Politics

Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra,  has just ended a “Thank You tour’’ of all 21 Local Government areas of Anambra.

The tour, which has become an annual feature, undertaken in conjunction with the Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs provide avenues for her to touch base with stakeholders at the grassroots.

The Social Welfare, Women and Children have Ndidi Mezue as the commissioner.

The tour has been branded primarily, “a Thank You Tour,’’ because it was aimed at commending Ndi Anambra for the massive support toward resounding victory at the November 17 governorship polls.

It was the victory that gave Governor Willie Obiano, her spouse, the 21 over 21, that eventually provided him a second tenure ticket.

According to her, her organisation will be supporting government initiatives aimed at improving the fortunes of our indigent brothers and sisters with various gift items.

“But I want you to understand that it is not just about handouts but a means of telling them that they are not forgotten while also bringing information that can help them to become better citizens.

“It is also to meet with stakeholders at the grassroots within the Anambra polity, with particular emphasis on the women folks, many of who worked hard ahead of the 2017 polls that returned him to Government House, Awka,” Obiano said.

The governor’s wife noted that the tour is also to renew the faith of residents of the state in Government as well as to remind them that the campaign promises prior to the election were not just a ruse.’’

Among other things, it is also aimed at providing information to them about availability of skills acquisition centres in major zones of the state as what skills they could learn to improve on their earnings to support their families.

She had also stressed the need for the indigent and persons with physical challenges not to resign to fate, but rather key into the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, CAFÉ, skills training and empowerment programmes.

Obiano acknowledged that she has been motivated to continue to support the tour because the past effort successfully changed the lives of no fewer than 4,000 persons.

It was during the tour that she was able to equip them to become owners of various small scale ventures.

They were also empowered with improved skills in the areas of tailoring and fashion designing, computer and telephone repairs, bakery and confectioneries, interior decoration.

She, then, announced that the last batch of 350 persons trained on the various skills would soon be empowered.

According to Emeka Ozumba, the senior special assistant on Media to the first lady, the focus on the women is to see how they can support their husbands through learning skills that would be helpful in supplementing their earnings.

“With improved earnings, they are able to assist their husbands in providing for the home front.’’

He noted that the wife of the Governor also used the opportunity to sensitise people on CAFÉ, particularly women of child-bearing ages to attend ante-natal and post-natal cares.

According to Joe Akabuike, the commissioner for Heath, through the tour Obiano has used the forum to re-emphasise the need for Anambra communities to participate in the immunisation process.

Indeed, the fact that Anambra emerged as overall first in the immunisation against some communicable diseases across the country showed the impact of such information in helping society to improve the health of the people.

Such services can help overall, in reducing infant mortality and morbidity.

He noted the tour was also an opportunity for the Governor’s wife to identify first hand, widows and the poor and the indigent, who would need assistance.

“She has been providing homes to the widowed that urgently need rehabilitation.’’

This is also an opportunity to also sensitise them on the need to always re-kindle hopes in their abilities to survive testy situation as despair was not a positive attribute.

Since, Government alone cannot provide all the needs of the poor and indigent; it is a veritable opportunity to re-awaken many individuals with philanthropic spirit, some of who abound in communities.

The tour helped in many ways to identify the weak and vulnerable within communities to offer such assistance.

“The central idea is for them to join in alleviating sufferings of members of their communities in abject need for support,’’ the Anmbra first lady re-stated.

At the end of the tour, Commissioner for Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue, noted that among the programmes undertaken by Mrs Obiano, include building homes for widows, the caring for the mentally challenged and their caregivers at Nteje stand out as clear act of selfless giving, which should be commended by everyone.

According to her, the concern by Mrs Obiano was evident in her insistence that salaries of the care-givers should not come later than the 24th of every month, when the government pays other workers in Anambra State employ.

Tony Nweke, the acting director of Information, Ministry of Information and Public Enlightenment said the tour shows the Governor’s wife as a caring mother.

“She could have chosen to stay in the comfort of the Government House and send out her aids to act on her behalf.

“But because she is a caring mother, full of empathy for the less endowed and the suffering masses, she decided on the tour to witness firsthand the sufferings and problems facing the downtrodden.

“It has shown what Ndi Anambra already knows about her as a caring mother: her humane and kind qualities.

“And this has fully complimented the character and style of leadership of her spouse, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, whose leadership style is humanity personified.’’

Chukwudi Orizu, the transition committee chairman of Nnewi North, and Felix Odumegwu, his Nnewi South counterpart, affirmed that `Osodieme’ as Mrs Obiano is known touched every aspect of humanity.

They also called on Ndi Anambra to be emulative of her exemplary work and gestures.

In their brief remark, Akabuike, the Anambra commissioner for Health, said the emergence of the state as the best state on immunisation was a collective commitment but largely due to the special interest that the governor’s wife showed at everywhere the women gathered.

Mike Okonkwo, the commissioner for Environment, commended her for the special attention she gives to the welfare of Ndi Anambra in support of the government through her pet project CAFÉ and willingness to collaborate with relevant government agencies.

In Onitsha North and South, some of the lawmakers also hailed the annual tour because her interventions have helped to demonstrate that some of the poor and indigent do not just need donations but basic information about opportunities that can help them to improve their skills.

Irene Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche of Onitsha South 11, remarked that her tour has helped to further promote the social harmony, a strong attribute inherent in Ndi Anambra.

Patrick Aniuno, also of Onitsha South 1, urged her to continue the tour as it has helped to awaken the spirit of philanthropy in Ndi Anambra, who started adopting the attribute of giving.

Kingsley Iruba of Nnewi South Constituency 1, said her gesture compelled him and his colleagues to strive to bankroll some constituency projects in their various communities.

Good governance is about touching lives and if this attribute is made to take roots, then it a worthy venture, whose impact will continue to promote humanity. Its only time will tell its continued positive results.

– Sept. 5, 2018 @ 17:35 GMT |

Tags: indigent too LG tour opportunity by Mrs Obiano to re-kindle hope for poor