First Lady consults with governors

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, on Monday in Abuja consulted with the wives of state governors on ways of facilitating peace in their domains.

Mrs Jonathan intimated the governors’ wives on how she became the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) and informed them that they would be inaugurated as ambassadors for peace in their respective states.

“My former boss, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua, was elected as the President of the Mission in Congo 2008 and I inherited the position in 2010 as a result of the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

“The Mission cannot move forward without the active participation of the wives of state governors. Women are better managers of peace; I want to appeal to you to preach, talk and work for peace.

“Look at what happened at the UN House, it can happen to anyone. No matter what ethnic group or religion you belong to, we are one family; we are brothers and sisters.

“I want us to go back home to the local governments, communities and homes and preach peace. Remember that Nigeria is bigger than any individual, let’s live in peace and unity with one another,” she said.

Mrs Jonathan urged the governors’ wives to encourage the private sector organisations in their states to employ the youth or organise skills – acquisition programmes for them, instead of leaving them idle.

The First Lady also urged the governors’ wives to liaise with their husbands in efforts to tackle the HIV and AIDS scourge and “reduce maternal mortality because no woman should be allowed to die in childbirth”.

She congratulated Nigerian women on the achievement of the 35-percent affirmative action in appointive positions and urged them to promptly put in place the machinery for securing more elective positions in 2015.

Roli Uduaghan, wife of the governor of Delta State, commended Mrs Jonathan for the initiative and her efforts to promote peace in the country, pledging the readiness of the governor’s wives to support her peace-building efforts.