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Tag: Mother Theresa

  • Da-Bessie, our Mother Theresa, is gone

    Today, Friday, January 29, at the serene and sleepy community of Umuobiakwa in Obingwa Local Council of Abia State, dust will go to dust and sand to sand. The boast of life and all that it gives will lead but to the grave.

    Having breathed last on Sunday, November 29, at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Madam Bessie Okezie, mother of the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, will be laid to rest. A fruitful 87 years of life of service to humanity would come to a glorious end. But, unlike the simplicity of her birth and the simplicity of her life, her last day on earth would resound as a carnival. The peaceful community of Umuobiakwa will witness a great disruption, not of an earthquake or physical destruction, not of pandemonium and noise but of pomp and ceremony – the happy celebration of a life well spent!

    Indeed, the form and shape of Da-Bessie’s funeral will stand as a vindication for a life made sublime by compassion and care for others and a life of indelible footprints, not on the sands of time, but in the hearts of men.  For Da-Betsy’s journey, unlike the Shakespeare’s   tale told by an idiot,   was a rich tale  of meaning and significance. A meaning she lived out with her career as a nurse and midwife, a career that became her personality and a personality that became her life – a life that found expression in constant care and compassion for humanity.

    From the lowly trough of life, the journey began at mid-day on May 27, 1928 when she was born into the family of Mr. Mrs  Nwagwu Anaba of Umuafor Village in Obingwa LGA of Abia State.  Her father died in 1944 when she was 16 and her mother took the decision to send her to school which she started  at the age of 17.

    She obtained her primary education from Adventist Primary School Aba and later attended School of Nursing, Adventist Hospital Ile Ife and graduated in 1959. In 1975, she went back to further her education at the School of Midwifery, Methodist hospital, Amachara Umuahia.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu got married to late Ishmael Uleanya Ikpeazu of Umuobiakwa Village, also in Obingwa,  in December, 1961 and this union was blessed with three children; Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (Governor of Abia State), Mrs. Ocheze Edith Ugboaja (A US-based Nurse)  and Barrister Iheanyichukwu Ugonna Ikpeazu.

    As a nurse, Mrs. Ikpeazu worked at Ahoada County Hospital, Ahoada Rivers State, Okpuala Ngwa General Hospital and Nigerian Christian Hospital, Onitcha Ngwa in Aba where she served as the matron until she retired in 1994. During this period, she also served as the Nursing Supervisor for the Motherless Babies Home, Adventist Hospital, Aba

    Mrs. Bessie Ikpeazu as an entrepreneur was the owner and CEO of Ulari Maternity Home/Clinic Umuobiakwa, a clinic where she saved many lives for no charge and delivered thousands of babies for little or no charge. She was a kind, loving, honest and God-fearing woman who loved her God and her fellow humans and lived peacefully with everyone. With her compassionate heart, she touched many lives both within the family, the church, work place and in the community. Through her generosity many orphans, widows, widowers and less privileged children found a home in her home. These many acts of kindness gave her the name “Nne Oha” as her love for people had no boundaries.  She was a prayer warrior, a Deaconess of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and also served as the Women’s Ministry leader for her local church for many years.

    In Umuobiakwa Village, she was a model wife and a role model to other women in the village. She formed the “We We” meeting for Umuobiakwa women which serves a melting pot and an avenue for social acclimatization for many women married into the village.

    Her hobbies in her younger years included knitting, sewing and farming. During her middle age and later years, she dedicated her life to the service of God, prayer ministry and humanitarian work. When her health started failing about 21 years ago and the doctors told her that she was not going to live much longer, she gave away most her possessions to the poor, with the explanation that her children may not remember to give things to this group of people when she was no more. One can say that at this time she began to prepare her life for the journey for eternal life just as Jesus demanded from the rich young ruler.

    Mama Bessie taught, not only her children but everybody who came in contact with her, the value of hard work, honesty, dedication and perseverance. She was indeed the proverbial virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.

