THE NATION
The tenure of Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu as the First Lady of Ondo state will be etched in the memory of the residents. Mrs. Akeredolu who always regarded herself as an activist, recently completed her final official duties by meeting with the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly.
It was the first meeting with the lawmakers after President Bola Tinubu resolved the political imbroglio in the state. The Assembly was already divided over the political crisis.
At the meeting, Mrs. Akeredolu urged the Ondo Assembly to unite and work in the interest of the state.
Her words: “I want you all to cooperate and operate as brothers and sisters. It is a good thing that necessary constitutional provisions are operative as we now have an Acting Governor in place. The hitches of the last few months notwithstanding, I am here to encourage you to do your best to ensure that the state moves forward.
“As a very vital arm of the government, I have invited you for a ‘meet and greet’, to interact with you and encourage after a fairly long interval. It’s a time that we all would agree has been turbulent. My concern, however, is that we should United and be ready to move forward. It is important that you keep doing your best in the interest of the state so that this administration can end on a good note.”
Many politicians saw her meeting with the lawmakers as a ploy to mobilise support for her husband. This was because she was viewed to have great political influence on her husband. In an interview, Mrs. Akeredolu said her husband never consulted her in making key decisions. Mrs. Akeredolu was viewed in Ondo as more of a politician than a wife.
A breast cancer survivor, Mrs. Akeredolu founded the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) an NGO through which she mobilises support for breast cancer victims as well as carries out advocacy for breast and cervical cancer prevention. As Ondo’s First Lady, Mrs. Akeredolu introduced several initiatives to support and empower women and the girl child. She introduced the Forum of Wives of Ondo State Officials (FOWOSO) and Be More.
Fondly called the digital First Lady, her greatest desire was for her husband to build a world-class cancer treatment centre in the state. This dream did not come to fruition as her husband, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu died of cancer.
According to her, “It is one legacy I would like this Arakunrin administration to leave behind because when you know what breast cancer patients go through you will that the cancer treatment centre is something that is imperative. They can have their surgery and chemotherapy but they don’t have the radiotherapy machine. They have to go to Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja. It is terrible. When they think about this, they opt to die in their house.
“If you have all the protocols in cancer treatment you will be there closer and accessible. The proposal is for the centre to the sited in Owo. Some people had reasoned that it is a federal hospital but it is Ondo people that will be treated. It is good to have people who are knowledgeable in making decisions in certain areas.
