President of the National Council of Women Societies in Nigeria, Chief Nkechi Okenmiri-Mba, yesterday, described the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Oujkwu as a brave and intelligent leader who was willing to accommodate anybody regardless of the person’s place of origin.
Recalling how the late Biafran leader, supported her to become president of the council, she expressed regret that the Igbo leader had gone to the great beyond.
Okenmiri-Mba, who led her executive members to the Enugu residence of the late ex Biafran leader to commiserate with her widow, Bianca, recalled that Ojukwu gave his full support to her ambition of becoming President of the women organisation when she approached him during her campaign.
The NCWS President stated that she reminded the late Ojukwu during the visit that since 1958 no woman from the South East had ever headed the organisation.
Her words “He supported my ambition to be president of NCWS when I went to him to seek his support and advice. He asked me if indeed I had the support of then president, that is, my predecessor in office, Hajia Ramatu Bala Usman.
“And when I said yes, he said the only way he could believe she supported me was for her to come with me to his house for discussions. When I visited him with then President who also gave her assurance and intention to hand over to somebody from the South East, he then gave his full support.”
According to her, after getting the solid support of then incumbent, Ojukwu then called all the wives of the South East governors and emphasised to them the need for the 4-year-term position to be occupied by an Igbo woman just about six months before the election.