Florence Ita Giwa

Florence Ita Giwa (born 19 February, 1946) is a Nigerian politician, who was the Senator for the Cross River South Senatorial District of Cross River State.

She attended the Kilburn Polytechnic in London, United Kingdom.[1] She became a nurse, then a representative for the Beecham pharmaceutical company, and then moved to Standall Pharmaceutical where she represented Lagos State.[2] She married Dele Giwa, the founding editor of Newswatch magazine.[1] They were married for only ten months, after which Dele Giwa married Olufunmi Olaniyan, who was married to him until his death in 1986.[3]

Ita-Giwa joined politics and emerged as NRC chairman for Delta State. Thereafter, she was elected a member of the federal House of Representatives (1992–93),[4] and was a member of the committee on devolution of power constituent assembly 1994–95.[1] She became involved in Bakassi affairs, and earned the nickname "Mama Bakassi".[2] Ita-Giwa was elected Senator for the Cross River South constituency in April 1999 and was appointed to committees on Rules and Procedures, Environment, Foreign Affairs, Women, Niger Delta and Drug & Narcotics.[5].

After leaving the senate in 2003, she joined the People's Democratic Party PDP, and became President Olusegun Obasanjo's Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters.[3] In May 2010, there were rumors that funds were missing from the account of the Bakassi Resettlement Committee, chaired by Ita-Giwa, who asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the matter.[6]

Ita Giwa has worked against human trafficking and sex slavery.[7]

She has received the OON (Officer of the Order of the Niger) and The Sun Lifetime Achievement Award.[8]