Chris Anyanwa

Christiana "Chris" Anyanwu (wey dem bon for 28 October 1951) na Naija jonalist, poblisha, raita, an politishian. Dem put am for prison fom 1995 go rish 1998 bikoz shi repot one coup wey no wok against di govmet of Sani Abacha. Di govmet akuse am sey shi kommit treason, but during di taime wey shi dey prison, shi win many international journalism awods, including di UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

E bi lik sey shi bliv sey if shi enter politis, shi go fit du pas wetin shi dey do as journalist. Na wai shi contest for election, an for 2007 dem vote am as Senator for Imo East (Owerri) constituency.

How shi tek wok

Chris Anyanwu kom fom Mbaise for Imo State. Shi go Owerri Girls Secondary School bifor shi waka go America. For dia, shi get bachelor’s digre for journalism fom di University of Missouri, plus master’s digre for Mass Communication fom Florida State University.

As shi finish school, shi kom Nigeria bak kom wok for NTA an Imo Broadcasting Corporation as niuz reader an reporter. For 1987, di govnor of Imo State dat taime, Amadi Ikwechegh, giv am wok as Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports, Culture an Social Welfare. Leta, after shi finish di commissioner wok, shi stat ha own magazine wey dem kol The Sunday Magazine (TSM). Di magazine dey tok abaut politika matas.

Di taim wey shi go prison

For May 1995, govmet arrest Anyanwu bikos of one tori wey shi rait abaut one coup against Sani Abacha. Shi no gree sopot Abacha for president, so di militiri govmet tok sey shi dey hep pipu wey kommit treason. Dem judge di case for secret an for 4 July 1995, di militiri court sentence am to laife imprisonment. Leta, afta human rights pipu tok put, dem charj di sentence to 15 years for October 1995.

Dem kari am go Gombe prison, an for dia, shi nearly lose her eye bikos dem no gree giv am medical treatment. Doctors tok sey if dem no treat am, shi fit lose her sight completely. Even as shi dey prison, di wod no forget ha. For 1995, shi win di Courage in Journalism Award fom International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF). Na for solitary confinement dem dey kip ha, but shi hear sey pipu for America dey giv ha awod, an e giv am hope. Shi tok sey:

• E mean sey pipu sabi wetin I dey go through, e giv me strength mek I no give up.

For 1997, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) giv am International Press Freedom Award. For May 1998, shi win UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, but bikos shi dey prison, Wole Soyinka kolet di awod for ha.

How dem rilis am

For June 1998, afta Abacha die an afta meni pipu protest sey dem must free am, di new militiri leader General Abdulsalami Abubakar riliz Anyanwu bikos of ha health. Shi travu go Virginia, USA for two years, an na for dia shi rait ha buk "Days of Terror", wey tok abaut di sofa wey Nigeria fez onda militiri rul. As shi kom bak to Nigeria, shi tok abaut di tins wey shi pas through for prison. One of di prison guards beg am, and shi forgiv am. For 2001, dem stat one TV version of ha old magazine TSM Show. For 2005, shi opun ha own radio station, Hot 98.3 FM for Abuja. For 2003, PBS Frontline feature am for one documentary wey dem kol Nigeria: The Road North.

How shi Enta Politis

For 2007 Nigerian General Elections, Anyanwu contest for Senate under People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and shi win as Senator for Owerri Zone, Imo State. She tok sey: > "I no just wan dey write about problems, I wan join to solve dem. I don repot govemenmt mata, politis, oil, an diplomacy for years, so I sabi how governance sopose bi." For Senate, dem put am inside meni kommittees lik:

• Women and Youth
• State & Local Government
• Millennium Development Goals
• Health
• Environment
• Defence & Army

For May 2009, ThisDay Newspaper tok sey shi sponsor bills for Occupational Health an Safety an to stop discrimination against Nigerians. Shi also sponsor seven motions and dey tok wel wel for Senate meetings. For April 2011 elections, shi contest again onda All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) an shi win. But PDP tok sey dem go challenge di result bikos dem say violence hapun for di election.

Parsonal life

Anyanwu mari Casmir Anyanwu an dem get two pikin – one girl, Ihuoma, an one boy, Nduwueze. Both of dem dey liv for USA. Shi be strong Christian an shi no dey hide her faith.