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Tag: twins

  • I rejected suggestions to marry secret wife —Pastor blessed with twins after 16 years of waiting

    I rejected suggestions to marry secret wife —Pastor blessed with twins after 16 years of waiting

    •Despite long delay, I didn’t lose hope—Wife

    There was animated joy penultimate Sunday in Ikere Ekiti as friends, family members and well-wishers celebrated with a couple, Pastor Michael Sunday Ajala and his wife, Mrs. Helen Folasade Ajala, who were blessed with a set of twins; a boy and a girl.

    Pastor Ajala and his wife, Folasade, were joined in holy wedlock on August 18, 2001, at Emure- Ekiti, but their hope for early childbearing was dashed after the woman suffered stillbirth at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife in Osun State, a few months after their marriage was consummated. Doctors at the hospital attributed the loss of the baby to a cardiac arrest Folasade suffered during pregnancy.

    It was a long wait for Folasade, as efforts to procure another pregnancy proved abortive even as the couple was subjected to medical tests and visited gynaecologists in various hospitals amid fasting and prayer. The couple’s prayers were eventually answered in July 2016 when Folasade began to see signs of pregnancy.

    Medical tests later confirmed that the she was pregnant and their joy knew no bounds. Nine months later, precisely April 2, 2017, Folasade was delivered of a set of twins (a boy and a girl). The news of the birth spread round Ikere Ekiti like a wild fire in the harmattan.

    The home of the couple located in Oke-Igbe area of Ikere Ekiti was filled to capacity as neighbours, relations, family members, church members and other members of the public trooped there to congratulate them and welcome the new babies. A lavish naming ceremony was held on April 9, at the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), Hephzibah Cathedral, Kajola, Ikere Ekiti, where the couple worship.

    At the ceremony, thousands of well-wishers rejoiced with the long suffering couple. The baby boy was named Philip; Sunday; Taiwo; Temitope; Abimbola; Oluwapamilerin and Ayomide, while the girl was named Delight; Bisola; Kehinde; Iyanuoluwa; Bosede and Modalayo. In his sermon at the ceremony, Ikere District Pastor of the church, Pastor Olumide Fred Akinrotohun, described the birth of the twins as a reward for the faithfulness of the couple in spite of their plight during the long wait. Quoting from the books of Genesis Chapter 30 Verse 1, Psalm 127:3-5 and Psalm 128:1-6, the cleric said nobody can by his own power produce children except God grants him the grace saying worrying and anxiety can’t do it but only faith in God.

    Pastor Akinrotohun said the story of the Ajalas was a testimony that God still answers prayer commending the couple for soldiering on in faith when every hope seemed to have been lost. Giving testimony before the congregation, Pastor Ajala, 52, who hails from Ikere Ekiti, said he felt a sense of relief when God spoke to him on July 31 that He has done it and in a matter of months his wife would put to bed. He said: “The Lord is good, the Lord is wonderful.

    At times, God may delay it to answer you better. We serve a God who turned impossibility to possibility and who reversed the irreversible. “Some people were spreading false rumours about my wife, others gave me suggestions that I should marry another wife which I rejected. I had a strong belief in God that He would do it at the right time.

    “I never allowed the problem of childbearing to show on my face. In fact, some people used to tell me that is the God you are serving not able to do it for you? But I thank God that He has done it today and this has become a reality. “There is no problem too big for God to solve, there is nothing impossible for God to do. This is an evidence of what God can do and this should encourage couples still going through similar problems that God will answer them.

    “God made the delivery of the twins easier for us during this period of economic challenges as God raised people for us who supported us financially. This is a wonder from God and we will continue to praise God for answering us at last. “It has been almost nerve-wracking experience but we thank God that He eventually saw us through because we have been believing in Him for all the 16 years we were expecting.

    And God proved Himself beyond all reasonable doubts.� “We believed in the efficacy of the power of God. We were praying and we believed that God can do all things. We believed in the grace of God, that there is nothing impossible for Him to do.” In an interview with our reporter after the christening service, Ajala who is also a senior officer in the Ekiti State Ministry of Education, said he held on to God and resisted attempts by some individuals to arrange a “secret wife” for him by those who had given up that his wife could bear him a child. He further disclosed that some suggested a visit to witch doctors to unravel the mystery behind the long delay in childbearing and get a solution which he rebuffed because of his faith in the living God. Ajala said:

    “So many people came to me and gave several advice. Some said that I was getting much older to the point of having grey hairs. They urged me to marry another woman. “Some even arranged a secret wife for me but I refused all these overtures because I believed in the promise of God that it would come to reality. Others suggested that I visit herbalists and other spiritualists but I refused because I believed only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believed that there is a living God in our church, the Gospel Faith Mission International that answers prayer. “We are both ministers in the church, by God’s grace and we held on tenaciously to our faith in God.” On his advice for barren couples, Ajala said: “If I were to advise other couple still waiting on God for fruits of the womb, I will simply urge them to be just a little patient. This is because God has a better package for them.

