Rivers Golden Jubilee : Deserved Compassion for the Less Privileged
The Rivers State Golden Jubilee celebration brought to the fore, the glorious history of the state, her culture, peoples, resources , achievements and contributions to the development of the country.
Aside the pomp and ceremony of the celebrations, a human touch was added as the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike personally involved the less privileged.
She gave the less privileged a sense of belonging, a sense of involvement and participation in the Rivers Golden Jubilee Celebrations.
2. Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike at the Compassion Centre for Physically Handicapped Children in Port Harcourt
There is no limit to the compassion of a mother. The Golden Jubilee Mother of Rivers State and the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike used the Rivers Golden Jubilee as yet another platform to exude compassion to the Less Privileged.
She used the celebrations to emphasise the necessity of sharing love with the needy. She used the programme to encourage the privileged to cultivate the habit of blessing their less privileged neighbours.
While the comprehensive celebrations were on, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike took out quality time to hang out with the less privileged in old people’s homes, orphanages, remand homes and public hospitals.
Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike during her visit to Global Foundation for Orphaned Children, Rumuigbo
This outreach by the Wife of the Rivers State Governor is significant. It also had historical and futuristic dimensions. Most importantly, it had the support of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the Rivers Golden Jubilee Committee.
On May 27, 2017, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike in company of the Women Affairs Commissioner, Mrs Ukel Oyagiri and other prominent Rivers women made the Less Privileged to feel the impact of the creation of the state, fifty years ago.
They shared joy, laughter, gifts, encouragement, goodwill and friendship. This personal touch from the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike made a lasting impression.
At the Manna Widows Foundation, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike sang and danced with the women, assuring them that the administration of her husband will always protect their interest through key projects and programmes.
She thanked the widows for their prayers for the governor and the state. She said that the prayers of the Women have been responsible for the success of the Rivers State Governor.
Justice Nyesom-Wike said: “That is why the governor is successful as God is making him achieve for the people. God answers the prayers of the widows and his ears are always open to their cries.
“I plead with you to continue to pray for the governor, so that he will continue with his good works and for him to end well”.
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike reaching to one of the mothers of the Rivers State Golden Jubilee Babies
The Wife of the Rivers State Governor pointed out that aside the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the blessings that have accrued to the state, there is need to pray for a greater Rivers State, so that it will have more blessings to celebrate in future.
The visit to the Compassion Centre for Physically Challenged Children by the Wife of the Rivers State Governor witnessed the expression of love and generosity to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Wife of the Rivers State Governor on behalf of the State Government and the Golden Jubilee Committee donated 10 Wheelchairs, washing machine, a cooker , foodstuffs and cash gifts.
Speaking to the children of the home, Justice Nyesom-Wike said: “We are here to celebrate the Golden Jubilee with you and support you, so that your Golden Jubilee would be memorable.”
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike admiring one of the Rivers Golden Jubilee Babies
She recognised the efforts of the administrators of the homes visited, saying that they are working to help the society develop by helping the Less Privileged.
The visit to the Priesthood Holy Charity Home brought to the fore the relevance of the Golden Jubilee visit by the Wife of the Rivers State Governor. The administrator of the home told a stunned audience that four days preceding the visit, the inmates of the h Qqqome were drinking “garri” .
Of course, the Wife of the Rivers State Governor donated foodstuffs to the home and brought smile to the faces of the inmates.
The Wife of the Rivers State Governor had a message for them:”I pray God will put you in positions where you will contribute meaningfully to Rivers State and do even greater works than some of us are doing now”.
The Rivers State Women Affairs Commissioner, Mrs Ukel Oyagiri represented the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike during visits to other homes.
The other homes visited include: Home for the Elderly, Port Harcourt Remand Home, The Child Special School and Chesire Home, Port Harcourt.
To ensure that these less privileged Rivers people felt the impact of the celebrations, Wife of the Rivers State Governor through the Golden Jubilee Committee facilitated the sinking of borehole, supply of fridges and washing machines, presentation of cash gifts, foodstuffs and essential supplies in line with the respective needs of the different homes.
Justice Nyesom-Wike also assured the administrators of the homes that she would continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure the sustenance of welfare to all the registered homes.
Beyond the beauty of the reach out to the homes of the Elderly and the homes of the orphaned, the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike added a novel touch to the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
She introduced the concept of the Golden Jubilee Babies. With the Women leaders of Rivers State, she visited three Jubilee Babies.
These visits on May 27, 2017 signalled the sowing of the right seeds for the next fifty years of Rivers State. They marked the beginning of a blissful centenary celebration for the state. According to her, the centenary would exceed the Golden Jubilee.
As part of the activities to mark the Golden Jubilee of Rivers State, Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike visited three Golden Jubilee Babies delivered in the early hours of May 27, 2017.
The three babies are: Baby Nneka Tracy Odia who was delivered by 3.50am at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital . She weighed 3.4kg at the time of birth. Baby Ngenibo Sonime was born by 4am with a birth weight of 3.3kg while Baby Zakari Rashidi was born by 4.15am with a birth weight of 3.8kg.
The babies were delivered at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt. Two of the babies were born to indigenes, while one was born to a resident of the state.
She was philosophical on the import of the Jubilee Children born to indigenes and non -indigenes.
“I pray that God will give this baby the Grace for the wonderful things she would do in Rivers State. We are all peoples of Rivers State. Indigenes and non indigenes alike, we all contribute to the progress of Rivers State.
“My prayer is for this baby to bring glory to Rivers State as a Jubilee Baby. When we celebrate our centenary, we pray that this baby would have grown into a lovely woman of substance, with a lot of wisdom. She will stand out as one of the stars of her generation and bring blessings to Rivers State “.
Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike also used the visits to emphasise the need for Rivers people to always show compassion to each other.
In an interview with newsmen after the visits, the governor’s wife said that investments in charity is the best way that families can display divine love, which will effectively strengthen social cohesion.
She said: “We must continue to show charity because that is the only way that we can show that we are God’s Children and that we do love.
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike handing out cash gifts to one of the administrators of the homes visited.
“Please go out there, visit a home and get your family attached to it . So that as the year goes on, you have a relationship with the children in the homes. By that way, you are grooming your children to be charitable.
“That way, we will be training our children to be better leaders tomorrow.”
She implored the people of the state to continue to pray for their leaders, so that the transformation taking place can be sustained.
Justice Nyesom-Wike also advised Rivers people to be supportive of the Wike administration and be law abiding at all times.
“This is our 50th Year of the creation of Rivers State. We have achieved so much. There is still much more that can be achieved as success is a continuing endeavour”.
Alternate Chairman of the Rivers State Golden Jubilee Committee, Chief Onueze Okocha (SAN) praised the governor and his wife for ensuring that the less privileged are accommodated in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Rivers State Golden Jubilee celebrations may have been concluded, but the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has entrenched the principle of compassion and care for the Less privileged in the hearts of all. This serves as a major outcome as it emphasises that under the Wike administration, the welfare of every individual counts.
