Anambra Widows Fault Jonathan’s Wife

                                Obi’s wife , Umeh’s wife and local government commissioner

Widows in Anambra State have accused the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, of deceiving them with an empowerment programme she organized last weekend.

The Nation newspaper report says Mrs Jonathan was in Anambra State last weekend for a rally at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital, where she reportedly promised to distribute some items to them.

But at the end of the rally, the widows said the First Lady did not fulfil her promise.

The rally, tagged: Southeast Empowerment Programme, was organised by Prince Arthur Eze to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid.

Mrs Jonathan and the organiser, a frontline businessman, were said to have assembled various items to be distributed to the widows.

The items included grinding machines, garri processing machines, soap, sewing machines, hair driers, bags of rice and beans.

Over 10,000 widows from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states were said to have attended the rally.

Deputy governors from of Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Delta states and top politicians from the region also attended the rally.

But the widows accused Mrs Jonathan and the organisers of playing politics with the programme.

According to them, the items were meant for politician’s wives and not widows.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, the leader of the concerned widows, Mrs. Hope Nwandu, noted that although Eze had a good intention, the organisers of the programme allegedly used it to enrich themselves.

She said none of the widows got an item, although  most of them left their homes as early as 7am and remained there till 10pm.

The spokeswoman alleged that since the items were taken to local government headquarters by some people, nothing had been heard about them.

“Why should they use widows to play politics when they knew that it was not real? Those fronted as widows are politicians. Anybody who ridicules widows is bound to have problems. It is even in the Holy Bible. You should not use widows for political propaganda because when widows cry out to God, the wrath of God will descend on those involved,” Mrs Nwandu said.

Another widow, Mrs. Nkechi Oguelina, alleged that those assigned to share the items were to blame.

It was learnt that the governor’s wife, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, once ordered that the items should be taken to the Governor’s Lodge at Amawbia.

The directive angered the widows and they were said to have protested the move.

The coordinators allegedly shared the items among themselves.

Mrs Oguelina said the items given to Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states were well handled, adding that it was only those for Anambra widows that had a problem.

Another widow, Mrs. Florence Obiefuna, picked holes with the programme.

She said: “We hired two 608 buses to Awka because they invited us. All the widows paid for their fare and some of them are on my neck to refund their money. Where will I get the money to pay them when it is difficult for me to feed my family?

“Imagine, we were at Alex Ekwueme Square from 6.30am to 10.30pm without anything given to us. Even the gift items promised us have not been delivered.

“They told us they would be shared on the basis of the local governments. But those asked to coordinate the programme are sharing the items among themselves, especially the politicians, who took up to three different items,” Mrs Obiefuna said.