The Anambra State government has rescued Ms. Tania Ijeoma Okpala, a former US-based tennis champion who was discovered roaming the streets.
The Anambra State Government moved quickly to address Ms. Okpala’s sad condition and provide assistance after she was captured in a video on social media that went viral over the weekend.
The Commissioner of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Ify Obinabo, reported that Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his wife took immediate action after learning of Okpala’s condition.
Mrs. Soludo personally informed Ms. Okpala of the government’s dedication to her well-being in a statement posted on the ministry’s social media website, promising high-quality care and rehabilitation to aid in her recovery and reintegration into society.
Ms. Okpala, who is from Nkpologwu in the Aguata Local Government Area, told the First Lady that, despite being a US-based tennis champion, she became addicted to drugs owing to negative peer influence.
“I am extremely grateful for the Anambra State Government’s prompt responsiveness and support. Their assurance of assistance gives me hope for a better future,” Okpala said.
She described her educational achievements both locally and abroad, exposing the tremendous impact of losing her mother to cancer a few years ago, which she fought to recover from.
Okpala, who has a six-year-old daughter living with her father in Nkpologwu, expressed a strong desire to reunite with her child and requested aid from the governor’s wife in this regard.
“I am determined to overcome my challenges and rebuild my life for the sake of my daughter,” Okpala emphasized in her plea for assistance.
Okpala represented Nigeria in tennis competitions in the 1990s