Former Cross River South senator Florence Ita-Giwa has said she entered politics to have a voice rather than to pursue a political career.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, Mrs. Ita-Giwa reflected on her early life and experiences that shaped her decision to join politics.
“I joined politics for a voice and not to be a politician. I doubt 10 women have gone through what I’ve faced. When they talk about being young, I’ve always felt I’m aging well. I’ve never been young,” she said.
Ita-Giwa, who represented Cross River South Senatorial District in the Senate from 1999 to 2003, said her childhood was marked by political unrest.
She recalled that her mother, a journalist involved in Igbo politics, was arrested several times.
“I saw my mother, a journalist, arrested multiple times. She was into Igbo politics. During the war, we were in Biafra. She made us Biafrans,” she said.
The Nigerian civil war lasted from 1967 to 1970 following the declaration of Biafra in parts of the South-East and South-South regions.
She also spoke about her late husband Dele Giwa, whom she described as a journalist who left his career in the United States to return to Nigeria.
“I met a journalist who left a promising career in America to contribute here. He married me, but despite living separately, I had the worst experience of my life seeing his shattered body in the mortuary,” she said.
Florence Ita-Giwa recently marked her 80th birthday. Beyond her time in the Senate, she has held other public roles and has been involved in advocacy on issues affecting women and the Niger Delta.
