Mrs Sally Anyadike, fondly known as Witty Sally, is not just a Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Mobilisation, founder of the Sally Charity Foundation, or a US-certified relationship expert; she’s a woman on a mission to rewrite the narrative for widows.
As Coordinator for Widows in Oshimili North, her work goes beyond welfare; it’s about restoring dignity, hope, and a sense of belonging to women society often overlooks. In this interview with The Pointer, she talks about her passion for widows and her foundation’s bold plans to wipe their silent tears.
Can we meet you, ma?
My name is Mrs Sally Anyadike, lovingly known as Witty Sally.
Who is the person behind the name?
Witty Sally is a US-certified relationship and marriage counsellor, coach, and sex therapist. She’s a family woman, a mother, and she has a fantastic husband and lovely children from a good home. Witty is very hardworking, almost a perfectionist, with zero tolerance for pretence.
Witty Sally is the Coordinator for Widows, Oshimili North Local Government. She’s also the Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Mobilisation. So, under all of that, you have Sally Anyadike, but the brand is Witty Sally, who handles issues of relationships, marriage, family, and matters of the heart. She’s an advocate for widows and for victims of sexual and physical abuse.
You wear many hats: politics, philanthropy, and counselling. How do you balance them all?
When you soak yourself in the presence of God, He directs you. Sometimes, I even ask myself, “You try o!” After all the day’s stress, I come home to my husband, who listens. Sally Anyadike is a family, politics, wife, and mother. Witty Sally is the brand, the counsellor, the advocate, the relationship therapist. Together, it’s almost inseparable.
How did all this start, your passion for helping the vulnerable?
That’s another question I’ve never really thought of an answer to. I remember when I was interviewed on Silverbird TV in Lagos; they asked me the same thing, and I wasn’t sure how it started. I’m not a widow, my mother isn’t one, and no one in my family is. Everyone, by God’s grace, still has their husbands alive.
I just believe it’s a calling, a drive, a passion. People’s hearts are wired differently. Mine, I can’t even explain it. It started when I lived in Lagos, through philanthropy, giving to beggars, and helping homeless boys. I remember when I worked at an insurance company, every time I came home, my husband would check me to make sure everything I left with was still with me, that I hadn’t given something away. Because I’d done that before, given out things without thinking. He’d say, “You have to be careful.” But I’d tell him, “What’s sustaining us now is generosity.”
It’s not about wealth or lifestyle, it’s humanity. In Lagos, I used to find where beggars stayed, those buildings where men and women had their separate sections. I would cook, pack food, and go there every Saturday to distribute meals. Since coming to Asaba, I haven’t found such places where all the beggars live together, but I still focus on helping.
When I turned 40, that was when the calling came to focus on widows. I have so much sympathy for the helpless, that’s the essence of mobilisation.
Permit me to call you a political mother to the women of Oshimili North. What do you think is the most important thing they need? When you look at their needs collectively, what stands out the most?
They need consistent care, consistent care, basically. Many of these women believe they’ll only be remembered during campaigns. So, when someone like me comes to tell them, “No, I don’t need you for a campaign; this isn’t a government assignment. I’m just a woman helping humanity,” it changes their mindset.
They’re not hard to please. Give them a bag of rice, and their prayers for you will last five generations! I’m not exaggerating. When you help them, they shower blessings, “Your children will never lack!”, even when you give as little as ₦5,000 or ₦2,000. Some people feel it’s not their business, but when you’re called to serve humanity, you just have to support.
People like us who do this need government support; it makes it easier and more consistent.
You mentioned government support. What has the government done so far for these women?
For widows especially, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has been wonderful. The previous governor, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa started the “Okowa Alert” programme. This new administration continued it as “Sheriff Cares.”
The previous government gave ₦10,000 monthly; this government increased it to ₦15,000. A few months ago, we held a flag-off event where 10,000 widows were gifted. Some even received bulk payments, ₦45,000 for three months at once. It’s ongoing, and people are still receiving payments.
The governor also introduced healthcare schemes for widows and women generally. He’s a governor who listens to women and to the helpless. He’s been fantastic.
You sound very passionate about what you do. Among all the women you’ve helped, which story has touched you the most?
There were so many I met during an outreach last year called Rising Beyond Shadows. It’s a project under the Sally Charity Foundation, which caters to widows and victims of sexual abuse. We held our maiden edition last year, and we’re having the second one on the 18th and 19th of December.
We’ll officially launch the Sally Charity Foundation on the 10th of December. Last year, we supported 15 widows; this year, we’re reaching 100 widows across 10 wards in Oshimili North, Delta State.
