‘’We Have Empowered Over 200 On Petty Trading And Farming Business As Well As 100 Others As Casual Workers In The Local Government’’ Says Oyi Local Government First Lady , Hon Mrs Ogechukwu Scholarstica Okafor (Odibeze)

Hon. Mrs. Ogechukwu Scholarstica Okafor (Odibeze), is a Political Scientist and the wife of the Executive Chairman of Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra state, Hon. Charles Uchenna Okafor known as (Wiper). In this interview with odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com , she bared he mind on how the local government has empowered over 300 rural women in farming , trading and as casual workers in the local government area and how the visit of Her Excellency the first lady of Anambra state  Her Excellency Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano was a blessing to her local government as many benefited. Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com brings you excerpts of the Oyi Local government first LadyHon Mrs  Ogechukwu Okafor:

What are your duties like as wife of Wiper, the Chairman?

Just know that behind every successful man there is a great woman. The roles of the wife of the L.G.A chairman known as the First lady from my own perspective differs from one environment to the other.

          Generally our duties are to initiate and direct the provision of services and to determine and implement projects so as to compliment the activities of the state and federal government in our L.G.A through devolution of functions to these councils. We sensitize and ensure active participation of our women and their traditional institutions to local initiatives and response to local needs as well as ensure local conditions are maximized.

          In summary we are there to support and assist our husbands the Chairman to deliver activities and services of the government to the grass-root women , children and youths who ordinarily were shut out by men most of the times in political issues.

Goals and objectives for the period you will be addressed as 1^st lady of Oyi LGA to compliment her Excellency wife of Willie Obian, Chef Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano’s vision?

Our vision and mission in the local government is married to that of the state First lady and we are already complimenting Her Excellency Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Willie Obiano’s vision in everything we do to ensure her CAFÉ programme is actualized.

She wants us to be near to our people because of the physical and psychological distance between officials of the other tiers of government and the grass root people frustrate efforts in making people fully identify with government programme.

But with our presence at the local level, people at the grass root are only able to understand and recognize Local Government because they are able to feel  its presence and impacts on their people, so I will be very close to my people to ensure we are fully represented.

          My nearness to the people placed them in a position where they can easily articulate and aggregate their demands for our intervention or attracting the attention of those it is in their line of duty to solve that. A government operation at the grass-root level is likely to be attuned to the needs of the people. I will equally on my own assist in identifying all the needs for our rural dwellers and employ good measure to follow them squarely as a true representative as I am with them.

          Development is the key reason of participation in politics. So we have been able to touch lives and by the special grace of God I will make use of the available resources to provide a range of socio-economic services and establish programmes to promote the welfare of those residents in my LGA.

We are again committed in doing whatever God assist us to do with utmost transparency. I will adopt the method of closer supervision and monitoring to avoid leakages in my Local Government to ensure transparency and Equality in rendering services to my people.

How many projects have you initiated with the grass-roots women since inception of this administration?

Through the help of the state government and my wonderful husband the executive chairman of Oyi L.G.A, we have been able to set up many projects for the women within our jurisdiction because we are well known for Agricultural products and petty trading. Oyi LGA is made up of five communities: Nteje which is the headquarters, Awkuzu, Umunya, Ogbunike and Nkwelle- Ezunaka, they are all agrarian communities and part of Anambra North senatorial zone.

          In the area of agriculture we have been able to organize seminars to educate and help the local farmers understand the modern technique and mechanism of production through the use of quick-maturing, high yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilizers.

          In the provision of essential amenities, we have been able to provide quality water in most villages within our jurisdiction, in the areas of electricity (light) have improved, transformers were distributed to almost every communities in our L.G.A, solar energy light have been installed in some strategic places e.g. Market places for our women to do their trading at night for security purpose.

          We have employed over 100 women as casual workers through our economic empowerment initiative and we have also empowered over 200 women on petty trading and farming business for economic growth and development. We do these to better their lives and fight extreme hunger and poverty in our rural communities.

          Again in the Health sector, our administration have provided health facilities for our dwellers by setting up a clinic called NUGA for free check-ups and medication to our dwellers. Our administration is working to sustain democracy and developmental process to the grass root. And we have engineered massive participation of the rural commuters on issues concerning them.  

How many projects do you think is currently ongoing in your LGA?

