Why Rivers Women Walked Out On Sole Administrator’s Wife
Women of Rivers state in another resilient move staged a walkout on the wife of the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Etteh Ibas, retd during an empowerment program organized for them in the state.
Tension flared on Thursday as hundreds of the protesting women staged a dramatic walkout from the “Renewed Hope Initiative” empowerment programme organized by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Remi Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The event, which was billed to feature the presentation of empowerment items to 500 women in the state, turned chaotic moment the wife of the Sole Administrator, Mrs Theresa Ibas, was invited to speak on behalf of the First Lady and she began with “great, great women of Rivers state. Wonderful women”.
The angry women then stormed out of the event venue and they immediately began to chant “we want Sim”, “bring back Fubara”. Amidst the chant, the women said, “We want Valerie Sim-Fubara or Remi Tinubu to address us”, “we want SIM!” They then walked out of the venue to the embarrassment of the sole administrator’s wife.
Eyewitnesses said the women were visibly angry that Senator Remi Tinubu failed to show up after they were reportedly informed that she would attend in person. Even more upsetting for them was the exclusion of the Rivers State First Lady, Lady Valerie Fubara, from the official lineup.
“We were told the First Lady of Nigeria would be here. If she’s not coming, then the wife of our Governor, Lady Valerie Sim-Fubara, should speak to us. Not someone representing someone who doesn’t represent us,” one of the women fumed as she joined the walkout.
Despite efforts by the organisers to calm the situation, the crowd of women insisted on their demands and eventually left the venue en mass effectively disrupting the programme.
