Nigerian first Lady launches HIV/AIDS project

January 18, 2008 :: Abel Orih I doma,Markurdi ThisDay

The people of Benue State yesterday trooped into Makurdi Airport to receive the wife of President Umaru Yar'Adua, Hajiya Turai, who was in the state to launch the Women Coalition On HIV/AIDS, the pet project of Mrs. Yemisi Dooshima Suswam, wife of Benue State Governor.

Hajiya Turai who walked into the warm embrace of the Benue first family, was driven straight to IBB Square Makurdi where she launched the project, calling on wives of other state governors to emulate what she described as the most wonderful humanitarian service being rendered by the wife of the state governor, Mrs Suswam.

She applauded the effort of Mrs. Suswam for responding to her recent call on all wives of governors across the nation to set up non-governmental organizations in order to salvage the vulnerable nature of women and children in the Nigerian societ.

According to her, "Women have contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the nation, and in the vanguard of this state and development, women contributes immensely to all households. I'm quite fascinated with the commitment of Mrs. Dooshima Suswam towards the plight of the most vulnerable ones who are the women and children in the society, and who constitutes over 60 percent of those suffering the HIV/AIDS pandemic across the nation", she said.

On her part, she promised to assist Mrs Suswam in achieving the objectives of her foundation, by rendering whatever necessary assistance, to impact meaningfully on the lives of helpless members of the society, stressing that the world would remember her for her commitment and zeal to alleviate the suffering of the less privilleged.

In his speech at the occasion, the state governor, Gabriel Suswam, said Benue government and people of the state are happy to have worthy parents in President Yar'Adua and his wife Hajiya Turai, and hoped that the relationship would continue to grow in years to come."I wish to reiterate that, my wife and I came to Government House with a mission. We are deeply aware that only individuals who belong to a system can really effect a change in that system, we are from a state ravaged by poverty, ignorance, diseases and incessant deaths".

" We cannot continue to wallow in the very things that held us back as individuals and as a people. When we rounded up our campaigns and returned, my wife sat and reflected on what she saw, she was dismayed at the level of decay, poverty and in action in our commitments. It was then that she nurtured a dream that is being materialized today".

While commending Hajiya Turai for sharing in the dreams, Governor Suswam said, "My role in this epic is to provide the necessary support and enabling environment for the foundation to operate; to give voice to the voiceless; to humanize the dehumanized, to enrich the impoverished; to energize the economically disadvantaged and to let everyone know that government can be good and, trusted. I want to demonstrate that something good can still come out of Benue".

Earlier, wife of the state governor and initiator of SEV-AV Foundation, Arc. (Mrs.) Yemisi Dooshima Suswam said the event is a direct outcome of a call by Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua on wives of the 36 governors and other notable women representatives last year, to fight and win the war against HIV/AIDS.