By Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

As the 2023 Governorship election draws nearer, women organizations including youth groups, yesterday in their number called on a philanthropist and business Mogul, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii to join the Governorship race in the State.

They expressed hope that if Odii wins the 2023 Governorship election in Ebonyi, the people of the State would benefit from his enormous human capital development initiatives, which are capable of improving the living standard of Ebonyi people.

One of the representatives of the groups, Princess Ogbonnaya Ogbudu of Ebonyi Women’s League said they decided to pay a solidarity visit to Chief Odii in his country home of Onicha Local Government Area of the State, to encourage him to join the guber race as the downtrodden and economically disadvantaged persons in the State would benefit from his administration, if he wins the contest.

Responding to their call, weekend, the member of the Governing Council of Lagos State University, LASU, who appreciated the group for their visit, stated that he would consult widely before deciding on whether to join the guber race or not.

In his words: “I will go back and consult God the more, consult the youths, consult the women and the leaders of the State and we will meet again. Go back home and you will hear from me very soon.

“Of course, it’s a call of the people. A call from the women knowing who they are in the society. Honestly, I came back home for the conferment of a Chieftaincy title. And since I came back, group after group has been coming. About seven groups have come even yesterday they came

“More other groups are coming and for me is to take this development to the leaders and elders of the State to consult with them. You know what it is when many voices are clamouring for one thing.

“You know me as someone that believes in giving succour to humanity. And that is what I represent and that is the reason, wherever I go, you hear Anyichuks.

“When I move, crowd gather around me. It’s because people don’t want to suffer. I represent to remove stress and pain from human beings. Of course, you know we do shelter giving. We give support to families and schools. We do succour upliftment. I stand by human capital development, which I have demonstrated over the years.

“It’s not by politicking or whatever. In the last 17 years, I can count the number of people that have actually enjoyed our free scholarship schemes. I can count the number of houses we have built for the indigent; count the number of those we have given start-up funds to start up their businesses.

“I think because of these modest achievements of ours, people believe that when we come into Government I will be able to have enough resources to take care of everybody.”