–As first female captain emerged
By Amuche Agbo, Abakaliki
The wife of Ebonyi state governor Chief (Mrs) Rachel Umahi has pledged her strong partnership and commitment with Abakaliki Golf Club for the benefit of women golfers and the society at large.
Mrs Umahi made the pledge during the official kitty of the first female Captain, Enene Fonne Okang of Abakaliki Golf Club, Abakaliki the state capital.
The wife of the governor represented at the event by the Special Assistant to the governor on Welfare, office of her Excellency Mrs. Patience Offor Okorie expressed joy for identifying with the club on the auspicious first lady kitty, the lady section which said was welcome development, aimed at including women in the scheme of things and also a way of projecting Ebonyi state to the International limelight which the game of golf represents.
In her good will message, the Wife of the Governor who was crowned grand patron of the golf in the lady section stated that the importance of sporting activities cannot be overemphasized, as it has played a veritable role in both physical and psychological wellbeing.
She added that golf has helped to unite minds with positive ideas for development as well as catalyst for social- economical adventures saying that opportunity given to ladies golf clubbing in the state was a right step in a right direction.
She called on Abakaliki golf club especially women to embraced the game and as a matter of fact accommodate and engage more Ladies.
Her Excellency promised to sponsor more women into the club, adding that golf is a sporting activities that brings unity among men and women.
According to her, golf is a positive step geared towards empowering and encouraging women pointing out that she would do everything within her reach to assist them in the area of welfare, empowerment and other ways that could impact them positively.
In his speech, the Captain of the golf club prof. Brown Ejikeme congratulated the newly kitted lady captain for her commitment, sensitization and advocacy which made the ceremony a success.
He thanked wife of the Governor whom he said has been crowned the grand patron of the lady section and applauded women goffers from Ebonyi and other states of the country for their wonderful contributions.
On his part, the former Commandant of Nkwagu Military Cantonment, Major General Chukwu hinted that golf is life stressing its health benefits if fully engaged into it.
Commandant Chukwu admonished men and women both young and old to join the club to improve their health status among others.
However, the former Deputy Controller of Immigration, Celestine Ndukwe noted that golf would taught women how to be patience, good wives and also the importance of sports in their day to day running activities stating that the dynamic of life would be found in the golf environment and called all and sundry to queue into the exercise as it enhance longevity of lives in the society.
In furtherance, the husband of the newly kitted captain Fonne Okang stated that golf is game that exposed ones intellectual capabilities and challenged those with the impression that goffers women are warworld describing it as an erroneous statement cooked by senseless and jobless elements to destabilize the mission of the club.
Earlier in her speech, the new lady Captain, Mrs. Fonne Enene expressed glad over the success recorded in the ceremony and also for being a part of history of Abakaliki golf club especially inaugurating her the lady captain after twenty years that it was controlled by men alone.
She congratulated all the lady maiden goffers and thanked the
Men captain and his team in ensuring that the lady section set up against the odds, promised to run an inclusive governance and assured to work assiduously to justify the confidence reposed on her by the members of the club.
Other speaker, chairman of the organizing committee Mrs Nneka Igwe maintained that the lady section of the club came at the time Abakaliki and the world needed it most.
She further said that charity work, rendering help to the indigent girls and women would be the hallmark of the lady section so as to ease their means of livelihood.
