THE First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, has visited Abia State, joined the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR and his Wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti on a tour to the Akwete Weaving Cooperative Society in Akwete, Ukwa East LGA of the State and donated N2 Billion to support the empowerment of women in Akwete cloth production hub. Speaking on Tuesday, July 21, at a reception held in her honour at Township School Akwete, Senator Oluremi Tinubu described the Akwete cloth as a craft transferred from generation to generation and called on all Nigerians to take Akwete to the nation.
“I am here to announce to all Nigerians, the Igbos should take Akwete to the nation. I tell them, if you all wear and tie Ashoki. Why not wear Akwete? It’s a beautiful fabric. And those are the things that they have to modernise. But for me, and for all the notable sons of Igbo land, it’s not only Abia State, but all the other Igbo lands, rise up to the occasion to preserve this. On my own, I told the Governor, I’m donating two billion Naira to the project. I don’t know how you want to use it.”
The First Lady, who described Governor Otti as a good man, said the event was supposed to be a low key visit but was surprised that the Governor made it a very resounding visit, and thanked the Governor. “Otti is a good man. He’s a very good man. And I see that. And I want to thank you so much, Your Excellency. And I remember when I was calling you looking for your wife too, concerning Akwete, but I thank God we are here. This was supposed to be just a short visit to see these women. And it turned out to be the entire state came to welcome me. I am humbled. And I thank you. And thank you, Your Excellency. And I see why you wanted me to just come, you kept calling and you wanted to give the best.”
She narrated how she picked interest in Akwete, saying that it was divinely orchestrated, and assured of wearing Akwete in the second term of her husband. “While I was watching a documentary, I ran into it on NTA. And I saw this woman. When I hear Akwete, I normally think its from Ghana. Since last year, I’ve been bothering her (Mrs. Otti). I want to go to Akwete. I want to say I love traditional outfit. I love it because our tradition and culture tell us who we are. The moment we lose that, we won’t remember where we come from. And I will tell you, I told Her Excellency, I said, if God brings my husband in, a second time, I’ll be wearing a buba and wrapper made from Akwete,” Mrs. Tinubu stated.
Also speaking, the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti thanked the First Lady for her decision to visit and assist the Akwete women, noting that it was the First Lady herself that watched a documentary on the Akwete women and decided to visit and empower the women and noted that the visit meant a lot for him. “I want to thank you. This visit means a whole lot to us. For us, we have been engaging with Akwete as far back as 2023, after I was sworn in. We believe, just like you do, that there is a lot that Akwete can do. The first thing that we needed to do was to break barriers of tradition. So, it is very, very strategic that you made this visit at this time. I want to also underscore what we represent in Abia here. Once you live in Abia, you are from Abia. We have a large community of Hausa and Yoruba community in Abia. And they are fully integrated into what we are doing,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti, who said that good governance transcends party affiliation, noted that the people know when one is giving good governance, and lauded Mr. President for being courageous enough to remove petroleum subsidy. “I want to thank you. I want to also plead with you to take our felicitations to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I want you to please thank him. Thank him for his courage. Thank him for his sacrifices. Some people may not understand. It takes a man with courage to do what he did in 2023. Remove petroleum subsidy. And follow suit with the floating of the Naira. What has that done? That has freed up a lot of funds that would have been used in financing consumption. To doing other things in the federal government, in the states, and in the local governments. And today, a lot of states are now paying salaries,” Gov. Otti stated. He said that his government is ready to work cooperatively with the First Lady to build a production hub for Akwete women.
Earlier in her welcome address, the wife of the Abia State Governor, Lady Priscilla Otti, said Akwete Cloth is one of the oldest and most distinguished textiles tradition of the Igbo Nation, woven by hands by the women of Akwete in Abia State, a tradition that credits the visionary weaver, Daada Nwankata with elevating the craft in the 19th century. Lady Otti, who said that the day marks the first time a First Lady of Nigeria has come in person to stand with and support the women of Abia, thanked the First Lady for being a true mother to the nation, and for remaining intentional about improving the economic well-being of Nigerian women, adding that Abia women are direct beneficiaries of her generosity. “This is truly a historic moment and its significance cannot be overstated. It speaks unmistakably to your genuine commitment to creating practical impacts in the everyday lives of ordinary Nigerian women. Under your leadership, the social investment programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative continue to deliver real and practical change through grants and business support for female, micro, small and medium enterprises. We could not have asked for a better mother. May the Almighty God continue to strengthen you,” Mrs. Otti stated.
In their goodwill messages, the Senator representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abairibe, member representing Ukwa East and West federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwota and former Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. Sampson Ogah thanked the First Lady for coming to identify with the Akwete women and appreciated the wife of the Governor for discovering the Akwete women, while describing the event as remarkable, and assured the Governor of his second term in office. Hon. Chris Nkwota in particular, while stressing the need to give Akwete cloth the needed visibility and creating befitting weaving centre for the women, said that Governor Otti has redefined governance in Abia State and announced openly that, though he is in APC, he would vote for him. “This is a man that has come to redefine governance in Abia State. This man has come to redefine governance in Abia State. I’m a member of APC. But I’ll tell you something today, my vote is for Dr Governor Alex Otti,” Hon. Nkwota stated.
Also, the Labour Party House of Representatives candidate for Bende Federal Constituency, Dr. Chima Desmond Anyaso appreciated the fact that the economic importance of boosting the Akwete cloth production. Dr. Anyaso commended the wife of the Abia State Governor and the First Lady of the Nation for their commitment to support the women, irrespective of political party differences. The event, which featured the conferment of a chieftaincy title of “Ugo Nwanyi of Abia”, meaning the pride of woman, attracted many dignitaries from various political parties in the State.