     Today, it has been a season of mourning. If to live is to be known, Mama Bessie lived life to its fullest. If to die is to be forgotten, Mama truly will never die, for she shall forever live in the hearts of the many people she touched with her  compassionate hand. We shall remember Da-Bessie for her devotion to her calling and her defence for truth and the public interest.  We will remember her for many things, and significantly as a mother who stood out as a giant amongst women, not just because of the amazing capacity of her heart but more importantly for being  a role model and trail-blazer in the pursuit of educational excellence.  We shall forever celebrate the mother Theresa of our time, a woman who was an epitome of honour, integrity, and selfless service to mankind;  a woman who created her own ceiling and set many records;  a friend who showed the way for others to follow and a woman whose entire life was a total commitment to God and mankind.

    Why do we call her the Mother Theresa of our time? We do so because Da-Bessie personally decided to serve out her career as a missionary nurse and a missionary care giver. She found in her career a veritable platform to share love and care for the disconsolate humanity.

    As we mourn today, we raise our voice in unison to re-echo the immortal question:  death, where is thy sting?  How many scores of years and centuries shall pass before we conquer death and resolve the mystery of the great finality? Da-Bessie fought to live; her family wanted her to live. But, life and death are given unto man. The curtain is drawn and the poor player has strutted and fretted her hours upon the stage. Mama has crossed the twin bridge between the material and the transcendental. On this bridge is an ever busy traffic: some are coming in by birth; some are taking exit by death. Thus, is life and death part of the natural continuum. We all shall die. So let it be that Da-Bessie is gone!

    Goodnight, Da-Bessie. Take heart, mu Governor.

    • Adindu is Chief Press Secretary to the Abia State Governor.
  • Behold ‘Mother Theresa’ of our day

    Behold ‘Mother Theresa’ of our day

    But for the sitting arrangement, the mood of guests and the decorations in the hall, the 50th birthday celebration of the Director-General to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Uwechue-Mbanefo, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos last Sunday would have been mistaken for an art exhibition or auction. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME was there. 

    About 10 large size-mounting boards on each side of the walls accentuate the all-purple coloured blinds. Displayed on them were over 150 paintings ranging from abstract to realism, impressionism, surrealism and landscape. The artworks done by Sally in over two decades were also rendered in small, medium and large size-formats. Complementing the arts were a three-volume coffee-table books on Sally and her daughter, Solange: The portrait of an artist; Life and Work and Introducing Solange-the architect and the photographer that were being presented to the public. Flanking the book stands to the right was a giant birthday cake, which symbolised the essence of the gathering. Banquet Hall, Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos was the venue of the celebration anchored by former newscaster at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Patrick Oke.

    Like an appetizer, guests were treated to large screening of The Sally Mbanefo Foundation vision, testimonials, goodwill messages and felicitations from friends and relations who showered encomiums on the celebrator who many described as kind-hearted and warm mother.

    The evening also provided opportunity for Sally’s close associates especially her brethrens from different Catholic Church Parishes across the country to appreciate and celebrate one of their own.

    Among the guests that attended the celebration included delegations from Holy Cross Cathedral (Catholic Church) Lagos, business mogul Chief Mike Inegbese, Mary Inegbese, Mr. George Uwechue, Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Victor Osibodu, Mr. JK Randle, Otunba Gani Adams, Oscar Onyema, Chief Ekesi, Mr. Wande Akinboboye, ABC Ojiako and Tonye Cole. Others were Atedo Peterside, Nike Akande, Alfred Okumagba, Nkiru Animodu, Mimi Akinkugbe, Joe Obiago, Greg Mbadiwe and Dr. Mrs A. Abakada.

    Rev. Father Anthony Oyeniyi of Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos congratulated Sally on her 50th birthday anniversary saying ‘as you celebrate the gift of life, we ask the Giver of all life to bless you, keep you, guide you, guard you and shield you from all harm and may He multiply your days on the face of the earth. More so, I wish to thank you most sincerely for the great work you have been doing with the youths of Holy Cross Cathedral especially in the area of youth development and empowerment and the regular support you give to indigent students.’

