By Charles Igbo
Between this last Thursday and Friday, Imo State was literally invaded by Ondo state and shut down for over 24 hours. Most affected was Owerri, the state capital, and especially, the sleepy town of Emebiam, Owerri West.
It was for a funeral which turned out to be a deserved celebration of life in every aspect of it.
Being celebrated was Nneoma Chinyere Dora Anyanwu. She was the mother of Nigeria’s Poster Woman, Betty Chioma Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Ondo State’s First Lady.
The Anyanwus/Akeredolus had planned a low key funeral ceremony for their matriarch. They wished so. But the status of those directly involved made nonsense of the plan.
Overwhelmed by the crowd which kept increasing by the minute, Akeredolu, while appreciating their presence, took a swipe at some online publications which accused him of chattering an aircraft to transport people from Ondo to Imo State.
The funeral on Friday, not only shut down the Emebiam Community, it also shut down government activities in Ondo, a situation an overwhelmed Gov. Akeredolu acknowledged.
The large Ondo crowd included the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, members of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of the state, the Chief Judge of the Customary Court, State Executive Council members, and their wives/ husbands, the Chief of Staff, and scores and scores of the who-is-who in the state.
Ondo women were not to be outdone. They came in their hundreds in support of Betty, their beloved First Lady whose husband described as a blessing to him, the Emeabiam Community and Ondo state.
It was for the crowd from Ondo that allegations were made that Governor Akeredolu had chattered an aircraft to fly Ondo people down to Imo for the funeral.
But while appreciating them for taking the risk to come, all the way, to identify with him, the Governor said he would never forget Ondo people. “Betty will never forget you. I will never forget you. Where you are, we are. I don’t know how you came down here. You surprised me. When I beheld you in your numbers, colourfully turned out, including two Oloris, I was taken aback. The Oba of my town, Owo , sent his staff of office here. So, he is here.
“They said I chattered a plane to fly you down. I thank God that you arrived safely. If you see the plane, fly back safely. People must talk.
“I chattered no plane. Nobody chattered any plane. You came by road. As you go back, may God go with you, and protect you.”
Also, present at the funeral service which was conducted by the Bishop of Egbu Diocese, Anglican Communion, His Lordship, the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Okorafor, were Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, described by Akeredolu as his Soulmate, the host governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, described by him, rightly, as his in-law, and a representative of the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai
