Rivers Women Hold Conference, Calls for Unity of Purpose

Women across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State yesterday held an enlarged convention to pray and praise God for sustaining peace in the state and calls for unity of purpose by the people for the development of the state.

The event which was held at the main bowl of the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre was graced by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Fubara and the Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu. Queen Prudence Dandeson Douglas Jaja, wife of the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom was also in attendance.

Both the wife of the governor and the deputy governor harped on the power of prayer by the women in attracting the attention of God in the affairs of men, believing that Rivers women have set the pace to pray and praise God for His protection and blessings upon the State.

They also commended the facilitator of Rivers Women Unite for SIM, Sotonye Toby Fulton and other Rivers women for their dedication towards the programme and their monthly engagement in prayer session for the peace of the state.

It was historic as thousands of women from various professional, cultural, and religious backgrounds attended the event which featured exhibition of products from the 23 Local Government Areas, awareness lectures by medical experts which include Dr. Vetty Agala, Executive Secretary of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme and Dr. Richard Okoye, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Save A Life Mission Hospital, Port Harcourt.

The occasion was also used to mark seven years of physical prayer and four years of daily online prayer by the Opobo/Nkoro Women Prayer Network which eventually metamorphosed into Rivers Women Unite for SIM, a group that has been successfully inaugurated across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The event further marked the first edition of the Rivers Women Converge 2024, under the theme “Possessing The Land through Prayer and Praise”, which commenced on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 with fervent prayers held simultaneously across all the 23 local government areas of the state, and the grand finale on Friday, September  26, 2024 witnessed the largest gathering of women ever seen in the state since its inception.

The massive gathering of the women was facilitated under the Rivers Women Unite for SIM by Sotonye Toby Fulton along several other notable Rivers women and saw in attendance environmental rights activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, Ministers of God such as, Reverend Salvation Oziri, Mrs. Preye Oarhe and Mrs. Uloma Saya-Braide who ministered the word of God while gospel artistes at the event include Preye Odede, Ipirinye Brown, ONELGA Chioma, Minister Alle, Peter Stone Cold and Lady IB. Other Ministers of God present were Evang. Rachael Minimah,  Pastor Enoch Chris, and Pastor Martins Achi.

Apart from cultural and product exhibitions by the various local government areas to showcase the talents and contributions of women in the State, there was also free medical services by the Save A Life Mission Hospital.

The programme culminated in special prayers and declarations for the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalaye Fubara, his administration, and the people of the State.

The Rivers Women Converge 2024 apparently highlighted the unity and strength of women in shaping the future of the state. With a spirit of empowerment and solidarity, the women of Rivers State came together to make history and pave the way for a better and brighter tomorrow.