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Ahead of the nations much expected 2023 general election, the prevailing political environment in Imo State had assumed a new dimension, this is because , Chief Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, the First Lady of Ondo State has joined the race for the Imo East Senatorial District (Owerri Zone).
Mrs Akeredolu who is the Founder of the Before Empowered Foundation, Ondo Widows Care as well as Taekwondo Foundation hails from Emeabiam in the Owerri West local government area of the State.
Fondly called ‘Ada Owere’ (Owerri First Daughter), Akarerdolu made her ambition.known at an interactive session with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State during which she pledged to tackle the worrisome cases of infant and maternal mortality arising from minor or major complicated pregnancies, non availability of functional health care centres, life saving equipment and the lack of infrastructure in the zone.
Relying on experience within and outside the country and exposure to modernity , Mrs Akeredolu noted that provision of all seasoned motorable roads in such areas as Nekede, Iheagwa, and her own community Emeabiam which plays host to such institutions as Federal Polytechnic Nekede, and Federal University of Technology Owerri should not be compromised and lamented that successive administrations in the state had continued to neglect these areas acclaimed as centres of tourism.
If elected as a Senator, she said that as a village girl who has maintained regular contact with her people and had taken a critical appraisal of their challenges, she would embark on human capital development, provision of basic necessities of life, stop the pollution of the Otamiri River and also ensure regular evacuation of refuse in all looks and crannies of the zone.
Additionally, she would take steps to assist rural farmers with modern agricultural implements, promote girl child education, stem child killer disease, youth unemployment and restiveness.
“There is a lack of compassion and understanding of how life can be made meaningful for our people, hence the need for a wake up call/ Leadership should not be gender based but neutral.”
On whether her marriage to a non indigene of the state would not impede her ambition, the Ondo First Lady argued that being a bona fide indigene of the state who already endeared herself to the people and has touched many lives, she was emboldened to join the race to enhance their well being.