I can’t remain single for the rest of my life, Ita-Giwa says @70

Just like the popular cliche, “there’s no honour for a king who’s without a wife,” Senator Princess Florence Ita-Giwa, former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters to former ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo appreciates the role or importance of a man in a woman’s even as she joined the league of septuagenarians with her look belying her age.

For friends, relations, and well wishers, it was a time to pomp champagne and celebrate Mama Bakassi, as she is fondly called. From Cross Rivers State, her state of origin, Abuja, Lagos State and outside the country, individuals and various  groups,  before the day of  the celebration, organised series of activities to mark her birthday.

The elated Senator said on her 70th birthday: “I am looking for the age called 70 but I just can’t find it. I look even  stronger than I was when I celebrated 60 years.I feel very fulfilled and I give glory to God that I am celebrating 70 and by the grace of God in good health, both physically and mentally and I feel very settled in my mind. The most interesting thing is that I am very certain that I am in the right place that I should be. I feel very fulfilled with my family, with my work, with my charity and the position I rose to in my career as a politician is very fulfilling.”

Senator-Florence-Ita-Giwa

But why has mama Bakassi remained unmarried after the death of her husband, Dele Giwa? Here is her response. “I remained single because number one, I live by example. I have brought up children that as soon as they graduated from school, they got married and have their own children.  If your environment is rough, when you change partners, then your children are likely to grow up rough and to change partners and as such I didn’t want to take a risk of changing partners. However, I am a human being, there is need for me to have a relationship but I decided that at one point I have to be sure, I don’t want to say that I didn’t see anybody that was worth it but I am still sifting through so that I don’t ever change partners. At this stage of my life, if ever there will be a partner, that partner would be my partner for life.

Senator Ita-Giwa

“Secondly, I live a very busy life and for most parts of my life in the last 10 years, I have done some very serious things that I didn’t need that distraction, I have to take care of my business, I have to take part in the growth of my business, my work, my service to humanity. I did a lot of things that I was not sure that I could have found  a man that will buy into that vision and again, there is the issue of men feeling intimidated by successful career women and there is no way i would have negotiated my career because I have children. Though, I do not intend to ever  change my name which has become a brand but I am however not guaranteeing that i would remain single. I have amazing friends, and I am socially very busy as well but I have friends that respect me and do not take advantage of that friendship. I have very civilised male friends who do not want to take advantage. so if I want to go for dinner I have friends both Nigerian and non-Nigerians that will take me out, I have friends that will travel with me, we have very excellent and decent relationship. I am celebrating  my 70th birthday because they helped me succeed as a single mother.  They were there for me. However, I cannot guarantee that I would remain single for the rest of my life.”

Although caught up in the joy of her birthday celebration, Mama Bakasi bemoaned the plight of Bakassi people, saying: “It is unfortunate that up till now, the Bakassi people are still refugees in their country. It is unfortunate that up till now, this country has still not settled the Bakassi people and they have become refugees out of no fault of theirs but basically out of a wrong decision, but what is giving me hope today is that the new government is very passionate about the issue of Bakassi. The new governor is vehemently against the trampling of the common man and I have seen a lot of passion in him and I believe that with such passion and enthusiasm, the Bakassi people will be resettled and all the issues will be solved. I believe so and I intend to work closely with him,’’ mama Bakassi assured.