Mary Odili saved my political career, says Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that Justice Mary Odili saved his political career in 2004, vowing to remain grateful to her.

Wike made the disclosure, yesterday, at the 70th birthday and retirement thanksgiving mass of Mary Odili as Justice of the Supreme Court at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) in Port Harcourt.

According to Wike, in 2004 he cried to Odili after he got the hint that his name was excluded from those cleared to contest either as first term or second term chairmen of local councils in the state and Odili listened to him and took the complaint to her husband, Dr. Peter Odili, who was the governor of Rivers State then.

Wike explained that the manner Justice Mary Odili presented the matter got her husband acting on it immediately.

A statement by the Special Assistant to the governor on media, Mr. Kelvin Ebiri, said Wike cited a vital lesson of life he learnt from Justice Odili as the determination to build the capacity to be successful in one’s career while not ignoring giving requisite attention to the family.

He said: “I have seen somebody who is very compassionate and very caring. The moment you’re around her husband, she takes care of you. She sees you as her husband’s person and so she will always relate with you. Some of us are direct beneficiaries of the care through our relationship with the husband.”

In his homily, the chaplain of the Chaplaincy at CIWA, Very Rev. Monsignor Pius Kii, emphasised that living a life of love demonstrates faithful discipleship, obedience to God and secures daily victory in life’s endeavours.

Mary 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.

According to her, she and her husband have many things to always thank God for and will remain grateful to him because he gave them countless triumphs despite the challenges that they have encountered.

“The good Lord knows that Peter and I don’t know how to properly thank God. Our journey in life has been such that the good Lord has always been there. There have seen challenges no doubt because the good Lord did not promise us that we will not have challenges, tribulations or difficulties. But the good Lord has always stood by us and made us prevail in all those trials and tribulations,” she said.