The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has urged Nigerian women to build bridges of friendship and unity among diverse ethnic groups in the country.
Mrs Buhari made the call on Thursday while speaking at the 2017 Imo State Annual August Women Meeting, held in Owerri.
The meeting has the theme: “Women: Building Bridges of Friendship Across The Niger”.
The annual event was organized by the wife of the Imo Governor, Mrs Nkechi Okorocha, to promote peace, unity as well as socio-cultural and economic development among women in the South-East of Nigeria.
Mrs. Buhari said that women, as mothers, had the enormous task of building solid bridges that would serve as the required platform for national unity irrespective of political, religious and tribal differences.
The wife of the President called on the nation’s leaders to encourage women to utilise their talents and maximise them toward a better Nigeria.
She assured women of her constant support to all programmes that would promote their well-being.
In a goodwill message, Gov Okorocha commended women for promoting oneness among Nigerians, and urged them to prevail on their husbands in leadership positions to strive toward getting the best from their women.
He lauded the women for choosing the topic “Women: building bridges of friendship across the Niger”, and described it as apt and most appropriate.
He said that friendship across all divides was crucial to national growth and advancement, and promised to encourage programmes that would make Nigerians accept each other as one.
In her speech, wife of the Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, advised women to inculcate the good virtues of unity and love in their children.
She said that women were important instruments in the promotion of unity and peaceful coexistence, and advised her colleagues to encourage more inter-tribal marriages so as to promote oneness.
Among dignitaries at the August meeting were the Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s forum, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, as well as the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki.