    “He wants to answer their prayers in a better way. They shouldn’t be moved by pressures from both families, friends, relatives and what have you. It is only God who can answer their prayers. “His gifts are perfect and add no sorrow. By the time they wait on God, He would answer them in a bigger way and they will give all glory to Him. “For us to have been able to hold on till this time that God answered us, it has been by God’s grace and our closeness to His word which kept assuring us and the church has really helped us a lot.’’ Giving her testimony before the congregation, Folasade, 46, an indigene of Emure Ekiti, said the birth of the babies had put an end to her long wait for the fruit of the womb and given her a testimony. She said:

    “This is the handiwork of God and it is an evidence that God still answers prayer of those who wait on him. Despite the long delay, I didn’t lose hope and I never gave up believing that one day, my prayers will be answered. “During the period of waiting, some people used to wonder that they never saw me in a sorrowful mood. In fact, somebody asked my mother-in-law that what is wrong with me that whenever they were celebrating occasions, I was the first person that would be there. “The fellow said why am I so swift to celebrate with other people and also assist them to cook food to celebrate ceremonies and what is making me to be happy despite not being a mother yet.

    “But I told my mother-in-law that I have to celebrate with others so that they will celebrate with me. I told her that I must celebrate others so that they can celebrate me as well, that as I go to other people’s occasions, they will come and celebrate my own with me. “I told Mama that the person was reminding God to answer my prayer. That person was spurring God to answer me swiftly and I thank God for answering my prayer; God has done it for me eventually.

    “I want to thank God for giving me in-laws who stood by me throughout the difficult period. They supported me, encouraged me and prayed for me and today, we are all celebrating together. “I want to encourage couples that are still waiting for their children not to lose hope, if God can do it for us, God can also do it for them because children comes from God. They should hold on to God who has the power to turn around their situation for good.”

    Speaking on her challenges during the long wait, Folasade, who is a staff member of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) said: “There were many challenges. One of them and very painful was during December period when I see other mothers buying many gifts for their children for the festivity. “In my place of work, I would see many parents buying gifts for their children. Many would be talking about what they are buying for their children and some would be saying that if one has no child in this world, his journey on earth is in vain. “So, I had heard so many unpalatable things about our condition from friends, colleagues at work and even church members. But I wasn’t discouraged or moved through the grace of God.

    “I wasn’t moved with such mockery and insults because I believed in God’s power, I have been praying and He had assured that He would do it. So, whenever I hear those things, I hold on to God’s promise. “That way, I didn’t entertain so much worry. Fortunately, there were no pressures from my in-laws. They supported us and were praying for us. They are very loving people.’’� Advising women who are still in her former condition, Mrs. Ajala said:

    “For women out there who are still expecting this bundle of joy, they should stick to God, strengthen their faith in Him. “They should therefore depend on God for their own miracle because, from my experience, I have come to know that there is no impossibility with God. Whatever He says He would do, He would surely do it.

    “The year we got married, God assured me that I would never be barren, so when this delay came, I didn’t doubt Him, I held unto His word and kept faith with it.

    “To those who have mocked us, derided us, and given wrong advice to us, we enjoin them to come closer to God and seek to know Him better, because if they had come to the knowledge of Christ, they wouldn’t have done such.”

  • Help for needy twins, others in Anambra

    Help for needy twins, others in Anambra

    Relief has come the way of 14 indigent persons in communities in Anambra State through an organisation, Caring Helpline Foundation.

    The group was founded by a renowned broadcaster with Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Prince Emeka Kalu from Abia state.

    Before now the foundation popularly known in the state as “Careless Whispers” had reached out to over 200 less privileged and physically challenged persons in the society.

    The beneficiaries of the recent benevolence from the organisation  were the seven-year-old twins from Mgbakwu in Awka North Local Government Area of the state.

