A group of women briefly disrupted an empowerment programme in Port Harcourt on Friday, but the event went ahead—and hundreds still got the support they came for.
The programme, tagged Renewed Hope Initiative, was organized by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in partnership with the office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals. It aimed to support 500 women across Rivers State with tools to help grow their businesses.
But just as the event got underway, some women walked out, chanting, “Bring back Fubara, we don’t know Ibas.” Their protest was not against the empowerment initiative itself, but because they expected the wife of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to speak—not Mrs. Theresa Ibas, wife of the current state administrator.
Despite the brief drama, the programme continued without further disruption. Mrs. Ibas gave her speech on behalf of the First Lady, encouraging women to make the most of the opportunity.
Senator Tinubu, in a recorded message, said the initiative had already reached women in other parts of the country and that Rivers State marked the final stop for the South-South region. According to her, the programme targets 18,500 women nationwide.
Items distributed at the event included deep freezers, gas cookers with ovens, grinding machines, and generators—tools the organisers said could help women start or expand their businesses.
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“This is not just about giving items,” said the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. “It’s about giving women the tools to rise, especially in these tough economic times.”
The Rivers State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Tonye Oniyinde-Briggs, confirmed that beneficiaries were drawn from all 23 local government areas of the state.
She encouraged the women to use the items wisely to create value for themselves and their communities.
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