By Chinonye Anyatonwu
The wife of Ondo State Governor, Chief Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has kicked off consultation with stakeholders on her intention to contest the 2023 poll to enable her represent Imo East Senatorial District at the National Assembly.
She disclosed this at a meeting held on Thursday, 24 March, 2022, at Igolo Abiam Plaza located on Wetheral Road, Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu said she was pained by the rate the country has deteriorated and cannot sit by to watch the country continue on her descent to the precipice.
She lamented the lack of attention being given to the youths which has made many of them take to hard drugs especially the latest fad, Mkpurumiri, which is wreaking havoc in the lives of many youths.
The Ondo State First Lady regretted that the society resorts to flogging in order to whip Mkpurumiri users into line instead of rehabilitating and implementing policies and programmes that would make intake of hard drugs unattractive to the youths.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu also bemoaned the rising maternal deaths in the country, asserting that every woman is entitled to safe delivery if the right things were done.
According to her, the SOLAYO intervention she is implementing in Ondo State has ensured that pregnant Ondo women not only give births safely but also nurse their babies in good health.
The First Lady pointed out that she is interested in occupying the Imo East Senatorial seat at the National Assembly in order to be in a position to deploy legislative interventions to engender good governance to the country.
She urged other women to step forward and contest for various positions of choice, insisting that only women know where it pinches them most and once in a position of authority could direct interventionist measures to solve their myriad of challenges.
She maintained that good people cannot afford to sit on the fence while bad people continue to run the country aground.
The Ondo First Lady said she was prepared and ready for the contest and assured the people of Imo East otherwise known as Owerri Zone that they would get the robust representation they desire and deserve from her.
On why she is angling for a senatorial seat in her state of origin instead of state of marriage, Anyanwu-Akeredolu said she is first and foremost an indigene of Imo State, an identity which marriage cannot erase.
Hear her; “I’m from Emebiam Community in Owerri West LGA of Imo State. And marriage cannot change that”.
Also speaking, her aide, Pastor Ikechukwu Onuoha emphasized the need for Owerri zone to have Anyanwu-Akeredolu as its senator.
According to Onuoha, the first lady had been rendering impactful service to Owerri zone without being a senator for the zone.
He listed numerous projects she had either executed or attracted to the zone to include the reconstruction of Emebiam-Okolosi Road valued at more than N1.6billion.
Imo East comprises nine local government areas: Owerri Municipal, Owerri West, Owerri North, Ikeduru, Mbaitoli, Aboh Mbaise, Ezinihitte Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ngor-Okpala.
Individuals who had represented Owerri Zone include: Bright Nwanne, Evan Enwerem, Ama Iwuagwu, Eze Ajoku, Chris Anyanwu and Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu.
The incumbent senator is Ezenwa Onyewuchi.
