Valentine Ozigbo, the frontrunner in the gubernatorial race in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has hailed women worldwide for their critical role in stabilising and uplifting society.
Ozigbo’s salute to women is coming as the world marks International Women’s Day, observed on March 8 every year.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
It is usually marked globally by groups coming together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.
In saluting women, particularly Nigerian women, Mr Ozigbo, the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, described women as occupying an essential position in any society, being the chief moulders of character.
“I have always recognised the core role women play in the development of society,” Ozigbo said in a statement issued from his Udoka Estate office in Awka, Anambra State.
“A strong woman raised me. My mother, Christiana Ozigbo, showed tremendous strength and resilience, raising eight children alongside my father, a village school headmaster.
“She is my first image of what a strong black woman looks like and she demonstrated the indispensable role women play in our lives. I am fortunate to still have her with us. She continues to be the rock on which our family is built.
“Throughout my life and career, I have extolled, respected, and empowered women and given them an equal seat on the table,” he added.
Ozigbo, who described the theme of this year’s celebration, “Choose to Challenge: A Challenged World is an Alert World”, as apt, added that the theme could not have come at a better time as Nigeria faced enormous challenges on many fronts.
He urged Nigerian women to remain undaunted in the face of those challenges, praying that their efforts would not go unrewarded.
He used the opportunity to assure Nigerian women, especially those of his home state, Anambra, to form a significant part of his government.
“Women are the real salt of the earth without whom the world would be incomplete,” the respected business leader said.
“I have declared before, and I repeat, I am in the race for governor to ensure that our women are taken care of and given their rightful seat on the table of power.
“I wish our women the best as they celebrate their day, and I will do my part to raise our society to a consciousness where all forms of gender discrimination and gender-based violence are things of the past,” Ozigbo declared.
Valentine Ozigbo is the founder of the eponymously named non-profit charity Valentine Chineto Ozigbo (VCO) Foundation, which focuses on women and youth empowerment. Through its various programmes, it has touched the lives of over 100,000 people in Anambra State.
