Zik Prize: Mrs Obiano Dedicates Award to Needy, Struggling Women

EMEKA OZUMBA

The wife of Governor Anambra State, and founder of Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme) has dedicated the Zik Prize for leadership in Humanitarian Services to the needy and struggling women across Anambra State and Nigeria.

Osodieme made the commitment in a chat with the media after receiving the award on Sunday night at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was attended by the crème de la crème of Anambra State and Nigeria.

Addressing the media on her way out of the venue alongside her husband, His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano, a visibly elated Osodieme expressed her happiness for the recognition and the overwhelming support of friends and well wishers.

Mrs Obiano said, “This means more work! Once you are acknowledged for what you do, it spurs you to do more. My husband is working for Anambra State and I am supporting to ensure that things go well. I want to thank God Almighty for this recognition; for them to have fished me out for what I do.  I also want to thank my husband immensely because if he didn’t encourage me, If he didn’t allow me to follow my passion, I won’t have been able get to this height.  I also want to thank the organisers of the award; it shows that what they are doing has integrity, they don’t just bring people out to give an award, you have to earn it. I thank friends and well wishers and I dedicate this award to the needy and struggling women particularly those in Anambra State“.

In his reaction, her husband and Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano said, “My wife has been doing this charity work for a very long time and she has been a pillar. So I thank God for the recognition and I know it will spur her to do more for the less privileged.”

Presenting the award to Osodieme, elder statesmen and the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku said, “In His Excellency Willie Obiano and Ebelechukwu, Anambra got two for the price of one. I must say that His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano – the Governor of the State and Her Excellency, Chief {Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano who has earned the sobriquet of Osodieme, which translated means, one who joins her husband in rendering good services. I must say that the philanthropic works that she has been doing have been very well presented by the gentleman who introduced her. All I can say is that I recently discovered that added to her many gifts is the prowess of writing. I had the pleasure of reading An intimate biography of her husband written by her. It was a book I made the mistake of reading by half past 10 in the evening and it deprived me of my sleep because I couldn’t put it down till 3 am. It is an extremely well written book.”

Continuing Chief Anyaoku, emphasized, “So for all her good works, to the people of Anambra State; I must say that on the 9th of last month, I read in the Punch, Mrs. Obiano was responsible for getting home to her family a woman of about 72 years who was presumed dead for 35 years. It is only one of the very many-many things she does. For all that, it gives me particular pleasure in handing over this award which I commend the deciders for recognizing true leadership in philanthropic work. And so with that Your Excellency, I have the greatest pleasure in handing this seal of your achievement to you.”

The Obianos – the first couple to win the prestigious Zik Prize in different categories were the cynosure of all eyes at the event attended by the crème de la crème of Anambra State and Nigeria. Whereas Governor Obiano received the award for excellent leadership in public office in 2016, his wife Ebelechukwu, was recognised in the humanitarian category, the first of its kind since the institution of the Zik Prize in 1994.