Why did you also include marriage and relationship counselling in your endeavours?
Actually, that was the first thing in my portfolio. I’m a career person. From Lagos, I worked in banking, then in insurance. After that, I created a relationship blog—wittysally.com—which won a Top 50 Online Blog Award.
When I launched that blog, the brand Witty Sally came to life. I started getting invited to television and radio stations, churches, and events to speak. That was how it all began.
You’ve handled talk shows, blogs, and countless relationship cases. What’s one recurring issue you’ve observed in marriages, something couples may not even realise?
Infidelity. Cheating. It’s the most recurring issue.
Why do you think that is?
Honestly, I can’t say. But I always tell couples, keep yourself occupied. When you’re busy, you won’t have time to monitor your partner. A housewife’s approach to marriage is different from a banker’s.
A banker leaves home by 6 a.m. and returns by 10 p.m.—there’s no time to start asking, “Who called you? Who didn’t call you?” But someone who stays home all day has that time. So, instead of scrolling through phones and overthinking, be productive. Read books. Further your education. Pursue qualifications.
My mum always told me, “Marriage shouldn’t put your life on hold.” Some women stop living once they marry, but that’s wrong. Your children should be proud of you, your education, and your achievements. Keep developing yourself.
If your husband is caring for you and the children, why stress yourself over unnecessary things? Eventually, even if he strays, he’ll get tired and come home. I say this from experience, 17 years of marriage and counting. It hasn’t been smooth; we’ve had our ups and downs. But I’ve learnt to manage it.
Tell us more about the Sally Charity Foundation. What have been your biggest challenges so far?
The major challenge is finance. The foundation is non-governmental and non-profit, so we’re not in it for money but for humanity, to give back and help people.
The project Rising Beyond Shadows has a motto: Wiping the Silent Tears. It’s about restoring hope and dignity. The fulfilment comes from the smiles, the prayers, and the joy on people’s faces.
Sometimes I go to the market, and women start singing and praying for me. But we have so many ideas that get slowed down because of funds. We hardly find people willing to support. I dream of building an estate for widows, creating decent homes for sexually abused victims, and giving them education and rehabilitation. But funding is the challenge.
If you could influence one policy or mindset regarding widows and vulnerable women, what would it be?
No widow should be abandoned. Every widow has the right to live a full life, like any other woman. Being a widow is not the end of life. It’s just a phase; you must heal, move on, and continue living.
What are some of your goals moving forward?
Rising Beyond Shadows remains one of my biggest projects. The maiden edition was last year; the second will be held this December on the 18th and 19th, where we’ll be feeding 100 widows. Last year we did 15.
Next year, I plan to launch “Jumbo Sales”, a massive charity event where people donate their old household items like TVs, beds, and clothes. We’ll set up two centres, one in the north (Akwukwu-Igbo/Illah area) and one in Ibusa, where widows can come and pick items for free.
Another initiative is Sponsor a Widow, where individuals or organisations can adopt widows or their children, supporting their education or livelihood.
What keeps you going when things get tough?
I don’t even know, because recently, I couldn’t come out early. I just sat on my bed and I called my husband, who prayed for me. Then I felt better. You know, when it gets really overwhelming, I just take a few hours’ break to recoup. When ideas pop up, I write them on my vision board.
About that, there’s a big event I intend to hold next year, which would be like a symposium on Women in Politics. I’ll gather widows, by the grace of God, maybe even 5,000 widows, to be present. The speakers would be successful widows.
The idea is to get successful widows to talk to the widows on the ground, to let them know that being a widow didn’t stop me from getting into politics, becoming a judge of the state and the like.
A long-term plan is to have an estate for widows, The Widows’ Villa. You’re a widow, abandoned, with nowhere to go? In that estate, we’ll have a hospital, a school, a market, everything, basically. Then, in the hospital, a nurse will go round from time to time to check on the widows.
And your message to the women you support?
They know I love them dearly. I tell them all the time not to lose hope. I remember during a meeting with my ten ward coordinators, I told them, “None of you should die!” They all shouted “Amen.”
My prayer was specific because, during one of my birthdays with widows, a coordinator who celebrated with us later suffered a stroke. She was healthy that day, and now she’s bedridden. I still visit her, bring food, and support her. So I keep praying, none should die, none should be sick. They must stay strong; they have a long way to go.
They have so much to think about, children, rent, feeding, school fees, but that shouldn’t make them give up. Who will care for their children if they do?
What’s your message to women who want to make an impact but feel limited?
They should come to the Sally Charity Foundation. We’re here for them. We can work together.
