By Anayo Okoli

SENATOR Joy Ifeyinwa Emodi is among illustrious Nigerians nominated recently by the Federal Government for the award of Commander of Order of the Niger [CON] .

An seasoned educationist, lawyer, lawmaker, grassroots politician and renowned philanthropist, Senator (Dr.) Joy Ifeyinwa Emodi was born in Onitsha, Anambra State, on May 23, 1955. She had her early education at Holy Rosary Primary School, Queen of the Rosary College, all in Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra state.

She proceeded to the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography Education in 1979 and a Bachelor of Law in 1985. Senator Joy Emodi was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, after graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island Lagos.

Presently the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, and a two term Senator, Emodi has the rare privilege and honour of being the first Igbo woman to be elected a Senator in South Eastern Nigeria and the first female Senator to be re-elected to a second term in the Nigerian Senate. Her outstanding performance in the Senate made her a household name in virtually all parts of country.

Her chairmanship the Education Committee of the Senate was outstanding as she ensured peace and development of the sector. She worked very hard in that committee because of her firm believe in education as the only means of liberating people from the throngs of poverty.

Senator Joy Emodi’s passion to be an agent of change prompted her to venture into the murky waters of Nigerian Politics during the Transition to Civil Rule programme of the Abacha Administration, when she almost became the Governor of Anambra state under the Congress for National Consensus (CNC) before that experiment was failed. Earlier in 1994, she contested and won election to the 1994/95 National Constitutional Conference.

In addition to many political party offices she held which included National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Chairman of the defunct CNC, Emodi has represented the Federal Government of Nigeria at several fora such as the World Women Conference in Beijing China (1995), the Third African-American Summit in Senegal (1995).

She also led the National Assembly Study Mission to the US Congress in 2006 and was a member of the National Assembly Delegations to several International Organizations, Conferences and workshops including the 2008 Meeting of the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association [CPA] Conference in London, UK, 115th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (2006) in Geneva Switzerland, Seventh and Eighth Workshops of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians at Wroxton College Oxford shire, UK [2006 and 2008], ECOWAS Parliament [2006 – 2010], ECOWAS Parliament Election Observer Mission to Sierra Leone [2007], 2008 International Leaders Forum (ILF) and US Democratic Party National Convention in Denver, Colorado USA.

She also led a delegation of the Senate Committee on Education on a Study Visit to the Cuban Parliament in April 2008.

Emodi’s charismatic leadership qualities and fight for the cause of women and widows were one of the reasons the USAID Mission Director described her as “one of the most dynamic and influential women in Nigeria today” in an interactive session with former US First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush during her visit to Nigeria in February 2006.

In the Senate where she was a member of 12 Standing Committee, including education which she chaired, Emodi sponsored some Bills and also helped to push through a number of policy reviews for the education sector, an achievement that made Professor Michael Omolewa, the former Permanent Delegate/Ambassador of Nigeria to UNESCO describe her as “radiating the passion and genuine commitment to pushing forward the education agenda for development”, and in recognition of all these UNESCO made her its Focal Person in Nigerian Parliament.

And for love of her constituency, Anambra North Senatorial District, Emodi attracted many development projects some of which were rehabilitation and strengthening of Niger Bridge; award of a BOT Contract for revitalization of the Onitsha Port Project; re-positioning of agricultural areas in the zone to align them with Anambra/Imo River Basin Authority for better yields.

Portable Water and Rural Roads; State-of-the-art ICT Centre for Federal Government Girls College Onitsha; Free Eye Screening and treatment including provision of glasses for 5000 constituents; Annual charity programme for orphans, disabled persons, widows and less privileged ,Water Borehole Projects in many Communities in her Constituency; Primary Healthcare Centre at Umuerum in Ayamelum LGA, among others.

Her poverty alleviation programmes included Micro credit Grants to Widows and youths; Scholarship award to youths for secondary and tertiary education as well as for ICT and other skill acquisition.

In recognition of her outstanding performance in her various endeavours, Emodi has received several academic, social awards and traditional titles, among which doctor of law [Honoris Causa] award by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and Abuja University and Fellowship award by three Federal Polytechnics in Oko, Anambra state, Unwana in Ebonyi state and Auchi, Edo state.

She was also recognized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (N.A.N.S) as the Female Senator of the Year 2005; Community Service Award by the Rotary Club of Onitsha; Award for Excellence” by the Rotary Club of Enugu; Award of Excellence by Rotary Club of Abuja, District 9130 [2009]; Indomitable Woman of the Year Award by the Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment (W.A.E.L.E) and Catholic Women Organization Award in recognition of her benevolent and humane role of champion for the liberation of the women of Anambra State as well as African Female Politician of the Year 2006 and Nobles International Award of the West African Nobles Forum conferred by the West African International Magazine.

Senator Joy Emodi also holds the traditional titles of Ada-Di-Ora-Mma Anaocha, Ada-Eji-Eje-Mba Aguleri, Kpakpando of Urum, Ada-Igbo-Gburu-Gburu of Umuchu amongst others, and she is married to Dr. Okey Emodi and they have four Children, two boys and two girls. She is also a proud grandmother of two.