Oyi Local Government Area through the instrumentality of my wonderful husband Hon. Charles Uchenna Okafor is currently executing lot’s of projects. The security agencies are properly equipped, lot’s of electrification is ongoing in various communities, infrastructural developments, Road constructions, installing of solar energy streets lights, reconstructing of some primary schools in our L.G.A to mention but a few.

          We have an action Governor in Chief Willie Mmaduaburochukwu Obiano (Akpokuedike) that is willing to render good and quality service to his people. We are very grateful to God for choosing him for us. And Obiano is embarking on total rebranding in both at the state and the local Government level, God will bless him more in Jesus name Amen.

Her Excellency’s and the marks left behind , how did your council benefit?  

We benefitted tremendously and indeed it was indeed a great event that left an indelible mark to every LGA. Her Excellency Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Willie Obiano (Osodieme), the first lady of Anambra state empowered 150 indigent women, 75 children, orphans, motherless as well as 40 physically challenged persons in Oyi LGA.

On the 6^th day of August 2014 during her August visit to the Local Government to improve their lives she is from Oyi LGA Ogbunike to be precisely so she is our very own, am privileged and grateful to identify with her, she is indeed a mother, a role model, God fearing, compassionate kind and friendly, caring and loving, she is indeed Osodieme as the name implies, she has the interest of Ndi Anambra at heart, we Oyi people love her so much, we are solidly behind her. She has our support anytime any day, we are praying fervently for her success, we love and cherish her. And indeed we are very proud of her, God will continue to be with her to guard and protect her with her family and to bless them, she will never lose her reward in Jesus name.

And let me tell you that her visit was memorable and some key events of Her visit to my Local Government is very clear, the bible says that it’s only our works that will make us to be remembered, her generosity to the poor and needy, the less privileged for affecting life’s positively, putting smiles on the faces of people is enough evidence.

          She knows exactly how to get the needy, where to find them and what to do to improve their live. She is indeed a combination of brain and beauty. I pray the grace of God will be sufficient for her to continue till the end.

In what areas are you supporting the security plans of the state government in the council challenges that would assist in tackling kidnapping in your local government area?

The present administration has done a lot to tackle kidnapping in our local government area. More security personnel and tools have been mobilized. Our women are co-operating with the security agency in given out useful information for the safety of all, we should try to be man of our environment study and know our neighbours more for us to be able to identify the bad ones among us and report to the security agencies nearest to us with immediate effect.

And our women have contributed a lot in our community policing in tackling crime not only that even in nation building through child raising, the struggles and determination of our women to bring up their child in a Godly and societal acceptable manner, to train up the younger generation which are the leaders of tomorrow, to inculcate in them good values for life.

          My bible tells me that we should train up a child in a way he should go and when he grows he will not depart from it, we need to properly inform our children the disadvantages and dangers surrounding criminality and involving in bad gangs.

Would you rate your allocation satisfactory or otherwise?

I can only say we are working with what we have, Oliver twist wants some more, everyone needs some more in life for effectiveness, but I want you to understand one thing it doesn’t matter, if the allocation is satisfactory or otherwise what matters is that you are doing justice to the allocation you have, so we should do justice to the allocation accorded us that is my opinion.

What are the challenges you have in human resource?

One challenge I have in human resource here is that, our people don’t do what they are delegated to do but what you supervised them to do for effectiveness and accuracy; your presence is highly needed when you are targeting a good result. This have been a challenge because you can’t be everywhere at every time, you just have to be in one place at a time, so the quest for who will go for me and who will I send, must I do it by myself to get a good result but I know God will make a way to get the right people for the job.

Did you have a different political goals and ideology from the past government to the present?

From my own perspective the past and present administration emerged from our great party the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). And during the campaign of His Excellency Chief Dr. Willie Mmaduaburochukwu Obiano in one of his speech said that we should vote for continuity and sustainability so I believe that is what is happening today.

And because he is an action man things are happening in that direction and he has the people’s interest at heart.  He continued from where the past administration stopped, sustained the democracy dividends and implementation of new projects to complement his administration.

After your tenure, what would you like to be remembering for?

 I would love to be remembered for good works, infrastructural development and human empowerment legacies I left behind as well as some sensitive projects and programmes we executed in good faith during our tenure. But in all things remember that no one person can do it all.