Ambassador Juliet Anaeme popularly known as Ada Ozubulu, has spoken about being proud of her heritage in the Igbo Land. She made this statement at Abuja when Greater Igbo Forum conferred on her Ada Eji Eje Mba.  She also speaks of her humanitarian services   and other matters. Excerpts;

May we know you officially?

I am Amb. Juliet Anaeme, Ada Ozubulu.

Q: How do you feel about being honored by the Greater Igbo Forum?

A: I want to thank you for honoring me. It is said that to whom much is given, much is expected.

What you told me today is to work harder. And that what I am doing is good to you. And that you will support me in discussing how our people will be highly successful.

I thank you for honoring me. And I assure you people that this is just the beginning. We will keep working hard until Ndigbo will take their rightful position. In the whole world, Igbos are the people everybody wants to emulate.

Ndigbo work hard everywhere they are. It is said that anywhere you did not see an Igbo person; you will know that there is nothing in that place. The place is a bad place.

So there is the need that we will join hands to see that we project the things that Ndigbo are known for, so that it will stand on the top. To be representing the Igbos anywhere we go.

I have been trying  my best. I have travelled to so many countries in the world and wherever I go, I try to be so proud.

I try to be proud of being an Igbo woman. I could remember the day I went to Mozambique, they saw my passport and they started murmuring. They were speaking in Portuguese and I could not understand what they were saying.

Not until one lady came to me, lady, can I please have a look at your passport? I showed her my passport. She said, Oh, Nigeria. What is good about Nigeria? These people have been saying some silly things about your country. They said that you people are dubious; That you are full of cheats.

I said well, it is not everybody. There are bad people all over the world, and they could come from any country.

In Nigeria we have good people and bad people like every other place all over the world. And I got so angry and I started attacking the immigration. And at the end of the day my happiness was that they apologized.

So please, I appreciate you people for honoring me and I promise you that we will work harder and harder to see that we bring Igbo people together.

What is disturbing us is the lack of synergy. If there is synergy among Igbo people, Igbo will be good. Igbo is a great nation. So thank you once more.

My women leader, I thank you, it has been a friendship shared. We have been talking, we have been deliberating on this, and I can assure you that I am with you. I am with every other person that works for the success of Igbo people.

Even for me today, this is not just an award. It is a commitment. You have just committed me to this project.

Not that I have not been committed but I am more committed than ever. So I promise you and I can assure you that come rain, come sun shine, Igbo people and the liberation of Igbos from marginalization and other forms of maltreatment is our agenda and we will work harder until we achieve it.

So thank you very much. I have accepted to work with you. Bear in mind that you will have my support come rain, come sun shine.

Whatever be the case, whatever is the issue, don’t hesitate to call on me. I promise you that I will forever stand by you, Greater Igbo Forum to make sure that our dream, our plan is actualized.

Thank you so much for coming and I will not forget to tender an apology, for you people invited me for that programme you had but it was quite unfortunate that it was during the campaign. We were so busy. Campaigning, I couldn’t honour the invitation. But that does not mean that I despised you people. It was because of my busy and tight schedule. But I promise you that whenever you have any event, and you invite me wherever it is, even if it is in Kafanchan, I will make sure I honor it. I apologize for not attending. Once more I thank you and I appreciate you.

Q: Lets know your activities to humanity so we can let the public into it.

A: Well, my activities have been more humanitarian works toward the youth and women, because I believe that women, as we call them, are the weaker vessel, but women contribute a lot to the economic development of every civilized country.

So I believe that if we are able to get our women and put them together, if we are able to set them up, I believe that Ndigbo will have a better position in Nigeria.

Women first. About fifty something percent of Nigeria electorates are women, so that is why I concentrate more on women and youths. Youths are the people I have been so passionate about. So most of the things I do, I work with women and youths.

Q: Can you mention some of the activities you extended to them?

A: I have engaged them in seminars; I have done a lot of empowerment, especially for women and widows. In fact, this coming December I am planning another bigger empowerment for women and youth. I have engaged the youths, trying to educate them on the importance of building a better society. I try to engage the youth. I try to build their hope. I try to let the youth understand it is their time. Days are gone when they tell us that youth are the leaders of tomorrow. As I move around, I tell the youth that you people are no longer the leaders of tomorrow but leaders of now. So there is the need for you to sit up, take up the responsibility. Be as responsible as you can and make sure that you contribute to the success of your society.

So that is what we have been doing. It is more of a humanitarian jobs. It is not easy but God is on our side. And it has been that easy for us, even when it is not easy.

Q: Thank you for your time.

A: You’re welcome.