Ahead of the planned October 1 protest in Nigeria, women from various local government areas in the Niger Delta have stated that they and their children will not participate in the protest against the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The women, who stormed Warri on Wednesday for a stakeholders’ meeting of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), not only dissociated themselves from the planned October 1 protest but also expressed their support for the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Women from various groups across the Niger Delta lamented that many self-interested bodies were pursuing ulterior motives, urging people to engage in “negative things” against the government.
The forum was a PAP stakeholders’ engagement with Niger Delta women, themed: “Niger Delta Women: Empowerment as a Panacea for Peace, Stability, and Economic Growth.”
This gathering continued the expanded Niger Delta stakeholders’ meeting involving women’s groups, youth bodies, community leaders, opinion leaders, elders, traditional rulers, and camp leaders organized by the PAP office.
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The women, drawn from all the ethnic nationalities in the oil-rich belt, urged their children and wards to shun the planned protests during their resolution at Wednesday’s parley.
They also encouraged members of various groups to discourage their children and wards from joining any protest against the authorities.
However, they pleaded with Nigerians to give Tinubu’s administration a chance to confront and address the multifaceted challenges facing the country.
The women praised President Tinubu’s administration for its support of women and youths in the region, stating that “when you appoint the right people to the right positions, you should start seeing positive results.”
In a communiqué issued and read before journalists after the meeting, a woman leader in the Niger Delta, Madam Beauty Warejuowei, urged women in the region to “stand firm and make the best use of the opportunities provided by the authorities.”
“This will encourage the government to do even more,” she stated.
Warejuowei noted that “the Niger Delta region has had PAP coordinators before now, but this is the time we can say the right people have been appointed to the right positions.”
In his address at the stakeholders’ forum, Dr. Otuaro commended the women for their support of the current administration, acknowledging their role in sustaining peace in the region.
He said, “We have to do it together. In discussing peace in the Niger Delta, it is our women who are sustaining that peace. The destiny of the Niger Delta is in the hands of women.”
Otuaro added that the economic challenges in the country are temporary and appealed to the women’s group not to relent in their efforts to support the administration’s socioeconomic initiatives.
The PAP Administrator assured the women groups of ongoing empowerment, vocational training, grants, and scholarships to further enhance their lives.
Dignitaries in attendance included notable women leaders from the Niger Delta, such as Mrs. Ann-Kio Briggs, a prominent activist in the region; Chief Mrs. Vero Tamgbowe; Madam Beauty Warejuowei; as well as the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) President, Mr. Jonathan Lokpobiri, and the pioneer IYC President, T. K. Ogoriba, among others.