    A third beneficiary was an accident victim, Mr. Moses Okafor, who broke his neck in a ghastly motor accident about seven years ago and had been bed-ridden without help.

    Also, at one of the hospitals in Awkuzu, the foundation, paid the bills of patients who were detained for their inability to pick up their bills. The unpaid bills amounted to N500,000.

    For Mrs. Josephine Obiefuna, from Uruaro village, Igbariam in Anambra East Council area, her one-bedroom apartment’s rent was paid by the foundation which stopped her from being ejected by the landlord.

    The condition of the seven-year-old twins, Amala and Amaka, was very pathetic, as they had not been able to walk since they were born with an ailment.

    The foundation gave them  N200,000 to enable them acquire the instrument that will aid their movement. The gesture threw the people of the village Amaezike into frenzy.

    Their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benedict Obiekwe Achufuna, who were speechless over the gesture, told The Nation that they had been hearing about the foundation on Radio and their activities and decided to approach the initiator.

    They prayed God to guide and protect the founder and his crew for being the voice of the voiceless, the helper of the helpless and giving people the reason to live again.

    For the accident victim, Mr. Moses Okafor, who required about 97,000 naira to be healed that time said “God will bless you” to the foundation.

    However, speaking with The Nation, the founder of careless whispers, Prince Emeka Kalu, said he was driven into embarking on the gesture because of life experiences.

     

  • Twins remember Mary Slessor 102 years after

    The Mary Slessor Twins Club International in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has pledged to continue to honour and sustain the legacies of the late Scottish Missionary, Mary Slessor.

    Slessor, who was born on December 2, 1848 was a missionary of the Presbyterian faith that came to Nigeria from Scotland to spread Christianity. She was noted for protecting native children and promoting women’s rights, and particularly for stopping the killing of twins among the Efiks of Calabar. She died on January 13, 1915 and was buried in Calabar.

    The association also known as the Twins Foundation visited Slessor’s grave in Mission Hill, Duke Town, in Calabar, for a wreath laying ceremony as part of activities to mark her 102nd memorial.

    Founders and Executive Directors of the Foundation, Twins Ene and Mkpang Cobham, also married to a set of twin sisters, said January 13 was an important day in their lives.

    Mr Ene Cobham who spoke on their behalf said, “It is institutionalized in our calendar of activities that every 13th of January, we come to the Mission Hill where Mary Slessor was buried in Calabar to give honour to her. It is a day of remembrance and a day of celebration. It is something unique that the world celebrates in view of the fact that the quintessential missionary was the one who stopped the killing of twins. So we have every duty, every reason and every cause to celebrate her this special day.

    “In our calendar of activities, 2nd of December which is the day she was born and 13th of January being the day she passed on are two special dates that we visit the hospital to show solidarity with twins born within this period and to thank God for our lives.

    “It was Mary Slessor’s efforts that made it possible for us to be alive today and for the first time in Calabar, my brother and myself are also married a set of twin sisters and we recently had our 10th year anniversary in marriage.”

    We have to support twins and their parents in vocational trainings and other training that would give them livelihood. What is important is for them to have economic value for themselves and the society. We are looking forward to such assistance.

    “The aim of organisation is to bring all the twins together under one umbrella and provide the forum, where twins and other multiple birth can express themselves and with a sense of purpose, through creating opportunities for personal development for the betterment of themselves and the society.”

    Associate Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Hope Waddell Parish, Rev Aniefiok Asuquo Tom, also said, “We are here on a special thanksgiving unto God for the life of a young woman, who chose the call of God Almighty and decided to make herself available to the service of the Lord, all the way from Scotland and came down to Nigeria and in particular, Calabar to preach the gospel of the Almighty God to all.

    “Good enough her presence in Calabar really made an impact in the lives of the twins. It was a taboo before now for twins to be born and the mother of such children were thrown into the evil forest. But she came in and she stopped that mentality. Today the twins are celebrating the good work of the woman.”

    Other activities to mark the 102nd memorial included visiting a set of quintuplets recently born in Calabar and a special thanksgiving service in honour of Mary Slessor at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Hope Waddell Parish, Calabar.

  • Arik Air gives conjoined twins free tickets to New York for surgery

    Arik Air gives conjoined twins free tickets to New York for surgery

    Conjoined twins, Miracle and Testimony Ayeni, are set to leave for New York, United States for surgery. Arik Air has provided return tickets for them.

    A statement yesterday said: “The airline is offering this support in partnership with Linking Hands Foundation, a non-governmental organisation which has secured free medical treatment for the twins at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

    “Arik Air will be sponsoring the twins as the airline’s own little way of not only ensuring that the Ayeni twins get needed medical treatment speedily but also to assist the family in reducing some of the financial burden associated with this trip.

    “The founder of Linking Hands Foundation, Efe Farinre while thanking Arik Air for accepting to fly the twins and their family said Miracle and Testimony Ayeni were born on 16th November, 2015, at St. Patrick Hospital Enugu, to Mr Samuel Olusegun Ayeni and Mrs Mary Abiodun Ayeni, both of Kogi State, Nigeria. The twin girls who are conjoined in the pelvic region were taken to The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu immediately after delivery. They were moved to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on 22nd April and have been under medical supervision.”

    Farinre said: “We are grateful to Arik Air for linking hands with us to give Miracle and Testimony Ayeni the opportunity to have individual lives. Through this invaluable support, Arik Air has given the twins a chance to live and yet again demonstrated leadership in corporate social responsibility.”

    Arik Air’s Chief Commercial Officer, Suraj Sundaram, said: “Arik Air has been committed to the community since its inception having contributed to various charitable activities through a number of events, programs and initiatives. In this instance, our support will enable these twins access to specialized medical care and give them an opportunity to build a healthy and productive future they deserve.”

  • Obozuwa twins unfazed by single status

    It is double the giggles and double the grins for friends and associates of Patricia and Felicia Obozuwa. The profiles of the abundantly blessed set of twins are assuming the dimension of folklore. While Patricia, an accounting graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), works at Procter and Gamble, Felicia, also an OAU alumnus, is a top manager at First City Monument Bank. They both live large and hobnob with the high and mighty.

    The icing on their enticing cake is the fact that Patricia and Felicia are representations of every man’s fantasy. They are endowed with assets that would make any man fall head over heels. They are not only homely and down to earth, they are also stunningly beautiful. Their professional accomplishments portray them as women who are in charge of their lives and on top of their game.

    However, to the consternation of their friends who have held them in awe since their school days where their beauty and brilliance always stood them out, the two sisters are yet to add any suffix to their names. This, we learnt, might not be unconnected with their elitist disposition, which tends to scare the men away.

    But the Obozuwa twins are obviously not daunted, preferring to consolidate on their individual successes and enjoy themselves while their single status lasts.

  • Twins of the creek

    Twins of the creek

    Ehcu Second paces about his office at Walata House. His breathing is more than the usual. He finds himself breathing like that when there is fire on the mountain. Indeed, he is in a mess. So are the two men he is expecting. He calls them twins of the creek because their fates are tied. And chances that they will sink together are more than high.

    Moseyn Ekiw, one of the two men he is expecting, governs Waters State. The other, Modu Luenamme, oversees Abasi State. An hour ago, Ekiw called that they would soon be at Walata House. From the way he sounded, Second had taken it for granted that they would be there in less than 30 minutes. Now, they are nowhere to be found and their phones are not going through. He looks at the bottle of Louis XIII wine on the centre table. The £5,000 wine is there waiting for Ekiw. He does not joke with it.

    “Where on earth are these guys?” he says to himself.

    Last year, he recollects, did not end on a good note. Ekiw and Luenamme had their elections nullified by the Court of Second Instance. He, as interim chairman of the Umbrella Peoples Party (UPP), had his position declared illegal by the court. State and federal legislators in Waters State, where he comes from, also had a bleak December because the Court of Second Instance ordered fresh polls to be conducted in their constituencies.

    “There is really need to evaluate the situation and work out the way forward,” he says out loud, still pacing about the expansive office that he may soon have to vacate depending on the outcome of his appeal.

    Another 30 minutes has since gone and no sign of Ekiw and Luenamme. At this point, he decides to sit. Not on the swivel chair but on the couch in the outer office. The television is on Channel 117. It is 7pm and News Hour soon starts.

    The newscaster reels out the headlines. The last but one catches his attention. It is about the decision of the Central Government to probe electoral violence in Waters State. He shifts in his seat frequently as the president speaks of the imminence of a panel of enquiry on the violence which saw no fewer than 100 people being killed.

    After the regular news, Channel 117 follows with an analysis on the violence in the state. In the documentary, families of victims speak of their pains and urge the Central Government to identify and punish the perpetrators.

    A man identified as Linus Igwe speaks of the violence: “Violence cannot perpetrate itself. Someone must be behind it. So, there is need for us to find out those behind the violence and punish them.  Our state was hell before, during and after the polls. For months, who lack humanity and conscience put our state, on the spot. It was either they were shooting guns or they were throwing bombs. And when they did it, they hid their faces. They acted most times under the cover of the dark and daylight.

    “Aside guns and dynamites, they also used machetes and other dangerous weapons. Heads were broken. Necks were twisted. Arms had hot leads pumped into them. And there was a woman whose back was reshaped with bullets. It was simply a tale of blood.

    “Several opposition supporters were attacked by masked gunmen. The cowards were not bold enough to do it without hiding under face masks. They left many unconscious and in their pool of blood and fled into anonymity to spend the filthy money from their cowardly masters. Journalists were not spared too. But, of all the killings, those of the Dubes were outstanding. Their killers showed no mercy. In one fell swoop, nine persons, including a father, his two sons and daughter were killed. The family members are still in tears and are seeking justice.”

    The News Hour is soon over and still Second is not sure his guests are anywhere close to Walata. His anxiety mounts. And to make matters worse, he simply cannot reach them on phone.

    Five minutes later, his phone rings. The caller is Leunamme.

    “Sorry, the chair, something came up and we had to dash somewhere. We will brief you when we come,” he says and hangs up.

    “What came up?” he would have loved to ask him. The way things stand he has no choice but to wait. Thirty minutes later the waiting game is over. Both men bounce in. Ekiw’s first request is Louis XIII. He sips in and feels his regular urge to say: This is the life!

    Leunamme is the first to talk.

    “The chair, we just left the office of Njamanze…”

    “Who is Njamanze?” Second cuts in.

    Leunamme laughs.

    “Njamanze is the most powerful dibia the modern Igboland has ever produced. He lives in Abuja but people consult him from all over the world. Seeing him is as difficult as seeing Obama. But once you see him, you can almost go to sleep that your problems are over…”

    Ekiw cuts in. His husky voice oozes of alcohol. He has obviously been piling his blood with it all day.

    “Leunamme had hinted me before of this great man. But efforts to reach him had proved abortive. If we had seen him before the tribunal and Court of Second Instance ruled, things would have worked out differently. Our opponents would have been crying now. We got a call as we were about getting here that he was now ready to see us. That was how we just turned and went to see him. We had to switch off our phones while in his court. We also had to wait for our turn because we met some West African leaders there.”

    “So, what did he say?” curious Second asks.

    “We have seven days to meet his conditions and once we do, victory is ours at the apex court. There will be no need for rerun.”

    “What are these conditions?” Second asks as Ekiw sips from his addiction called Louis XIII.

    Leunamme takes over from there.

    “We have to look for a close relative of our opponents and cut their pubic hair. We also have to cut their nails and find a way to get them to forcefully donate a pint of blood. We also need the leg of a lion, the eyes of hyena and the limb of a giraffe. The first part we have to do ourselves but the second part will be sorted out by Njemanze. We just need to pay for his service.”

    “And how much are we talking about?” Second seeks clarification.

    “Just N2b each…” Ekiw says nonchalantly.

    Second’s first impression is to attack these men. He feels they have become gullible and have fallen for a con man. But instead of attacking them, he asks a follow-up question.

    “Did you guys see the West African leaders who came to see Njemanze?”

    “No, they were shielded from prying eyes. An aide to Njemanze just gave us the hint,” Ekiw explains.

    His conviction that these men have fallen to a fraudster ascend a higher pedestal with Ekiw’s explanation. But before he can say anything, Leunamme calls off the strategy session they planned to have.

    “With Njemanze, there is no need for any strategy session again. All we just need to do is to get the materials ready before seven days and all will be well…”

    “Absolutely,” says a tipsy Ekiw.

    And before Second can make them realise their folly, the two men jump up.

    “We need to act fast,” Leunamme says grabbing his phones and cap.

    As they walk out, Second feels sorry for them and sorry for himself. These are the men he thought would help save his post. But with what they have fallen for and not being ready to listen to a second opinion, he realises he is on his own. They appear tired of pretending to serve God, now is mammon’s time. And it is just a matter of time before these twins of the creek will realise their folly and by then, chances that it will be too late are high.

    He shakes his head and decides to call it a day.

