Governor’s wife charges women on family planning

The Akwa Ibom Governor’s wife, Mrs Martha Emmanuel, has appealed to women in the country to bear children they could cater for to avoid harsh economic consequences.

Emmanuel said this after her investiture as NANTAP Cultural Ambassador for 2018 at the award night for National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) tagged, “Uyo 2018” on Saturday night.

She said that the theme of the convention, “Reproductive Health, Family Planning and National Development: The Nigerian Artistes in Promoting a Worthy Cause” was apt as it would sensitise the women on the need to embrace family planning.

She urged the artistes and entertainers to use their profession to conscientise the Nigerian populace on the need to inculcate moral values and build a better society.

“As theatre practitioners, who exhibit various creative skills and talents in drama, singing, dance and creative designs.

“I am very confident that the convergence of instructive messages and advocacies will put health in the building of strong values and ultimately a better society can be achieved using your skills as theatre arts practitioners,” she said.

According to her, If women could take their reproductive healthcare and family planning serious, it would gives them opportunity to engage in meaningful economic and political endeavours.

The governor’s wife noted that the absence of family planning had led to population explosion in the country.

She attributed the menace of bad values such as militancy, armed robbery and terrorism in the country to population explosion without corresponding increase in economic development.

“Another threat to the socio-economic stability is the population explosion which occur without a corresponding increase in economic and social environmental resources.

“You cannot only imagine our predications but you can see it; You know about the insurgencies, terrorisms armed robberies and kidnapping,” Emmanuel said.

She promised to support NANTAP in taking the campaign of creating awareness on family planning to the rural women in the state.

Earlier in his keynote address, Prof Effiong Johnson of Theatre Arts Department, University of Uyo, said that theatre artistes were cultural ambassadors of their people.

Johnson said that the theatre arts practitioners came up with the theme to agitate to government to improve on socioeconomic facilities to meet with the increasing population growth.

According to him, the theatre arts practitioners have always been in the forefront to correct the ills in the society.

“The artistes should show in the stage what calibre of citizens we ought to be in terms of morality,” Johnson said.

The National President of NANTAP Mr Israel Eboh, in his welcome remarks, said that the gathering was to celebrate the array of stars and champions of the creative industry.

Eboh said that NANTAP recognised the fact that the individual contributions, government, corporate world, the art patrons and practitioners make the business thrive.

He commended Akwa Ibom people for their hospitality and the cultural ambassador, Mrs Martha Emmanuel, for honouring their invitation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that awards of excellence were given to deserving artistes, films producers and entertainers like, Ifeoma Fafunwa, Oshinaike Toyin, Toritseju Ejoh, Bikiya Graham-Douglas among others.