained silent about their plight and on several occasions presented as if all is well despite their sufferings.
“We have turned ourselves into ceremonial tools used to adorn political events while our sufferings continue” She complained. Dr. Eka assured the women that the New Partnership for Africa's Development, NEPAD, right from the continental level has programmes on alleviating poverty among women, who form the economic backbone of families, which could be accessed through the initiative. She maintained that the initiative is mandated to sensitize and mobilize women as well as youths to actualize programmes domicile with NEPAD Nigeria and warned that the “women wing of this organization will not be used to grace political meetings rather we will work hard to actualize the vision of this initiative”
In her speech, Mrs. Celin Dicksons, the State Deputy Women Leader, reiterated that NEPAD YWI is quite different from NEPAD Nigeria and harped on the need for women to acknowledge the distinction to avoid conflict with the parent organization. She also charged women to desist from collecting money from groups who approach them for registration. The event also featured a session of prayers for the growth of the organization and realization of its dreams for people of Akwa Ibom. Present at the event were senatorial women leaders of the organization, chapter women coordinators and their executive from across the state including Mrs. Nsibiet Udo Ikpong, Mrs.Elizabeth Oyong and Mrs. Diana Ekwere among others.