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Tag: matriarch

  • H. I. D. AWOLOWO 1915 – 2015 ‘Mama died singing, praying’

    H. I. D. AWOLOWO 1915 – 2015 ‘Mama died singing, praying’

    •She was an icon, says Obasanjo

    The Ikenne home of the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Hannah Idowu  Dideolu (HID) Awolowo  surged with heavy traffic of Nigerians yesterday. They were eager to sympathise with the family over the death of Mrs Awolowo.

    Mama Awolowo, wife of the foremost politician and first Premier of Old Western region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, died after a brief meeting with family members.

    The Yeye Oodua of Yorubaland, 99, would have been 100 years old by November 25 this year. Preparation had begun as early as August with many prominent Nigerians, particularly in the Southwest, approached to send in their goodwill messages for collation ahead of the expected centenary birthday.

    Early callers were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Acting Governor of Ogun State, Princess Yetunde Onanuga, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, ex – governor Gbenga Daniel and Secretary to the Ogun State government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa.

    Other sympathisers who visited the Awolowos to condole with them included the state Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, Alhaji Abimbola Awofeso; APC senatorial candidate for Ogun East in the last elections, Mr. Dapo Abiodun; Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Gboyega Isiaka.

    The family said Mama died in the company of her children and also prayed for them as they strategised towards her centenary birthday.

    Her first daughter, Mrs Omotola Oyediran, said her mother spent five minutes with her family, had her routine daily chores – meetings, prayers among others, before she breathed her last by 3:05pm

    “It is with gratitude to God for her remarkable and illustrious life, the entire Awolowo family announce the glorious home calling of our dear Matriarch, Yeye Oodua, Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo on Saturday (yesterday) afternoon.

    “Mama died as gloriously as she lived, she spent the day in the company of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

    “She shared a precious five minutes with them when she went in to pray for them as they met to plan her centenary birthday.

    She died a couple of hours later as she had always wished, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grand children.”

    For Obasanjo, the death of HID is a passing of an Icon, a mother and matriarch of the Yoruba.

    Obasanjo said: “On occasion like this, for all of us in Ogun and Yoruba land nay Nigeria, it is passing of an icon. Normally for us it should be a mixed feelings; mixed feelings because Mama had lived a life most of us would envy.

    “We must thank God because mama has experienced the vicissitudes of life but she died in peace. When I heard, I decided to come because I wanted to be sure. All I was thinking of was the centenary birthday, Mama has been a joy to many, she was  the matriarch of the Yoruba land, faithful and loyal to her husband, supporter and pillar of the family.

    “She was somebody people ran to for advice and counsel and they get the best from her. I pray that God will give the family the courage and wherewithal to bear the challenges of Mama’s death. Each and every one of us must learn a lesson from the good life of Mama and may her soul rest in perfect peace.”

    Also, the Acting Governor, Yetunde Onanuga, said Mama was a role model and mother, describing her demise as a shock since it happened at a time when preparations were progressing towards her 100 years birthday.

    Mrs Onanuga disclosed that the state government would be fully involved in the funeral ceremonies of the late matriarch when it is fixed.

     

  • HID AWOLOWO: PASSAGE OF A MATRIARCH Buhari pays tribute

    HID AWOLOWO: PASSAGE OF A MATRIARCH Buhari pays tribute

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday extended his commiseration to the children, grand children and great grand children of the “Jewel of Inestimable Value” on the death of their famed matriarch, just a few weeks before her 100th birthday.

    Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo died yesterday.

    The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said he joined millions of admirers of her late, revered husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in mourning Chief  Awolowo, “who will be long remembered and celebrated as the famous spouse and pillar of strength of the late nationalist, political leader and sage.”

    The statement added, “President Buhari believes that Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo will always be honoured too for the indelible legacy of very significant, behind-the-scene contributions to communal, state, regional and national development which she has left behind.

    “The president prays that God will comfort Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo’s family, relatives, friends, associates and admirers, and grant them the fortitude to bear her loss.

    “He also prays that the Almighty will receive the late matriarch’s worthy soul and grant her eternal rest from her long, earthly service to her renowned spouse, family, community and country.”

     

     

  • Exit of a matriarch

    Exit of a matriarch

    The remains of the wife of former Daily Times Managing Director Prince Henry Odukomaiya, Madam Rachael Aduke Odukomiya, were laid to rest at the Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens, Lagos, after a funeral service at the Yaba Baptist Church last Friday. NNEKA NWANERI reports.

    After 20 years’ battle with cancer, it was time for Mrs Rachael Aduke Odukomaiya to take her rest. She was celebrated by her children and family members for fighting a good fight. She died on July 9.

    She was 73.

    She was fondly called Aduksbaby.

    For three days, the rites of her passage were held. On Wednesday, last week, there was a recital of reminiscences at her residence off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos. The next day, a wake was held at one of the halls of the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, GRA.

    The ceremonies were rounded off with a funeral service last Friday at the Yaba Baptist Church, where many – young and old– gathered to pay their last respects and bid her a final farewell.

    A motorised hearse with a plate number made of the picture and names of the deceased brought her remains into the church.