    Proprietor St Paul’s School, Lessel, Oshungo local government area, Benue State, Rev. Father Okoro Onyebuchi Basil recalled that ever since meeting Sally in 2010, she has lifted the burden of running the school away from him. “She has consistently provided for the running of the school on monthly basis. That notwithstanding, she has reached out in many other charitable works that I am involved in. Sally, your power of love is contagious! Your ‘Christ-likeness’ is Eucharistic! Your Christianity is practical! Let me borrow the words of the Psalmist. ‘He wiped away our tears and taken our sorrows away’. You have literarily wiped away our tears and taken away our sorrows. Ride on daughter of Zion! …Mother Theresa of our day! Your lies are rare,” he said.

    To the celebrator, the 50th birthday anniversary is not a merrymaking event per se, but a time to give back to the society, especially putting smiles to the less privileged peoples’ faces. According to Sally, her  birthday celebration is designed to raise funds through art in order to give back to Southwest where she spent about three decades of her amazing career life. This, she said, would be through Youth Education Fund, supports to charities and empowerment programmes.

    “For over eight years in Delta State, we have been lending monthly support to two charities in building Refugee Homes for Widows, Rehabilitation Homes for the Mentaly ill and the empowerment of the youth. On a much smaller scale, we continue to support on a monthly basis eight other institutions and churches with charitable aspirations in Lagos, Abuja and Rivers States…

    “The proceeds from the sales of the books will be used to build schools for vocational skills acquisition for the under-privileged, starting with Lagos State. Subsequently, it is intended that the school will be run from proceeds of the annual auction of my paintings and sculptures,” she said of the foundation’s contributions.

  • Tribute to Mama Akin-Deko at 90

    Tribute to Mama Akin-Deko at 90

    MOTHER Theresa with her heart of gold had helped to decode and define what true love and care stand for. Caring for others was her code of living, and that made her world renown. I see no difference between Mother Theresa and Chief Mrs. Caroline Ebun Akin-Deko, who I fondly call mummy. She literally groomed me, and other children who she did not bear, into adulthood and greatness. A good mother to adore at all times, mama’s heart for love and care is simply legendry.

    Mama is now 90! She has aged gracefully by my conviction. Today comes with an opportunity to reflect on those memorable days and years when I grew up under her tutelage, all along imbued with the discipline, sense of humility, hard work and forthrightness which she imparted into me and other children she nurtured.

    I would have regarded myself as an ingrate on failure to tell the world how this wonderfully blessed woman made me who I am today, just by virtue of being a cousin to my uncle, the late Chief Gabriel Akin-Deko; a politician and diplomat of note. I became a member of Akin-Deko’s family through that link during my growing up days.

    It all started when I left Idanre; my rusty and rocky hometown on January 6, 1970 to the then largest city in West Africa, Ibadan. My mission was to look for a job after earning a Higher School Certificate at Ilesa Grammar School, Osun State. I had obtained the permission from my revered catechist father, the late Mr. Daniel Akinseye Olamiti, for the trip outside home. With that, I could not help imagine getting prosperous one day to be able to support him after retirement and in old age.

    I arrived Ibadan to the warm embrace of an imposing building of my uncle situated by the precinct of the Liberty Stadium. The house bore an inscription; LIBERTY LODGE. Indeed, liberty reigned and ruled in the house.

    I did not meet my uncle when I arrived. He had embarked on one of his numerous official trips abroad. Mummy who I met for the first time that day gave me a warm welcome. The trappings of opulence also overwhelmed me when I stepped into the house, a commanding difference from my family’s rented abode back in Idanre.

    Mummy helped me into the house with my luggage and took me to a room, then occupied by my late cousin Kolawole Akin-Deko. “You will be sharing the room with your cousin,” she blurted immediately. I could not believe my ears. From then on, Kola and I shared the same bed for years! Kola had a look that was quite deceptive. His natural calmness portrayed him as an easygoing person. Far from it! He was the most egregious, outgoing and extroverted person I had ever known. He was strong willed and every bit a radical. A village boy that I was almost learnt how to be a little crook by the endless antics I learnt from Kola on self-effusiveness.

