From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Experts drawn from the academia, banking, public service and civil society have stressed the need for financial independence for women.
The experts gave the advice at the commencement of the 2025 book reading session organised by Uyo Book Club, UBC,
The conferees expressed dismay at the financial limitations placed on women, especially by some husbands, traditions and other societal biases, and stressed the need for such hurdles to be cleared for women liberation.
Noting that the negative impact of the economic hardship had taken its toll on many families and homes, the forum called on government to relax some stringent policies to stimulate the economy to enable women run their homes.
President and Founder of UBC, Dr Udeme Nana explained that the book reading session, the first in the new year, became necessary to drive the urge to read, as well as sustain the reading culture in the people.
He noted that the only way to obtain knowledge about virtually everything in the world, including people, cultures, traditions, governance and societal evolutions, is through consistent book reading, stressing the need for such culture to be internalised in the national value system.
Nana, a former senior aide to former Governors Victor Attah and Chief Godswill Akpabio, expressed delight that the seed of book reading that he sowed while establishing UBC 10 years ago has grown across the three senatorial districts and as far as the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Reviewing the book titled ‘The Smart Money Woman,’ authored by Arese Ugwu, a wealth manager with bias in storytelling, Mrs Mfon Ebebe, an accomplished teacher of English Language, stressed the need for financial independence, especially for the womenfolk.
She, therefore, charged women to work towards breaking from the cocoon of being permanent housewives to navigate their way to wealth and financially independence.
In the same vein, the special guest and Regional Head, South-South, Keystone Bank, Dr Magnus Chukwuekezie, stressed the need for financial prudence in resource management, which is the leveraging factor in business growth and sustenance.
