Category: UPLIFTing Women

SIA Water for Rural Women, an ongoing programme aimed at providing potable water for rural women in Ogun State through modern boreholes with the attendant facilities. More than 10 boreholes have been constructed and four commissioned so far.

Mrs. Amosun participated at the 13th NASFAT Annual Women’s Week, which took place at the NASFAT headquarters along Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State on the 16th of September, 2012. She described the event as a good avenue to sensitise Muslim Women about their expected roles in building a virile society as articulated in the Holy Quran and the Hadith. “Thus, having considered the prevailing socio-economic and political challenges in the country, I must confess that the choice of this year’s theme “Women As Catalyst For Nation Building ” is apt. This is in light of the vital role that we play towards nation building. It is no wonder that Allah (SWT) in His wisdom created us and endowed us with different abilities to stimulate and nurture creative energies in the general populace for productive enterprise and general goodness,” she said.

Women associations from the 20 Local Government areas of Ogun state have commended the Wife of the Former Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun for her humanitarian service to the people, particularly the needy in the society, calling on other eminent individuals and organisations to emulate her virtues. The women gave the commendation on the 26th of December, 2012 during the end of year parley organised by the Wife of the Former Governor for women associations at the Lawn Tennis Court of the Government House, Oke-Igein, Abeokuta with over 5OO women in attendance. Responding, Mrs. Amsoun thanked all the groups for supporting her Uplift projects which had put smiles on the faces of the needy, saying she was moved by the praises showered on her and would do more to ensure that poverty among women is reduced to the barest minimum in the state. She charged the women in the state to contribute their quota to the development of the state by supporting her husband in the mission to rebuild the state, in order to further enhance the performance of government, saying this would motivate the state government to do more for the people. Speaking, the coordinator of the Immigration Officers Wives Association, Mrs. Arogundade said Mrs. Amosun had touched the lives of women in different ways especially in the area of training and empowerment, noting “a lot of our members who were unemployed can now make ends meet and support their families.” “What we are experiencing now in Ogun State shows there is a brighter future for women. We are all happy with what the Wife of the Former Governor is doing in the state, from the distribution of empowerment tools to widows, youths and women to her donations and support in cash and in kind to the various homes in the state.” Also speaking, the President, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Dr. Winifred Adenuga noted that Mrs. Amosun’s involvement and contribution to health care delivery, particularly in the campaign against breast and cervical cancer was a significant achievement which speaks volumes of her passion to improve the quality of lives of women in the state. Mrs. Amosun gave out food items which include bags of rice, beans, vegetable oil, cartons of spaghetti, Indomie and bags of sugar with cash gifts to each groups to have a feel of the Yuletide season.

Mrs. Amosun has stressed the need for women to return to God in order to ensure peace in the world and the fulfillment of his promises to mankind. Speaking at the 2nd Esther’s National Prayer Conference organised by Womb of Intercession International Fellowship (WIIF) held at Royale Pavilion Hotel, GRA Ibara Abeokuta on the 4th of December, 2012, the wife of the governor noted that prayer was germane to sustaining national development. According to her, “The theme of this year’s conference “Look Unto Me and Be Saved” was apt and relevant in view of the prevailing situation in some parts of the country”, She said women serve as a key factor in child development, saying that God’s arrangement for humanity was not peculiar to Christian homes, nor to any culture but to all believers who fear God and follow his commandments, pointing out that understanding the purpose of the creator would make the role of the women easier to perform.

Wife of the Former Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun on donated cash and gift items to a mother of triplet to support the upkeep of the babies who were delivered at the State Hospital Ijaye, Abeokuta on the 9th of November, 2012. Mrs. Amosun explained that the donation was spurred out of compassion to help the mother of the babies who was unemployed and hearing that her husband had absconded due to fear of how he was going to cater for the triplets having had three other children prior to the delivery of the triplets. She noted that babies were gifts from God and they should be adequately nurtured and cared for so they could grow into responsible adults, adding the present administration in the state through its free healthcare delivery for children of ages O-5 has been able to preserve the lives of children thus reducing infant mortality in the state. She called on parents to take opportunity of the kind gesture of the state government in providing free consultation and treatment for children in their various Local Government areas, encouraging the mother to be of good cheer and see the birth of the triplets as a blessing from God. The mother of the triplet thanked and appreciated Mrs. Amosun for her kind gesture and prayed to God for more blessing and strength in all her endeavors.

To further demonstrate her desire to encourage women in business and women empowerment, the Wife of the Former Governor of Ogun State hosted the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Business Women Group otherwise called NAWORG to a dinner reception in support of the Group’s workshop held at the Valley View Auditorium, Isale-Igbein, Abeokuta on the 17th of October, Speaking at the dinner, which took place at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Mrs. Amosun expressed her readiness to partner with NAWORG to empower more women and eradicate poverty in our society. “I believe in teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish over and over again. NAWORG can be described as a bridge builder, which helps us reach many women most especially in our rural areas. Our women deserve special attention and I am ready to partner with NAWORG in order to teach more women how to catch fish so that they can support their homes and children ” she said. In her remarks, NAWORG Chairperson, Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson thanked the Wife of the Former Governor for her support towards the success of the first NAWORG workshop in Ogun State, adding that this was just the beginning of good things for women in the State.

The Wife of the Former Governor of Ogun State at another forum changed leadership in the country to place high premium on entrepreneurs,saying this could engender faster economic growth and development. She explained that most developed countries always encourage small and medium scale business enterprise which had led to the increasing rate of their Gross Domestic Products. Speaking at the official launching ceremony of the Nigeria’s chapter of Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) in Lagos, Mrs.Amosun said “our youths and women should be encouraged to acquire one vocational skill or the other irrespective of their educational qualifications” According to her,”most of our children and women may not necessarily continuously hunt for white collar jobs if they can acquire a vocational skill in order to earn a living,If you can earn a skill,you can earn a living and put food on your table.” She advised women to always support themselves through various empowerment programmes that would improve their standard of living.” Also, speaking at the occasion, the President of the Nigerian the Federation of Business Women Entrepreneurs, lyalode (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson said the federation was set up to promote and facilitate trade on a common platform for various groups and individual women entrepreneurs across the West African sub-region. She called on the federal and state governments to create the enabling environment for increasing participation of women in entrepreneurship.

The International Women’s Day is a day set aside all over the world to appreciate women and focus on their shortcomings in the society by virtue of them being the ‘weaker gender.’ The theme of the 2012 International Women’s Day was “Empower women-End Hunger and Poverty.” In line with this, in Ogun State, the Wife of the Former Governor celebrated the day by inviting women across the State to a programme tagged “UPLIFTing Women” at the MKO Abiola Stadium Kuto, Abeokuta. Women trooped into the stadium in their thousands as early as 8 O’clock in the morning to celebrate the day. Here they were entertained by march past displays from various women groups that were in attendance. Various artists and entertainers were also at hand to make the day a lively one for all. Worthy of mention was the Midnight Crew, Alhaji Sule, Rocky FeIla’s just to mention a few. His Former Excellency, Senator lbikunle Amosun deemed it fit to come and felicitate with the womenfolk in the State and honored the women with an appearance at the stadium and a pledge to continue to be gender sensitive in his executive decisions. The high point of the day was the empowerment exercise, where Mrs. Amosun announced that she had been able to secure items such as Deep Freezers, Bajaj Motorcycles, Generating Sets, Sewing Machines, Bags of Rice, Grinding Machines and other items at distributorship prices to be purchased by members of established cooperatives within the State and spread the repayment for these times over a 12-month interest free period.