Exclusive Interview With Anambra First Lady By odogwuemekaodogwu.com---And She Says ''I Have 6 Million Children Yet I still Cook For The Governor As A Wife'' ----Says Chief Mrs Ebele Obiano , Anambra State Governor's Wife

                           

First Lady of Anambra state , Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme), today marked her 100 days in office as the first lady of Anambra state at the Women Development Center Awka and spoke exclusively with odogwuemekaodogwu.com crew.

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reports exclusively that  as the wife of Governor Willie Obiano she inaugurated a pet project Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFEI). odogwuemekaodogwu.com brings you Excerpts:

From her responses odogwuemekaodogwu.com informs that she is a caring mother per excellence and believes in action as was evidenced in her first 100 days in office as Mama Anambra.

Her achievements in the last 100 days were to say the list according to odogwuemekaodogwu.com splendid and her plan to transform the fortunes of women, widows, challenged group I the society  and children through her pet project, CAFEI is encouraging.  

What is your experience as the first lady of Anambra state, odogwuemekaodogwu.com demands?

I run my home as a wife and I know how hectic it is. I also ran an office and I know how hectic it was. So when it dawned on me that I was going to be the mother of a whole state of about 6 million people, I jittered but as time goes on, I began to like it.

Did you ever know that someday you will occupy this position?

Absolutely not. My husband and I know that we are not going to go into politics. Two things we agreed that we will not venture into, politics and land dispute because that is the easiest way one can be caught by enemies. We vowed we will not go into that but this actually came as a surprise.

Can you tell us who Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano is, asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

I am Ebelechukwu Willie Obiano. I am a mother of two, married to Chief Dr. Willie Obiano, the Executive Governor of Anambra state. I worked with Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for 19 years and retired as a welfare officer. I latter went abroad to be with my daughter that got into the university at the age of 15. My husband and I feel we shouldn’t leave her all alone in the university being a minor because that country gives children a lot of freedom.

How do you manage your home and official activities?

You know we just clocked 100 days in office and I have managed my home for 26 years.  I have always believed that after God, it is my husband.  In that case, I give him all the respect.  I do everything that will make a man look forward to get back home right after office.  I do all the things that is expected of wife even the ones that some women will delegate to their house helps.  I married my husband the way a wife should marry her husband – as a matter of fact, my husband is my first son.  If you know how a mother handles her son that is the way I handle my husband.

odogwuemekaodogwu.com wanted to know so, you mean you still cook for your husband?

Sure, I do.  I know the things my husband like a lot and I don’t leave those to my house helps.  As a matter of fact, when I worked with NNPC, I was at Joint Venture Division, I travel a lot.  I can come back from US, and after six weeks, I can be asked to go to France and other countries.  But, before I travel, I make sure I prepare my husband’s meals and pack them in individual cases.  I do all these things having known that a way to a man’s heart is his stomach.  I do everything to make sure I remain in his heart.

What is your experience having clocked 100 days in office, asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

It has been great.  I have been to some places and I just got about two abandoned babies since my husband got into office and they are being well taken care of.  One of them the girl is in the government orphanage home while the other is right now being treated in the hospital.
  I have also visited the couple that had quadruplet.  I really love children.  I had two myself but I have over a hundred children and by virtue of my office as the first lady in Anambra, I can say that I have over 6 million children.
  This issue of venturing into politics is divine intervention.  We are already planning to relax and rejuvenate our marriage. My husband, having retired from the bank and me having retired from NNPC, we decided to move over to US and become a brand new couple but for some reason or the other, God anointed my husband to steer the sheep of Anambra State and that is why the proposed second honey moon was cut short.

As the first lady, what plans do you have for Anambra especially women and children asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