     

  • For Mary Slessor, twins invade Calabar

    For Mary Slessor, twins invade Calabar

    The name Mary Slessor is synonymous with the stoppage of the obnoxious culture of killing of twins in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. Hence it really was not out of place as twins from all works of life, under the aegis, Mary Slessor Twins Club International gathered in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, where the Scottish woman first landed the country in 1876, to commemorate her to sustain the legacies she stood for, in a one day memorial symposium.

    Founders of the Club, also known as Twins Foundation, Twin Ene Cobham and Twin Mkpang Cobham, said the symposium is to immortalize the woman and also to appreciate her for all that she did and the magnanimous show of love she showed by stopping the killing of twins.

    They said it also provided the opportunity to gather twins from all works of life from one umbrella where they can express themselves as one mind and a sense of purpose, developing themselves and the society.

    “If not for her coming, what we are experiencing today would not have come to pass. So we appreciate God for bring her to this part of the country and that is why we have this symposium to brainstorm on the way forward, immortalising her by promoting and sustaining her legacies. Her legacies are so enormous. We started the organization in August 23, 2002. We have been moving strongly although not without some challenges, especially financially. We have been working with some government agencies and the private sector and we believe the best is yet to come.

    “Though we have twin organizations all over the country and the world, ours is unique because we are celebrating the woman who stood and sacrificed her life to stop the killing of twins so it is very significant for us to that we honour her,” they said.

    Chairman of the event, Elder Eyo E. Okon, noted that Slessor was a selfless person, lamenting this was a quality that leaders in the country today lacked. He urged that if justice is to be done to the Scottish woman’s memory, then the ideals she stood for should be sustained, even as the twins commemorate her.

    Chief Executive Officer and the secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation in a paper titled the benefits of the Post Mary Slessor Centenary Celebrations to the Socio-Economic Applications: The Twins Perspective, said “the legacy of Mary Slessor must survive for us to build the same platform of the same shared dreams for stakeholders, partners and descendants.”

    “The benefits of investing in the venerated name and legacy of Mary Slessor are awesome. Spiritually, she beckons a stepping-stone for our evangelism, a catalyst for breaking religio-ethnic barriers and a cornerstone of reference in terms of faith, courage and responsibility.

    “Mary Slessor is also a living legacy that brings continuous socio-economic wealth to the church, the catchment states and Nigeria, as she brings all to the realization of man’s ultimate spirit and ability to overcome every conceived spiritual and environmental challenge or obstacle.”

    Also presenting a paper on the Legacies of Mary Slessor in Time and Space, Rev Ubong E. Eyo of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Calabar, said the path of honour is not always trod by those who were born into greatness but by those who irrespective of their birth made positive indelible marks in the lives of people. Such, according to him, could be said of Mary Slessor.

    “The boldness of traversing the jungle of Africa by this Scottish woman need not go uncelebrated. In the dark and thick forest of Africa were different customs which were inimical to the welfare of human society, and Mary Slessor delivered the people from those customs,” he said.

    Among her legacies, he said inhumation, which she fought against human lives accompanying dead kings of chief, stopping the killing of twins, acting as a judge and her mission work of professing the gospel. He noted Slessor was never married as she gave all of her life to helping people.

    He urged that her legacies be sustained at the personal level, the institutional level and also through the fight for gender equality.

    Represented at the event were the Obong of Calabar and the Muri Munene of the Efuts, who urged the Foundation to get bigger and stronger ad whatever should be done on Slessor’s behalf, must be properly done.

    Mary Slessor was born on December 2, 1848, near Aberdeen, Scotland. She was the second of seven siblings. She came from a poor family background and lost her father and four of her siblings at an early age. By 1859 when she was only eleven years, she began part-time work in a weaving mill and by 1862 was working full-time. She later became very active in church activities and in May 1875 offered her services to the Foreign Mission Board. Her heart was set on Calabar, but so eager was she to be accepted that she said she would be willing to go to any other field. Her personality, and the accounts given of her character and work, made such an impression on the officials that they reported favourably to the Board, and she was accepted as a teacher for Calabar. After training in Edinburgh, she set sail in the S.S. Ethiopia on 5 August 1876, and arrived at Old Calabar in West Africa in September of the same year. She died on January 13, 1915.

  • Neighbours recount plight of abandoned mother of triple twins

    Neighbours recount plight of abandoned mother of triple twins

    …Lagos government presents cheque

    It was a long wait yesterday at the Agege, Lagos home of the Uches who hit the limelight last week with the story of their three  sets of twins.

    Family, friends and neighbour gathered at the modest resident at 32, Awori/Morcas Street, Agege, waiting for top government officials who were expected on a visit.

    Ever since the news of Mrs Ruth Uche, the woman whose husband disappeared on learning that they were expecting another set of twins broke,  the home has become a Mecca of sorts.

    As at 11am yesterday when officials of the Lagos State Government visited the area to take Mrs Uche and her children to the Secretariat at Alausa on the directive of the Deputy Governor, Dr Oluranti Adebule, some of her neighbours at the scene could not just hide their feelings on her situation which they described as “critical” and “unfortunate”.

    A neighbour, Mr Umaru Aliyu, told our reporter that he could not understand why her husband fled home, considering that she is a peaceful woman who has lived in this face-me-I-face-you compound in the last two years without having any rancor with anyone.

    “We all live here and saw the suffering that this woman and her children have been going through. Even when their father was around things were difficult for the family but the situation grew worst when the man left home,” he said.

    Aliyu said the family could barely afford to feed, adding that the goodwill of neighbours was what they depended before now.

    “But for how long will she and the children continue to depend on people to give them food to eat? She needs help in the area of food and also in caring for the children,”a concerned Aliyu stressed.

    Also, Mrs Sadiat Okunola, a food stuff seller in the building said: “I do give them food stuff, because I know the challenges they have been through. It has not been easy coping with six children without any help from anyone”.

    Mrs. Uche who said she will not hesitate to accept the husband if he returns home considering  what she has gone through, said all was well with them but taken aback that the man who paid her dowry and married her according to her traditional rites could flee home in that manner.

    She told our reporter that as a wife she has done everything to support her husband and keep the family going.

    “Am very concerned about my family that is why I work hard, am in this situation today not because am lazy but because the burden is just too much for only me to handle”.

    “I use to work as a messenger in Mid Atlantic Energy, but decided to quit the job and take a up a teaching appointment in the school that my children attend, that way I can be closer home and help take proper care of the children.

    “The school fee for the school was N10, 000 per term for each child, but because I work there the management collects N5, 000 from each of my children, this they remove directly from my salary while the remaining N10, 000 is expended on the children educational material.”

    She said the family survived on the six thousand naira she makes from the six children that she organised extra lesson for after school hours.

    “That is how we have been coping since my husband left, we drink garri both in the morning and night and it has not been easy”.

    She said the only help she got from a family member was from a co wife in the family who came around once to cook for her after she put to bed and was discharged from hospital.

    Moved by her story, the Lagos Deputy Governor presented a cheque to the mother of six, saying that the assistance would help rehabilitate her and family.

    She said the development was one of the campaign promises of the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, that the government will be compassionate to address the needs of the people.

    She directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) to open a functional account for her where the money will be paid in, while directing government officials to take assessment of her situation so as to further address her case.

    She sympathised with her over the traumatic experience she has faced in trying to raise the six children assuring that the government is ready to come to her aid and ensure the well-being of her children.

    “As a woman and a mother, I can only imagine what you have gone through managing six children, it must have been energy sapping and depressing, but I salute your courage and I want to assure you that this government will not abandon you, we will stand by you and ensure that you are assisted to get back to normal life”, Adebule assured.

    She thanked the woman for coming forward to seek help rather than abandon the children, which some other persons would have done, noting that if she dumped the children by the road side, it would still have been the lot of government to take custody of the children and ensure their well-being but her presence and determination to raise her children further encouraged the government to offer the necessary assistance.

    The Deputy Governor added that the Governor had approved the release of some amount of money, which the deputy governor stated will be paid into an account and part of it will be used to attend to some of the immediate needs of the children and their mother, adding that officials from the Ministry of WAPA have been directed to provide the necessary logistics support to her.

    Adebule however advised the run-away husband to come forward and take up the responsibility of caring for his family, admonishing him to be appreciative of the divine blessings that have come his way through the children.

    President-General Igbo Progressive Leaders’ Council, Eze Uche Dimgba, described the gesture as a confirmation of Governor Ambode’s promise not to marginalise any group in Lagos.

    “We appreciate the taking over the responsibility of an Igbo woman,”Dimgba, who is the Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja said.

