L-R: Governor Hope Uzodimma, First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu, and Imo First Lady, Chioma Uzodimma, Esq.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was on Wednesday honoured with the prestigious chieftaincy title of “Oso Di Eme” by traditional rulers in Imo State in recognition of her contributions to nation-building and her interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
The title was conferred on the First Lady during her visit to Owerri, the Imo State capital, where she presented empowerment items to women under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
The empowerment programme is part of a nationwide intervention targeting vulnerable and hard-to-reach women across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The empowerment items distributed to the beneficiaries include deep freezers, refrigerators, gas cylinders, ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines, aimed at enabling the women to start new businesses or expand their existing businesses and become economically self-reliant.
Speaking after receiving the title, the First Lady described the occasion as a humbling moment, recalling that during her first visit to the state, only a few traditional rulers were present. She expressed appreciation for the large turnout of traditional rulers and thanked God for giving her the strength to serve the country.
The First Lady said she understood the significance of the honour because traditional rulers in the South-East were not people who flattered anyone. She said the recognition was based on what they had seen her do publicly and privately since assuming office as First Lady.
The First Lady, who disclosed that she would be 66 years old this month, attributed her strength to continue with her nationwide empowerment activities to the grace of God. She also conveyed greetings from her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the people of Imo State, thanking them for their support for his administration, particularly during the difficult period following the removal of fuel subsidy.
According to her, Nigerians had passed through a “dark tunnel” but were beginning to see the light, expressing optimism that the country would experience greater development in the years ahead. The First Lady also commended the developmental strides recorded in Imo State, particularly improvements at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.
She recalled that the airport runway previously had no lights, noting that the situation had changed under the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma. “I was telling my staff this morning, as we were about to land, that Governor Uzodimma’s administration has brought the world to Imo State,” she said.
She added that developments across the state were helping Nigerians from different parts of the country to interact more freely and build a stronger sense of national unity. The First Lady also appealed for continued support for the administration of President Tinubu, stressing that Nigeria belonged to all Nigerians and that the progress of the country would benefit everyone.
She prayed for peace in Imo State and the South-East, recalling that she had previously been apprehensive about visiting the region because of the sit-at-home situation. Earlier, Governor Hope Uzodimma described the conferment of the chieftaincy title on the First Lady as a significant recognition of her contributions to the country.
Uzodimma, who spoke during the presentation of the empowerment items in Owerri, said the title reflected the traditional rulers’ appreciation of Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable. He welcomed the First Lady back to the South-East and commended her repeated visits to Imo State, noting that she had consistently identified with the people of the state during important occasions and supported various empowerment programmes.
The governor also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his administration’s attention to the development of Imo State. He urged the First Lady to convey the appreciation of the people of Imo to the President, saying the people of the state were happy with his performance and remained appreciative of his commitment to a stronger and more united Nigeria.
Uzodimma further declared that the people of Imo State and the South-East would reciprocate the support they had received from the Tinubu administration. He said the presentation of empowerment items to 2,500 women in Imo was a significant intervention capable of improving the economic circumstances of beneficiaries and their families.
The governor commended the Renewed Hope Initiative for its grassroots intervention, saying empowering women would have a direct impact on households and communities. Also speaking, the wife of the Imo State Governor, Barrister Chioma Uzodimma, described the intervention as an important step towards providing vulnerable women with productive assets that would enable them to become economically independent.
She disclosed that the South-East phase of the programme would empower 2,500 women, with 500 beneficiaries each in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, commended Governor Uzodimma for complementing the Federal Government’s intervention with additional support for 2,000 women in the state.
Orelope-Adefulire said the nationwide programme targets 18,500 vulnerable and hard-to-reach women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. She explained that the initiative was designed to promote poverty reduction, economic growth and sustainable development by equipping women with the means to establish and expand their businesses.
The beneficiaries were urged to make judicious use of the equipment and cash support provided to them, and to use the intervention to grow their businesses, improve their livelihoods and provide better support for their families. The event attracted traditional rulers, government officials, women’s groups, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders from across Imo State and the South-East.
