Jethro Ibileke/Abakaliki

Hundreds of women of Ebonyi state on Wednesday matched through the streets of Abakaliki, capital of the state to protest against the impeachment notice served on the state governor, Martin Elechi, by 15 mem‎bers of the State House of Assembly.

The women who were drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state terminated their solidarity rally at the main entrance gates of the State Government House, where they were received and addressed by the State commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike and Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Boniface Chima.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, like ‘stop using our children as political thugs’, ‘our leaders’ labour will not be in vain’, ‘Ebonyi women want leaders and not rulers’, ‘we say no to banditry and thuggery.”

Mrs. Felicia Egwu, women’s Leader from Afikpo, who spoke for the women, said governor Elechi was a perfect example of a noble and gentle character.

She said women of the state are opposed to the violence gradually taking over the state which she said is being orchestrated and perpetrated by political opponents of the governor, noting that women suffer most in violence.

“Women‎ suffer most in violence. We lose our children and our husbands to violence, so we say no to violence. We are saying leave the man alone. Ebonyi women say we will not be part of impeachment. Women are not and will never be part of impeachment,” Mrs. Egwu said.

The state commissioner for information and orientation, Dr. Ike, said “we are not happy with what is happening in Ebonyi, the most peaceful state in Nigeria. People are trying to tamper with the iron gate, and we are not going to allow that.

“We are not going to allow some people to take away the peace of Ebonyi. This is a man (Governor Elechi) who has given us 38 bridges of unity and an international market.

“We resist all attempts by political jobbers to destabilise the peace of Ebonyi state. Governor Martin Elechi is the man we want and we will continue to support him. So we are not going to allow that to happen,”‎ Dr. Ike said.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Boniface Chima, who thanked the women for their solidarity, said the people of the State love President Goodluck Jonathan and will continue to support him, adding, “but we are against satanic agents of darkness who want to turn the state upside down.”

The state commissioner for women affairs, Lady MaryJoy Umoke, commended the women for their solidarity march for Governor Elechi.