Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Iyom Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the wife of Late Igbo Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has tasked Igbo women to embrace sisterhood and strengthen the ties of solidarity among each other.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu made this call at the Igbo Women’s Movement Worldwide (IWMW) Annual Assembly and Patron’s Gala.
“This will ensure we, Igbo women, will maximise the gains of developmental efforts in Igbo communities across the country,” she said.
She emphasised that without sisterhood being the basic foundation or support base, the realisation of the necessary impact of humanitarian interventions within the communities, of which their supervisory role is also imperative would remain a challenging quest.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is a former Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain, urged Igbo women in the Diaspora to continue to support relief programmes and the provision of basic amenities in Igbo communities.
According to her, these relief programmes and provision should be targeted to our people especially those communities with little or no government presence in terms of life changing facilities.
The Convener of the Assembly, Lady Chinwendu Okoroigwe, in her speech, charged the attendees who came from all parts of Igboland and the Diaspora not to relent in supporting these community relief efforts and interventions.
Okoroigwe noted that the support had become necessary because of the living conditions of the people in the homeland had continued to deteriorate, with women and children feeling the greatest impact.
She, however, pledged to sustain the vision of the organisation in bringing the much needed succour and relief by its humanitarian programmes in disadvantaged communities in the South-East.
The convener said that IWMW movement is a dynamic organisation which membership comprises illustrious daughters of Igboland both in Nigeria and the Diaspora.
She noted that the movement is committed, through multifaceted activities, in bringing succour and relief to the less privileged within communities in Igboland.
“This is done through water provision projects, healthcare interventions, poverty alleviation, scholarships, prison outreaches, advocacy and women’s rights, women economic empowerment through skill acquisition initiatives and other initiatives addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by Igbo women both within Nigeria and the Diaspora.”
The IWMW movement annual Assembly and Patron’s Gala, which was held in Paris, France; between Aug. 12 and Aug.14, 2023, was themed: “A Prosperous Alaigbo, Today and Tomorrow.”
The Igbo women’s assembly is convened annually in adherence to Igboland’s age-long tradition of the yearly ‘August Meetings’ in its villages and communities as well as the Diaspora.
Other highlights of the event in addition to the Annual report presentation were investitures of patrons and matrons, and award presentations, with late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu bestowed with the hallmark Post-humous Award for ‘True Igbo Spirit, Excellence and sacrifice.’