    In her reaction to the government’s gesture, Mrs Uche thanked the State Government for assisting and supporting her, noting that the love shown to her and her children could only have come from a government that truly cares about the well being of its people.

    Highlight of the visit was the presentation of the token from the government to Mrs Uche by the Deputy Governor.

     

  • Man disappears over wife’s third set of twins

    Man disappears over wife’s third set of twins

    Where  is Citizen Emeka Benjamin Uche, a Lagos factory worker?

    That was the big question yesterday as his wife, Ruth, 34, from Abia State broke the news of his disappearance since February.

    Uche, 39, fled home when he learnt that his expectant wife was carrying a set of twins – the family’s third.

    Mrs Uche was at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa yesterday with her six children, pleading for help.

    Not many knew what she wanted as she stood under a tree, close to the Press Centre, carrying the babies. Her first two sets of twins, much older, stood close to their mother, and did not in any way seem intimidated by the sea of cameras and faces focusing on them.

    Mrs. Uche was receptive when  our reporter approached her to narrate her ordeal.

    In 2009 when she first conceived, she was delivered of two girls – Goodness and Godnews. The second conception, two years later, produced another two – a boy and a girl, named John and Joyce.

    But when her husband, Emeka, learnt that the third pregnancy was another set of two he fled their number 32, Awori Street, Agege home on the outskirt of Lagos to an undisclosed location in Ikorodu, Lagos.

    The third set of twins arrived last month. They were named Daniel and Daniella.

    Mrs. Uche said she could no longer cope with widening needs for food, clothes, drugs and school fees.

    Her meagre earnings as a teacher in a private school in Lagos can no longer meet their needs.

    Her story: “I met my husband in 2002 but we got married in 2008. We met in the village at Umuahia. I don’t want to leave the children and run away. This is why I want government to help us,” she said.

    She recalled that she never wanted the third pregnancy, but her use of traditional means of family planning (counting fertile and infertile days) failed her.

    “I was using traditional way of family planning where I calculate some days before having intercourse. It was working for me. You can see my first set of twins is four years old.

    “You know as women, we cannot deny our husband that thing whenever they request for it. Whenever I mistakenly take in, he would say that I was pretending. Sometimes, I would go through long process to abort the pregnancy. After that, another one would happen. I would still have to go through the process again to abort it. When this one happened he still insisted that I was pretending until the pregnancy became obvious.”

    “My Church was responsible for the payment of the first delivery. The church paid N120, 000 for the delivery of the first set of twins. The two deliveries of the twins have been through Caesarean Section for which we paid N120, 000 each. The last twins are through normal delivery”.

    Mrs. Uche explained that her husband, a factory worker in Iju Road, Agege, has since refused to pick her calls. She learnt that he stays in Ikorodu.

    “Since I gave birth to the children, I have tried calling my husband but he would not pick once he knows that it is me. I contacted his mother and other relatives to tell them that he has run away. They promised that they will call back. Since then, none of them has called me. It is not easy for me at all.

    “I know only two of his relations. One of them lives in Ikorodu; the other one lives at Ajegunle. My elder brother, who could have also helped, is very angry with me for giving birth to another set of twins. He warned me before not to have any other child after the two sets of twins, especially with the kind of husband I have.

    “I cannot put my hands in blood shedding by committing abortion. I want Nigerians to help me because there is nobody to pay their school fees.

    “I went for immunisation some days ago and I told them my condition and why they have not been seeing me. It was there that they advised that I should come to government. Government should please help my children; no one to help me with house rent, electricity bill, school fees, food and so on,” Mrs. Uche said.

  • Sammie Okposo congratulates Aity Dennis on birth of twins

    Sammie Okposo congratulates Aity Dennis on birth of twins

    Popular gospel artiste, Aity Dennis Inyang, has a lot to be grateful for, especially as she has just given birth to twins after 24 years of marriage.

    The multiple-award winning artiste who has over 2000 songs and nine CDs under her belt reportedly gave birth to the twins; a boy and a girl, over the weekend.

    In a congratulatory message via Twitter, gospel singer, Sammie Okposo, expressed good wishes to her. He wrote: “After 24 years of waiting, God remembered my sister @AityDennis and blessed her with twins, boy and a girl. Awesome God.”

    Aity, a pastor, is married to Pastor Dennis Inyang, the senior pastor at Sure Word Assembly, Okota, Lagos.

    As at yesterday, fans of the artiste were also felicitating with Aity Dennis on her safe delivery.