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The First Lady of Cross River State, Her Excellency Obioma Liyel-Imoke is described by many as a ‘Woman of the People with a Good Heart’. She is the wife of the Cross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke who completes his successful 8-year tenure in 2015. Trained as a lawyer, 51-year-old Obioma was born on 3rd January 1963 in Lagos to Dr. and Mrs. Thaddeus Ezi-Ashi, and she grew up in Enugu State. Her father’s the first anesthesiologist in Nigeria and her mother, Mrs Grace Ifem Ezi-Ashi, a nurse – her parents both hail from Illah in Oshimili Local Government Area of Delta State.
Her Excellency Obioma Liyel-Imoke had her primary education at Girls High School, Nsukka, and then moved to Federal Government College, Enugu where she studied up to ‘A’ Levels. She then proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she studied Law. Interestingly, it was while in secondary school she met her husband. In an interview she granted sometime back, recounting how their paths crossed, Her Excellency Obioma Liyel-Imoke said, “I was in Federal Government College when I met my husband and we started dating. That’s my life. Pretty regular. I graduated in 1980, and I met my husband in 1975″.
What attracted the beautiful Obioma to the charming Liyel? She further added, “The physical attraction was that he was tall and dark. His selling point was that he was very tall. He was one person that was taller than me in school. He was very soft-spoken and very calm. He reminded me a lot about my dad because he did not speak much, but listened most of the time and he is still like that. He carried himself very well too! He had this way of looking at me…like this silly little girl, I can expect anything coming from you.
“He told me this story of how he was going to marry me when he’s 30 and I am 28 years, by then he would have become the president of Nigeria. You know, that was exactly what happened, except that he was in the senate by then, he was one of the youngest senators.Can you imagine him, asking me to wait at 12 years till am 28 years to marry him.Well, he went abroad soon after to school, and that was very, very interesting.”
How did she cope with the long distance relationship when her then boyfriend had to travel abroad, to which she adds: “If you are interested in long distance relationship you should talk to me about it. My husband made our relationship interesting; he would record his voice and send it to me in school. My friends and I would listen to it and giggle and I would also do the same thing and send to him. He did the most interesting things.”
Since the celebrity couple met when they were relatively young, was Liyel her first boyfriend? Here’s her response, “Yes, he was my first boyfriend. When we have issues, I would break up with him, but then I would always end up going back to him. It was fun! I think we were one of those lucky people who found their soulmates early in life, and just knew it. I always said ‘if I don’t marry him, then I’ll never marry another.”
On how she manages her family life, and tight schedule as First Lady,”It’s the grace of God, you can’t do it without God. Just learn to prioritise. I ensure I see my kids before they go to bed as long as I’m in Calabar. I also plan ahead so that I am able to work better. My family life is great. You are on the go from morning to night. There are times when you are so really tired but you can’t stop because there is so much to do.
“For my husband, it’s a bit more difficult. He works longer hours. The little time he has at home, he spends with the girls before they go to bed. Sometimes I have to hijack my husband from the office. If you leave him, he will go to the office, come back home late and go straight to bed. But I create time for us.” Describing her husband, “He is a good man and allows me express myself. He is quiet but a very deep person, and he is also a planner. I have been married to him for 19 years and he is very kind. We dated for 18 years and he’s more of a friend and father to me.”
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