Rivers AWLA Partners With OB Lulu Briggs Foundation to Celebrate International Widows’ Day With Ahoada Widows. The theme of this year’s event is “Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.”

The O. B. Lulu Briggs Foundation in partnership with Rivers State Chapter of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) paid an advocacy visit to the Ekpeye Ethnic Nation in Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State to celebrate the International Widows Day with the widows of Ekpeye Ethnic Nation, pjtvnews reports.

This year’s International Widows Day was held at the palace of His Imperial Majesty, Sir Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo (Ph.D), Eze Ekpeye Logbo III of Ekpeye Land.

In her welcome address, the Rivers State Coordinator of African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire described AWLA as a non-profit, non-governmental association of African Women Lawyers practicing law in Rivers State whose objectives are the protection of the rights and interests of women and children in Rivers State and Africa.

She further stated that AWLA advanced the rights of women and children through a multi-faceted approach, including advocacy, sensitization campaigns and pro bono litigation services on women and children matters.
The special guest of honour, Chief Dr. (Mrs) Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs, Chairman, Board of Directors, O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, who appeared live on zoom, appreciated the widows. She also thanked HIM, Sir (Amb.) Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo, Eze Ekpeye Logbo III of Ekpeye Kingdom for rallying and organizing on that occasion. She immensely thanked The Rivers State of AWLA, Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire, for her commitment and selfless efforts at advocating for the rights of widows, women and children, and catering for their self sustenance.

In the opening session, Owamagbe Kate Ighoomo and Ewoh Priscilla Richards addressed the widows and the Chiefs on the harmful widowhood practices in Ekpeye Land. They highlighted the negative impacts of these traditions on the widows, and appealed to Eze Ekpeye Logbo III of Ekpeye Land and the Chiefs to find a way to review their traditions, and eradicate practices that are inimical to the welfare, sustenance and rights of widows and women in Ekpeye Land.

The speakers, took time to recall and explain the harmful traditional practices meted on widows, which included swearing to an oath on the death of their husbands, eating with broken plates, sitting on the ground, drinking waste water washed off their husbands’ corpses, shaving of their intimate areas, walking bare footed, wailing at guarded intervals, amongst others and advised that such practices should be abolished.
On her part, AWLA Rivers Coordinator also educated them on the relevant laws protecting widows in Rivers State which included
Rivers state Dehumanizing and Harmful Traditional Practices (Abolition) (Amendment) Law 2019,Rivers State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law 2020, and Rivers State Abolition of Curtailment of Rights of Women to Own Property Law, 2022 amongst others.

Gift items such as rice, wrappers, salts, maggie, groundnut oil, spices etc were shared to more than 200 widows present at the occasion.
The widows also received a health talk from one of AWLA partners, Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) and free medical care and screening.

Speaking on behalf the widows, a beneficiary of AWLA/O. B. Lulu-Briggs Free Legal services, Mrs. Gladys Ewoh, thanked the organizers for celebrating the widows’ with them, and encouraged other widows to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by AWLA Rivers and O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation.

In his vote of thanks, Eze Ekpeye Logbo III thanked the African Women Lawyers Association and O. B. Lulu -Briggs Foundation for their generousity and magnanimity towards the people of Ekpeye Ethnic Nation. He encouraged the foundation and also AWLA to continue in their good deeds.

He used the opportunity to also appeal to the O. B. Lulu Briggs Foundation to extend their hands of benevolence to the teaming youths on skill acquisitions, and medically assist old citizens whose financial status is on the low.

He concluded by seeking for more partnership with the O. B. Lulu Briggs Foundation and AWLA Rivers State Chapter on things that can bring the Ekpeye Kingdom to positive limelight.
He eminently thanked the Rivers State AWLA coordinator, Dr. Hilda Desmond-Ihekaire, whom he happily described as a true daughter of Ekpeye Land, for her tireless and relentless community services in various local government areas of Rivers State.

Other dignitaries present at the occasion included, Chief Stephen Igwe Ejimaji, Chief Goodlive Nelson Ogonor, H/Chief Amagbo Andy Promise, Chief Ogadimma Albert Eze, Chief Sampson Joram, H/Chief Onyekachi Ogbonna, HRH Eze Justice Moses, Chief Uwuma Maduenyi, HRH Chinegelem S. T, Chief Silas Okpara JP, Chief Ngozi Otogwu Eze, Eze Isaac Oshi, HRH Eze John Chigbo.