FIRST LADY EMPOWERS 500 RIVERS WOMEN AMIDST PROTEST AGAINST WIFE OF SOLE ADMINISTRATOR

The wife of Nigeria's President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has offered empowerment support to five hundred women in Rivers State with tools to grow their small scale businesses. The empowerment items were distributed during a ceremony at the EUI Event Centre in Port Harcourt on Friday, as beneficiaries receive deep freezers, gas cookers with ovens, grinding machines, and generators. Senator Oluremi Tinubu was represented at the event by the wife of the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Mrs. Theresa Ibas, who said that the initiative was part of a broader national program targeting 18,500 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. “These tools are designed to help our women establish and grow successful businesses, contributing to the nation’s prosperity,” she said. Mrs.Ibas further said that the program reflects the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development—particularly for women. Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, was also present at the event, and she emphasized the need for women to engage in productive ventures amid current economic challenges. On her part, Mrs. Tonye Oniyinde-Briggs, Rivers State Coordinator of Renewed Hope Initiative, explained that the 500 beneficiaries were selected from across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. She encouraged them to utilize the items effectively—whether to launch new businesses or expand existing ones—to maximize the program’s impact. However, reports indicate that as soon as the wife of the Sole Administrator, Mrs Theresa Ibas, mounted the podium, some of the women started chanting pro-Fubara slogan, and walked out of the ceremony in protest. In a statement that was issued later, the group of Rivers women said they were deceived to attend the event in Port Harcourt, organised by the wife of the President and First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. According to he statement signed by one Christy Glory Sunday, the group said the Rivers Women were meant to receive Hajiya Fatima Abbas Tajudeen, wife of the Speaker of House of Representatives, who was to represent the First Lady. The statement further noted that the Rivers Women also felt insulted when Mrs Ibas addressed them as "my women", considering that she and her husband are not from Rivers State and were not elected by Rivers people. Notwithstanding, they expressed gratitude to the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu and assured her of the unflinching support of Rivers women for her Renewed Hope Initiative.