APC women leaders of the 23 local government Areas of Rivers State, as well as women members of the state party executive and other prominent women stakeholders of the party, led by the state women leader, Evangelist Caroline Nagbo and her Deputy, Princess Urie, had an interface with Chief (Barr.) Dumo Lulu-Briggs on Thursday the 21 September 2017, to further consolidate the unity of the party in the State and pledge full support and loyalty to the leadership of the APC in Rivers State.
The parley, convened solely by the women leaders, as part of their dedicated effort towards mobilizing women for the collective objective of building the party and strengthening the structures and resolve of members to be fully focused ahead of the 2019 electioneering season, equally served as an opportunity for them to highlight the core value of respect, which they described as a virtue that the women of APC hold sacred and which had prompted the interface with a well-respected personality like Chief (Barr.) Dumo Lulu Briggs, in order to promote a sense of unity and belonging and to share ideas on the need to strengthen the party through membership support and loyalty to the leadership in the state.
Addressing the women, after the preliminary official formalities had been dispensed with, Chief (Barr.) Dumo Lulu Briggs expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the women for deeming him worthy of the auspicious invitation to interface with them at such a high level gathering and pledged his unalloyed loyalty to the leadership of the party in the state, even as he applauded them for their dedication and commitment to embrace the challenging but achievable quest to strengthen and unite the APC in Rivers State.
He further commended their zeal, courage and faithfulness to the party over the years and while urging them not to hesitate to call on him whenever the need arises, assured them of his support to their positive efforts and activities in promoting party unity and harmony amongst member at all times.
“Let me start by thanking all of us for our commitment to the APC cause and for finding me worthy of your presence. I am one of you today because you have made appealing impacts as the frontrunners of the party. I am thankful because you kept on with the struggle and even when it looked like the road was very difficult, you kept the APC alive. And today, the APC has become the conscience of Rivers State and it is because of the foresightedness of all of you who are here,” Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs addressed them.
Speaking further, the distinguished legal luminary went down memory lane and extolled the virtues of women and their important role in society, even under very harsh and challenging circumstances and while recalling the brave and courageous initiatives the APC women have undertaken to ensure the continued sustenance of the party in the state, emphasized the need for them and indeed all party members to recognize and respect the leadership of the party always.
He said: “Growing up, life was rough but my mother was always there for me, so I know that I will not be a man today if not for the woman that God gave me as a mother. So, no matter what happens, I value women, I respect them because they remind me every day of the sufferings that my mother went through to raise me. There is enormous responsibility that the women carry, and if not for you, this party will not be anywhere. I thank all of you for holding firm, for agreeing that what we have in Rivers State is one God, one state, one party (The All Progressives Congress) and one leader, the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Now, when you have all of that, it means that your victories are guaranteed,” he assured them.
Encouraging the APC Women and other party members to be firm and committed in their resolve to put the party first and ensure total victory for the APC in the 2019 elections, Chief Lulu-Briggs said, “I want to tell us that 2019 is a defining moment for all of us and nobody appreciates that better than the leader of the party. It means a lot more for him that we win the 2019 election, than it means to almost all of us who are also members of this party and who have all kinds of aspirations. It will be wrong of me or anybody to input wrong motives in his actions, because frankly, it will be more costly to him if we make any mistake in 2019 than it will be to all of us who are aspiring. Therefore, it is important that we give him the benefit of the doubt.
“The leader of the party Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi believes that we must build a Rivers State that will not be hostile to our children, a state that will love them and provide opportunities for them to realize their full potentials. It is important for him to ensure that the state begins to work for every man, woman and child. Today, Rivers State is struggling to find her feet while Lagos State has moved on,” he informed them.
Rounding up his brief remarks to the APC Women, the humble business mogul and loyal party chieftain told them that, “It has to be about you and not about the person contesting elections; it has to be about all of us. So we need to have people who are capable and are willing to expand the economy to accommodate all Rivers people. For whatever opportunity God gives to us, He expects us to use it to enrich the lives of the people. Nothing means more to us than the love that we show to one another, so we should pray to get people who will get into positions and remember that it was never about them, that it is just a position they hold in trust in order to explore resources in a manner that will make provisions for every Rivers man, woman and child,” he enjoined them.
“There are two important moments in the life of everybody; the day you were born and the day you realized why you were born. I have realized that I was born to serve; I was born to share my life with people. I hope that in 2019, we will be able to bring back that Rivers State that cared for all of us. We have to begin to love again, the money we store in the banks for our children won’t give them happiness; what will give them joy is that they have a society that cares for them,” he concluded.
In her own remarks, the Rivers State APC women leader, Evangelist Caroline Nagbo, thanked Chief (Barr.) Dumo Lulu Briggs for honouring their invitation, as well as recognizing and also deeming it fit to interface with the women of APC in Rivers State, even as she lauded the humility and altruism displayed by the frontline politician and expressed deep gratitude to him for understanding the plight of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and appreciating the fact that he has made great sacrifices for the growth and development of Rivers State.
The woman leader who spoke deeply about the sufferings of Rt. Hon. Amaechi at the hands of detractors whose trade was to cast down rather than lift up, declared that the leader of the party believes in development and the raising of Rivers people, adding that Amaechi’s resolve to channel resources towards the cause of development, among other things, brought him so much persecution and sufferings.
She then recounted the sufferings that APC women had gone through simply because they stood by their convictions in 2015 and beyond and stated with all sense of pride that despite the obvious challenges and temptations, no APC woman jumped ship as they remained intact and solidly behind Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Describing Rt. Hon. Amaechi as one with great vision for women, the APC Woman leader affirmed that the vision came to a manifestation through the invaluable support of Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of the former Rivers Governor and now the current minister of transportation and the leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC Rivers State Chapter.
Evangelist Caroline Nagbo said: “Dame Judith ensured that there was an adequate representation of women in all aspects of governance. Her husband granted those wishes and positioned women strategically. The women of APC are solidly behind Rotimi for being a good leader and for recognizing the sufferings of women. The leader himself has suffered so much persecution in the hands of detractors but he is God’s anointed; he shall always emerge victorious,” she posited confidently.
Extolling Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs for his humility and the respectful decision to follow the proper channels and the recognized due process defined by the rules and guidelines when he joined the APC, she said, “We are happy with you because your coming into APC didn’t bring sorrow and confusion. Your method of entrance; recognizing the grassroots, the ward executive and units officers, prove that indeed, you are a true politician. Your membership in APC has added value to the party. What is more exciting to us is that you are supportive of our leader, you are loyal and obedient to him, praying with him and committed to the objective of building and strengthening the party. We appreciate your good role sir. God will bless you for recognizing the pains that we have all gone through. We believe in the vision of Rotimi, and will follow him all the way,” she enthused.
Exhorting Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the Rivers APC top Woman admonished that, “It is written that when a man humbles himself, God lifts him up. We are touched by your level of humility. Humility is the way of our leader, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Our leader is a very compassionate man and your remarks about him today tells us that you are that proverbial child that sits at the feet of his father and learns wisdom. You are loyal, obedient and supportive, God will reward you equally,” she prayed for him.
DLB MEDIA
