Biography Of Dame Edith Okowa – Age , Children – Chinweizu, a Nigerian mainstream journalist, once said in his frightening book “Anatomy of Female Power” that women dominate the men who run the globe.
Given the inherent maleness of human civilization, particularly in Africa where men traditionally lead, the writer may have exaggerated the overwhelming pull of the female population. But behind every successful man is a woman.
In Nigeria, the First Lady is the ultimate power matriarch.
Sway is a status symbol. Authority figure, political sway, and unseen persuader First Ladies are gorgeous in command structure by nature, but some have an austere appeal. That personifies Delta State’s First Lady, Dame Edith Okowa.
Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa’s wife is a lesson in simple, basic taste. She is valuable based on her pedigree. She is, nevertheless, simple, laid-back, and unassuming.
She is the daughter of an elite police officer who reached to the pinnacle of his security profession and a compassionate mother who is rumored to have fed nearly an entire town for free.
Edith attended the Institution of Ibadan, Nigeria’s first university, where she studied history in 1985, graduating in her early twenties to join a privileged clique of educated young Nigerians who would define the destiny of Africa’s burgeoning behemoth.
She would pursue postgraduate studies in order to fulfill her intuitive desire for teaching and mentoring. From trophy teacher to magnificent Vice Principal, with a fitting hat as Permanent Secretary in the Delta state government service, Post Primary Education Board.
She has been Okowa’s adoring wife while he was a young medical doctor, local government chairman, commissioner, state government secretary, senator, and, finally, governor.
Despite her stature, she walks with ease. She is not defined by her ostentation. Never a dainty-dressed dame. Her look is distant from glitzy jewels and glam embellishment.
Avant-garde fashion trendsetters may find her too informal, less glamorous, and low-key. Her glimmer comes from her elegant simplicity. She seems agile in natty elegant attire and mellow accessories, promoting herself in sophisticated refinement that is never shallow or flashy. A lady with simple makeup and no enticing glitz. No frivolous coloring.
Because she is not flighty or programmed to leap at people’s faces, a new observer may deem her aloof and reserved. She can be so friendly, humorous, and open when she’s in her element.
The closest one came to meeting her was at a public event she attended in 2013, with Mrs Roli Uduaghan, wife of Delta’s then governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Mrs. Okowa was talkative, vivacious, and carefree. Years later, when she became First Lady, a local department store employee noticed her shopping quietly and independently. That was humbling for the wife of Delta’s most influential political figure.
This minimalist image does not imply that Okowa’s wife does not occasionally indulge in luxury abroad or elsewhere, but the idea is that her way of life does not reveal vainglorious delight or hedonism.
But, beneath her tough exterior, her most fundamental core appears to be loyalty to her creator. She has maintained an unbroken trust in God since 1992, truly serving the Christian creed without pompous airs or pandering to self-righteousness.
It’s difficult to say who received redeeming grace first between her and the husband, but her piety reflects on him. The guy, like his wife, carries himself with dignity and humility.
With a self-effacing personality that endures, it’s easy to see why Okowa’s wife envisioned the O5 project, a public charity with big goals. 05 Programme, named after the initial letter of her family name, proposes a five-pronged agenda: “to feed the hungry and thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the destitute, visit the prisons, and help the ill.”
Pet projects are widespread among Nigerian First Ladies, however most have been constructed glibly throughout the years to soothe the egos of presidential or governorship spouses, since the programs frequently had little practical function in terms of improving the dignity of the crushed poor and needy. This explains why Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, branded Nigerian First Ladies as diamond-loving, gold-obsessed drama queens dressed for play and partying in a damning essay some time ago.
However, the title of First Lady was popularized by Maryam, the late wife of former President Ibrahim Babangida, who made a strong statement with the Better Life for Rural Women Programme, empowering women.
Dame Edith Okowa’s 05 project has progressed with obvious impact and significant recognition from its inception in 2015, owing to her good education and character strength.
She has given over 15 sickle cell clinics created by the 05 Initiative to the Delta state government, including those in Asaba, Oleh, Patani, Ughelli, Sapele, Kwale, Eku, Koko, Otu-Jeremi, Agbor, and Issele-Uku. In Asaba, she just developed a specific sickle cell center with Newborn Screening technology for the treatment of sickle cell anemia.
She fed thousands of inmates and obtained the release of those with minor infractions through the payment of fines, offered financial assistance and other material care to vulnerable women, established orphanages, and supported skill development programs for unemployed youths and the less affluent.
The governor’s wife is Dame Edith. However, 05 is not a government agency. It is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that receives no government financing. Affluent Nigerians, particularly Deltans, and corporate entities should back the initiative, which aims to leave a legacy of infrastructure and improved fortunes for the masses of the poor.
With the clarity of 05 plans, she does not appear to be on a self-aggrandizing goal, as her acts demonstrate the heart of a responsible mother looking for good neighborliness and altruistic help.
Her voice once rang out from the depths of her heart, “I like compassion.” I despise seeing a face without a grin. I think that doing good pays; the good you do may not bring immediate rewards, but there is no such thing as wasted good; it may take time, but it will speak sometime.”
Be the first to comment