I do have a pet project that is called CAFEI which means Caring Family Enhancement Initiative.  Some people may decide to take one section of family care but I want them all because I have been doing that since I was in NNPC. I visit all those less privileged, old people’s home in Lagos, orphanages and destitute centres to touch their lives.
This is what has always been in me, I am going to ensure that everybody’s life is touched positively.  Through this pet project, I will ensure that we have all those places we visit in Lagos down here in Anambra especially the Old People’s Home.  I do believe there are old people that don’t have children to catter for them.  I tend to work on that.  I have vehicle and an ambulance that can take them to the hospital should any of them be ill.  I will also employ people that I will pay from my purse to take very good care of them and we will also take care of children especially the less privileged children.  His Excellency, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano has declared that primary and secondary education will be free in Anambra State. And by that we are assured that every Anambra children will go to school at least up to secondary school level.  We shall also encourage them to tertiary institution by giving scholarship to best performing student in the
secondary school.  And those who cannot go to secondary school or those who are not interested in academics can go to vocational institutions which the government is already putting in place.  As a matter of fact, first one will be taking off by next week – am not trying to speak for the governor any way. 
My NGO will equally have vocational institute where we will train mostly women but men are welcome.  Why we want to make it exactly women affairs is because His Excellency already has one that will take care of both gender.  We are going to ensure that we open the eyes of Anambrarians to civilization.  Our people think that civilization has to do with driving most expensive cars or all that and that is why they go into kidnapping, terrorism and armed robbery.
  My husband and I have gone a long way.  When we started, he was a graduate and I was one, but we never had a spoke of bicycle for up to four years into our marriage but people don’t know that.

odogwuemekaodogwu.com demand further to know --in order to carry out your pet project, how are you going to reach out to 177 communities of Anambra State?

I am preparing for my August Meeting which will take off in July and we have the Mothers’ summit in July.  In the first week of July, I will tour all the 177 communities in Anambra State because I really want to meet everybody no matter where they are and by so doing, I will get to know those that really need this help.
  I told you earlier that I have been into this NGO stuff but I have been doing it on a personal ground as my covenant with God.  I never wanted to show it off even when I visit some orphanage homes, they give me forms to fill and I will always object to that.

We just celebrated the International day for widows, what plans do you have for widows in the state, asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

We hope to select few widows tomorrow because the Lodge cannot accommodate all of them.  We want to celebrate them and remind them that even though they don’t have husbands, that Jesus is their husband and Anambra State government will be their husbands because we will help them to the best of our ability.
We shall entertain them and know what they need and see how we can come in.  I love to relate with widows because my mother-in-law has been a widow for many years and when she became a widow, my husband still had a year to go through the university.  He was really broken and devastated, thinking that it will not happen but thank God for my mother-in-law who was very hard working.
  I also have a plan to liaise with the Anambra State House of Assembly to enact a law that will protect the widows from family harassment and ill treatment.

  Do you intend working with other NGOs in the state to achieve your aim?

  Yes of course, provided they are doing the right thing.  You know we have some NGOs that are there to enrich themselves.  We will work with the authentic ones to meet everybody’s need.

What is your view about women participation in politics asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

Well, women have been given a chance to participate in politics but I don’t think they have been giving that chance to vie for high office like the governor’s office or president’s office.  We appreciate the fact that some women have been appointed ministers and ambassadors but it will be nice if we are allowed to come a little higher.  I believe that there are women who can do well in such positions.

  You can see what Prof. Dora Akunyili (May her soul rest in peace) did in NAFDAC which no man has been able to match, look at  Kema Chikwe when she was in Aviation, look at Stella Odua, look at Minister of finance, Okonjo-Iweala and You must have seen how strong the First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan is, the likes of Hon Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar and contributions of Hajia Gambo Sawaba, Olufumilayo Ransome-Kuti, Chief Wuraola Esan, Margret Ekpo, Prof. Grace Alele Williams and many others both living and the dead.  So, I believe
we are coming up strong. My only advice is for our people to shun sexism so that women will be given a chance.

How important is the family to you asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

Without a family, there is nothing.  Without a good home, everybody outside will be hostile.  Family is the pivot on which the whole world rotates.  If there is no peace in the family, you come out frowning, fighting and quarreling with everybody in the office even without any provocation but when you have good family, you come out your best – smiling and playing with people and colleagues.
  They say that wise women build their homes.  The woman is responsible for ensuring that there is peace in the family – your children must be trained in the way of the Lord, and you must respect your husband to the best of your ability, you know that some times, men can be annoying (laughs)
  I believe that it is the responsibility of women to ensure that we have a better society – in terms of proper upbringing of children in the society as they most times, stay with the kids.
 
Her Excellency, it will interest us to know how you wind down.

Well the only time I wind is when my husband is left alone to come home. When he is home and eating and we are watching television, then my mind is at rest and we talk about the day’s activities and sometimes we can take a glass of red wine. Yesterday, I wind with my husband by my side as we watch Nigeria match and that is what gives me pleasure, she concluded telling odogwuemekaodogwu.com exclusively.