August meeting: Nwifuru Rallies Women for Grassroots Power
Ugo Ewa
The 2025 annual August Meeting in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State resonated with renewed calls for grassroots empowerment, family stability, and women’s active role in politics and development.
Representing the Governor’s wife, Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, described the gathering as a platform for women to share knowledge, uphold family values, and drive community transformation.
She thanked the First Lady for her consistent efforts since 2023 in using the August Meetings to educate women on issues ranging from cancer awareness and menopause to grassroots leadership and economic empowerment.
“Once you capture the grassroots, you have captured everything,” Iyioku declared, commending Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for backing women with a 40% affirmative action policy in government.
The Commissioner further charged women to take advantage of the ongoing INEC voter registration to secure their political voice ahead of the 2027 elections. “Your voter’s card is your power. Without it, you cannot effectively support His Excellency or Her Excellency,” he emphasised.
The Executive Chairman of Ishielu LGA, Mrs. Peace Ifoma Agwu, hailed the initiative as a huge success, describing the First Lady as a champion of inclusive governance.
Similarly, the Chairman of the occasion, Mrs. Deborah Okah, reminded women of their sacred role as agents of peace and progress, urging them to emulate the First Lady’s leadership style, which opens doors to appointive and elective positions for women in the state.
The meeting, which drew women from across Ishielu’s 16 wards, reinforced the First Lady’s vision of strengthening families, promoting women’s political inclusion, and entrenching unity across Ebonyi communities.
Highlights of the event were the traditional dance and the presentation of gift items to indigent women of the area.