     

    Learning the antics

    An incident I will not forget occurred one Friday, when Kola insisted we must attend a friend’s disco party. We had to sneak out in my uncle’s Mercedes car WD 606 by quietly pushing it out from the garage. We returned home in the wee hour of the day. Then, mummy’s shrilling voice greeted us instantly. We knew we were in soup. Apart from giving us knocks on the head, she tongue lashed us very thoroughly with a punishment of missing two vital meals.

    I discovered later that I was not the only relation who was housed at the Liberty Lodge. There were ten of us from Idanre and Owo. All the same, I seemed to be the only one showered with preferential treatments by mummy’s magnanimity. I ate on the dining table with her biological children, went to church and prayed daily with them. I was fully integrated into Akin-Deko’s family. Mummy taught me table manners, personal hygiene and above all, how to develop oneself for a better future. She built in me confidence to be self-reliant. She was a beautiful woman to behold and she is still today aging gracefully. She held the house firmly. Her words were our command. She ensured strict discipline to the discomfort of some of us not used to strict home regulations.

    Whenever she was out to work, we felt relaxed, but as soon as we heard the hooting of her car, we would all scurry into convenient places so pretentiously that she would commend us for being good children, on arrival. Mummy treated all of us with iron hands which we feel today as most soothing and moulding.

    Now, casting a look back those memorable years gives me a feeling of nostalgia and the importance of parental mentoring to children which I savoured to the fullest from Mummy. It is hard to conclude that she was really not my biological mother, given her approach, and the equal treatments she gave to all the children under her care. I have every reason to be grateful to God for making me to undergo years of tutelage from the Mother Theresa of our time.

    Mama may you continue to live your full life in good health. From your own testimony, you have asked; “Who is this FAVOUR?” FAVOUR is just one of the attributes of the ALL SUFFICIENT GOD who has made today possible and given me the confidence to face all my tomorrow”

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!!!

     

    Olamiti, a respected journalist writes from Abuja

  • NGO lifts the less privileged

    NGO lifts the less privileged

    The Peace Corps of Nigeria is using the occasion of its 15th anniversary to reach the less privileged in the society.

    The group visited the Mother Theresa Orphanage Home in Gwarimpa, Abuja. The home was  presented with food items, toiletries and drinks.

    Amb. Dickson Akoh, National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria said that their visit to the orphanage was to express concern and feelings for the young ones that are being taken care of and also thank the management of the home for the good work of promoting the cause of humanity.

    Akoh added that, “No greater service can be greater than what Mother Theresa Orphanage is doing.

    “We are basically here in solidarity with the young children here and make them know that we also care for them by providing the little we have as a non governmental organisation for their upkeep.”

    He said that the group had chosen the Mother Theresa because it falls within where their national headquarters is located, adding that the various peace corps offices at various state levels paid similar visits to various orphanages within their states because it is a national celebration.

    Aboh used the opportunity to call on the National Assembly to come up with a legislation that will make employment opportunities and admission into tertiary institutions to be reserved for orphans in such homes, so that they can as well enjoy the benefits of being Nigerians like everyone else.

    He further advised other non governmental organisations, ministries especially that of women affairs and social development, including private individuals to do their best for them.

    Ahoh said: “Taking care of them should be a collective responsibility of the society at large and Nigerians need to see it like that. ”

    The founder of Mother Theresa Orphanage,Bolanle Dare, in her remark said: “the only way people can showcase what they are doing to improve humanity is by reaching out to the downtrodden and less privileged in our society, like the Peace Corps has done.”

    She advised other NGOs to emulate them by visiting the children and not just staying back and sending gift items.

    Other activities of anniversary included visits to prisons, a special Jumat prayer at the prayer ground in Gwarimpa and a thanksgiving service at Holy Cross Catholic Church Gwarimpa, where the group thanked God for His goodness.