One of the few personalities who are worried over the gradual demise of family values in the society today is the wife of the Anambra State governor, Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano.

She is so worried about it that she has decided to carry the campaign for the restoration of family values to the homes via the churches, any religious or social gathering in the state.

In a recent outing at the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry Uke, Idemili North Local Government Area, during the 2015 Women Convention, Mrs Obiano laid bare her private family matters to drive home her burden for the revival of family values, especially in Igboland.

Addressing the women she said: “I have no doubt that we are all witnesses to this gradual, but steady loss of values. The erosion of values is evident in the manner in which our people assimilate tendencies and behaviours that were once considered unacceptable in our communities.

“I admit that I have no superior insight into the cause of this malaise, but experience has shown that quite a number of factors are behind it. Among these are poor parental upbringing, the negative influence of the mass media and now the social media, and peer pressure among others. Teach your children what they should know to help them avoid wrong influences.”

She, therefore, tasked women to sustain family values through their actions and prayers and to ensure there was no communication gap between them and their husbands in other to fulfill their role as mothers in society.

To sustain family values, she noted, rests on the ability to hold the household together with love and prayers, instilling  fear of God in the children and helping people in need in other to attract blessings from God.

Sharing her personal experiences, she said: “Today, I may be the wife of the governor, but it is important to let you know that we started small. Sometimes the family income may put undue pressure on the husband and wife and that is when a woman must persevere in prayers.

“Many years ago I asked God with hope and prayers to give me my husband and not a husband.  My husband’s income was not enough, but I started selling thyme and curry to augment what my husband is making. Eventually, I got work with NNPC which I did for 19 years, and my husband also got a job in the bank. We were then able to buy a second-hand car and following my husband’s promotion as manager, he got a car.

I also ensured that my job gave me time to play my role as mother. I can tell you that as long as you do what is right that pleases God, you will be blessed.”

Reflecting on the prevailing economic crisis which has put many states in hard times leading to massive unemployment, Mrs Obiano noted that Anambra State was on the right path with her husband’s commitment to develop the state, beginning with achievement in the security of lives and property, building of roads across the state and flyovers at Awka, as well as regular payment of salaries and welfare of workers and the citizens among other programmes aimed at sustaining good governance and service to the Anambra people.

She noted that on her part, apart from managing her household, she was engaged in numerous charity and empowerment programmes through her pet project, the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ).

Stressing that her NGO believes in the philosophy of teaching people how to fish rather than offering them fish, the governor’s wife enumerated some of the activities which underscored her passion and commitment to uplift the dispossessed and the disadvantaged, especially indigent widows.

These, she said, include: “Empowerment of 945 skilled and 567 unskilled persons with equipment such as blenders, hair dryers and garri processing machines, distribution of free artificial limbs to over 600 physically challenged persons; and sponsorship of over 500 women to skills acquisition training in hair dressing, tailoring and fashion designing, soap making and confectionary.”

To reduce mortality at birth, the First Lady disclosed that CAFÉ trains rural health workers and midwives who are given fabricated motorbikes with baby cots, with cellular phones to reach women and manage child delivery in emergency situations.

She confirmed that the NGO has treated 150 children with cleft lip and cleft palate deformities, through free surgeries performed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi.

In the same vein they have rescued 80 mentally challenged people, and treated and discharged 32 men and women of which 28 are from other states.

Mrs Obiano commended the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry for the spiritual exercise and for providing a platform for children of God to reclaim their lives.

The Spiritual Director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Rev Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, (a.k.a. Ebube Muonso) had earlier thanked Mrs Obiano for coming to worship at the centre and inspiring the women with her experience.

He charged the women to imbibe the virtue of tolerance and gratitude to God, assuring that they would continue to pray for the governor and his wife so that they would continue to serve the people with the fear of God.