There is no doubt that the wife of the governor of Anambra, Chief Dr Ebelechukwu Obiano, is mankindly, humane and virtuous. She practices the motto of APGA, which is Onye Aghana Nwanne Ya, to the latter. Osodieme is very compassionate about the welfare of women, children, youths and the down trodden. Hence, since Governor Willie Obiano mounted the saddle in 2014, Osodieme has been embarking on yearly tour of all the communities in the state to share with and feel the pulse of the people.

Analysts believe that the essence of government is to cater for the welfare of the masses. They also position that the success of any government depends on the connection with the wellbeing and support of the governed. These facts are never lost on Governor Willie Obiano, who, in the course of about six years on the saddle, maintains an enviable touch and relationship with stakeholders across the youths, men, and the women of Anambra.

Conscious that regular direct contact with Ndi Anambra is an uphill task, the Governor seems to have engineered a seamless system to ensure that his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme) – the Advocate-in-Chief of Anambra women, is in regular touch with Umunwanyi-Anambra so as to get regular feedback from that critical group.

Suffice it to say that Mrs Obiano has just concluded the tour for this year. The annual tour is a firsthand feedback mechanism from Anambra communities to the government and vice-versa.

This year, despite the debilitating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recession, the #EndSARS protests and other devastating challenges and even the fact that her husband is not contesting for any elective post now, Osodieme embarked on the 2020 tour as usual. The wife of the Governor crisscrossed the state with ease under the rain and sun to touch and feel the pulse of Ndi Anambra, particularly their women. These experiences and keen observations are taken back to the table of the Governor. That is the way to go.

In the course of the tour, Osodieme talked about the pandemic and the need for parents to ensure that they abide by all the COVID-19 protocols by ensuring that they provide face masks, sanitizers, soaps and water for their families.

Dr Mrs Obiano equally reminded the women of the need to work hard, alongside their husbands, to keep the family stable. It was also an opportunity to demonstrate her unflinching commitment to the welfare of the average woman.

She urged those who have nothing to do to come under the roof of her NGO, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), to be trained, free of charge, in any field of micro enterprise and enjoy the free start-up capital and enabling equipment like the thousands earlier beneficiaries of the scheme.

The tour was a golden opportunity for Mrs Obiano to talk about government programs and projects in the communities. She, on the other hand, elicited challenges faced by the various towns and preferred interventions they expected from government. Such exchanges have been very useful in the past years, leading to quick intervention by the government in identified arrears of need.

In fact, it was this channel of engagement that gave rise to intervention of her NGO, CAFÉ, in the construction of houses for widows and many rest rooms in rural markets. Osodieme equally drummed into the communities the need to be their brothers and sisters keepers as well as to take ownership of government projects among them and ensure their safety for the people to enjoy the benefits maximally.

It is a thing of joy that in the community engagement, Osodieme, the wife of the governor, Mama Anambra empowered select indigent widows, children and the less privileged, especially the physically challenged, with many items, including free prosthetic limbs and wheel chairs. She also took care of those with cleft lips problem. She gave stipends to help sustain them.

All told, the benefits of the Local Government tour to the communities and the government as a useful resource for interaction and feedback cannot be over-emphasized. Daalu Mama Anambra!

OCHIJE MODILIM

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