    In a sermon, Rev Steve Ogunbade of the First Baptist Church, Idikan, Ibadan, extolled the virtues of the late Mrs Odukomaiya, who “came, lived and conquered.”

    Describing her as a rare gem and great disciplinarian, who was always well dressed, he urged all to see the gathering as a celebration and not for mourning.

    Rev Ogunbade warned all to be conscious of the brevity of life, and see death as a necessary end that will  call any time.

    After the service, a handful of the deceased’s  close relatives moved to the Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens for the interment, while others went to the Habour Point on the Dockyard, Victoria Island for the reception.

    Guests wore orange attires with silver head gears. The children and grandchildren of the deceased were uniformly dressed.

    At the ceremony were Lagos Chief Judge Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade; National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Senior Pastor Trinity House Church Ituah Ighodalo; Past MD/CEO Nigeria Airspace  Agency Nnamdi Udoh; Publisher Vanguard Newspaper Sam Amuka-Pemu; Managing Director Champion Newspaper Mrs Nwadiuto Iheakanwa and Senator Ike Nwachukwu, among others.

  • Celebrating a worthy matriarch at 80

    Celebrating a worthy matriarch at 80

    Love, they say, is blind; this explains why a then 23-year-old Scottish woman, Pamela Holderness, left all the glamour and majesty of her developed, rich country and family nearly six decades ago to join her heartthrob and husband, Otonti Nduka, now Professor Emeritus  in a then local, undeveloped Elegbam, village of Rivers State.

    The lovebirds met and fell in love in a ball dance when Prof. Nduka was studying in the United Kingdom (UK). In 1958, young Pamela later joined him in his hometown in today Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

    It was learnt that as a young husband, Nduka left the UK shortly after his studies to prepare for the arrival of his young wife who was already heavy with their first baby.

    Although she might have been taken aback by the strange environment and living without electricity and other modern facilities, the dutiful wife remained undaunted, determined to brave the situation and stood with her husband. It was said that she never expressed regret decision choice to get married in Africa and to reside in a small local village.

    According to the story, it did not take much time former miss Holderness dropped the European in her, for her new environment. She adopted the lifestyle, culture, language and food of her new home and forged ahead.

    Recalling those days, her husband said like every other young family in Africa and Nigeria in particular, given the extended family system, the family initially was faced with financial difficulties. He said his wife’s resolve to remain with the family in the village until there came a breakthrough was unshaken.

    It was therefore no surprise that Mrs Nduka’s 80th birthday at the family’s Government Reserved Area (GRA) residence in Port Harcourt, recently provided an avenue for her husband, children, in-laws, family members and associates to reminisce  on her 57-year sojourn in Africa and Nduka Family in particular. It was a time for them to pour out deep heart felt accolades, expression of love thanks to the ‘white-wife’ of no regrets.

    For her husband Prof. Oto, as he is fondly called, she is his wife of inestimable value; her children say she is a the biblical virtuous woman, her in-laws (Ndukas) say she is a gift to their family, a uniting force, bridge-builder while her husband’s associates described her as a mother in Isreal.

    “When we came things were very rough, that is the bottom line. Coming to Nigeria and especially having children to begin with; and of course my parents and siblings, having to take care of them. So the challenges were great, but with her help, understanding, we surmounted the difficulty”, Prof Nduka reflected.

    “The children grew up and so on. In fact we had five children, we lost one. My son is abroad, unfortunately he couldn’t come but it was a joy to have a family and my bigger family also supported us, we are together.”

    Using their marriage as a case study, Prof. offered piece of advice to intending and young couples: “My advice to young couples is that the most important thing about marriage is love and understanding between husband and wife through thick and thin, you are together; that has kept us going.”

    For family members, friends and colleagues of Prof Nduka, Pam, as she is fondly called, has become a pillar and a builder, despite being a foreigner.

    Describing her, as a mother, Professor Nsirim Nduka, brother-in-law to the celebrant said, “Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been a classic and a reference love story but ended in tragedy. Oto and Pam’s love story has been a similar classic but has lived on for over 56 years of your 80 years.”

    For Mrs Elizabeth Enebiga, Prof’s younger sister, the love and care she received from her brother and his wife Pamela in her college days remains evergreen in her heart.  “She indeed is a gift to the family. When my brother was going to Enugu for clearance I was sleeping with her in Catering Rest House.

    “She was already married to my brother when my brother was training me in college. Their visits to me in school used to raise questions among my colleagues. They used to wonder how she was allowing my brother to continue to train me, and even pay my school fees before school re-opens.”

    The chairman of the occasion, Prof Turner Timinipre Isoun, former Minister of Science and Technology, who is a close friend of the family, congratulated the celebrant and prayed for longer life for her and her husband.

    Prof. Isoun described age as a liberator, arguing that only the strong lives up to 80 years. “To be old means you have to be strong.”

    The Dean of Niger Wives (Association of white women married in Nigeria), Mrs. Judith Nwanodi, extolled her virtues, recalling how Pam helped her speak Ikwerre fluently and has been an example to other Niger Wives.

    The couple has four surviving children, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and medical doctor.