Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said he will remain grateful to Justice Mary Odili for her timely intervention that saved his political career in 2004.
Wike spoke of this aspect of his political experience at the 70th birthday and retirement thanksgiving mass of Justice Odili as Justice of the Supreme Court at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.
The governor recalled how he cried to Odili when he got a hint that his name was not included among those cleared to contest either as first term or second term chairmen of local government councils in the state.
Wike said Justice Odili listened to him, and took the complaint to her husband, Dr Peter Odili, who was the governor of Rivers State at the time.
He explained that the manner Justice Odili presented the matter made her husband to act on it immediately.
He said, “In 2004, that time the husband was the governor, so she was going to Bori Camp for the women empowerment scheme. I was to run for a second tenure as chairman of my local government (Obio-Akpor).
“Now, they were having lunch with her husband and the former state party chairman, Prince Uche Secondus. I was told that my name had been removed from the list. So, I ran down to the Government House.
“She had finished her own lunch, left her husband and was entering the vehicle. I said ‘mummy I’m finished.’ She asked what happened; I said they have removed my name.
“She ran back straight to her husband and informed him. Her husband asked; ‘who removed his name?’ At that time, Secondus had left. The husband then called the security at the gate, they stopped Secondus and asked him to come back.
“That was how I went back as second term chairman. For me, I can’t talk about my growth without mentioning her. If she was not around that day to see the governor, you know it is not an easy thing.
“Her being around that particular day saved my career in politics. And so that was how I grew from there to become what I am today.”
Wike said the determination to build capacity to be successful in one’s career without ignoring giving requisite attention to the family is a vital lesson of life he has learnt from
Giving her speech, Justice Odili described the joy she felt as unspeakable and a thing of honour to have Wike as a sitting governor doing a vote of thanks in her honour.
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