The people of Ojiagu-Agbani in Enugu State last weekend turned out in their large number to give a befitting burial to the former First Lady of the state, late Mrs. Nnenna Agnes Nnamani, writes Davidson Iriekpen
The sleepy town of Ojiagu-Agbani in Enugu State came alive last weekend when former governor of the state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, buried his wife, Nnenna Agnes. She died on September 4 in Florida, United States, following complications from sickle cell disease and ruptured cerebral aneurysm at the age of 47.
THISDAY gathered that the only time event near this magnitude draws the people out en masse is usually during election. But this time, they trooped out in large number together with non-native who came from far and near to pay their last respects to the former First Lady whom they said touched their lives tremendously both while she was in Government House and after her husband left office.
Children, youths, women and men all rolled out the drums to sing Nnenna’s praises, hailing her contribution to the development of their community and the state.
A tearful Veronica Nwosu, a native of Ojiagu told THISDAY that the community was not only fortunate to have the former First Lady, but was grateful to her, stressing that she deserved to be celebrated.
According to her, “We are celebrating her for the wonderful things she did for us. Though she lived a very short life, she will forever be remembered for how she and her husband gave me and my family improved lives. But for her, my children would not have seen the four walls of the secondary school and the university.”
At the occasion, the villagers who defied the scorching sun trooped out in their numbers all trying to ensure that they were involved in one duty or the other either as part of their contributions or as a sign of appreciation for all Mrs. Nnamani did for them.
While some volunteered to cook, others ensured that everybody who attended the event was served food and drinks. It did not matter how gorgeously dressed the guests were or not, everybody was well attended to. The youths mainly provided security and directed traffic to ensure that the entire area was peaceful.
For the former political family of the former governor, otherwise known as the Ebaeno Group, it was an opportunity to rally round their leader whom they said gave them the opportunity not only to be successful in the life but for their voices to be heard both locally, nationally and internationally. The burial of the former First Lady was an opportunity to identify with the former governor in his moment of grief.
Dignitaries who attended the event included Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Deputy Governors, Okey Itanyi and Sunday Onyebuchi, former Information Minister Frank Nweke, Jr., both current and former national and state legislators, heads of parastatals, former commissioners and many other politicians and professionals.
The Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who presided over the burial service equally attended by many other bishops and priests, paid glowing tribute to Nnenna Agnes whom he described a good person whom the world lost to sickness at a young age.
Turning to politicians in the state, Chukwuma reminded them that they were all products of the Ebeano family, the political family set up by Nnamani. Although he urged former governor not to repay evil with evil, he called on all the politicians, who had abandoned him to apologise and reconcile with him (Nnamani).
In a tribute, Ekweremadu extolled the virtues of the former First Lady and recalled several encounters he had with her when he served both as Chief of Staff to Nnamani and Secretary to the State Government. He described her as one good person the world entire world has missed.
Turning to his former boss, Nnamani, Ekweremadu applauded him for raising so many political leaders in the state. He said: "He has done so much for all of us; he gave us the opportunity to express ourselves and God blessed his effort on all of us."
The greatest of the tribute came from Nnenna’s husband, Nnamani, who regretted that at the age of 55 years, he was paying tribute to his wife who was 47. Stepping forward, despite the palpable grief and pains all over him, the former governor displayed his oratorical prowess once again reminiscent of his Ebeano lecture series in the early 2000 when he traversed the length and breadth of the country to preach democracy and good governance. He narrated how he met his wife, her life and support for his political career.
Nnamani regaled the audience on the first time he set his eyes on Nnenna and how he concluded on marrying despite opposition from his family in view of his sickle cell challenges.
“Coming out here this morning I was invited to greet my people. But why an eulogy? Why a tribute? Tribute by who and to whom? Would I at 55 pay tribute to Nnenna, 47? Or would a living Nnenna pay tribute to me? Would Chima or Chichi pay tribute to their mother in the presence of their living father, or out here paying tribute to their father in the presence of their living mother?
“But who can question the paradox of life? Who can question life’s irony? Who can question the tragic comedy inherent in the vagaries of human life? Who can question how the Lord dispenses His privileges and benevolence? As the great Archbishop Chukwuma would say, mysterious tremendum et facinance (the mystery of the Lord is tremendous and fascinating).”
“I was not tongue-tied when I met the Ohafia damsel 30 years ago. So I would not be tongue-tied today as we say goodbye to her. 30 years ago when I ran into the most beautiful woman in the world. As they would say today, I had the flow and swags and the words came out in staccato and promises to impress. Today in the summer of my youth, the words refuse to flow, dampened and with the temperance of age, realism, the concatenations of life, and a body battered by the tempestuous storms of life’s arduous journey.”
“When I left my youth service and proceeded for my specialisation and sub-specialisation training, Agnes tactfully handed to me her goodbye gift, a fine picture of her. In the hustle and bustle to integrate into the medical profession in America, at down times and up times I would bring out her picture and look at it and my sisters would make fun at me. But for me any embarrassment was well worth it for the price of Agnes.
In the second year of my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, I was to undertake a perilous journey to Canada on a Thanksgiving Day to “bring” her into the United States, a move that would have aborted my academic and social ascent. Prior to that, her uncle, a medical doctor, and my doctor colleagues had cautioned me that she had a variant of sickle cell hemoglobinopathy of the thalassemia type. But that was not to deter me as I was being trained as a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology with sub-specialisation in maternal and fetal medicine and high risk obstetrics, also with post-doc training in molecular biology and tissue cytology. My rationalisation was that God was training me to take care of Agnes, now Nnenna.
“At 55 today, 30 years later, I submit and pay homage and respect to that great Ohafia lioness, Agnes Nnamani, Odibeze, Achama, Achalugo-nwaanyi,Ugoeze, Omalicha nwa, Omauma-asa-aru,Elelebe-ejehi-oru, Ifenkili, Ego onyibo. I acknowledge her; I hold her in high esteem and submit to her acclaim. I associate with the aplomb and celebration of her role in this journey of life. I understand and salute her independence, her strive, her hardwork, her ambition, her dreams, her control and her marriage philosophy. I thank her for the time, for the sacrifices and selflessness. I look at my son Chimaroke Ferguson Nnamani, I say thank you Nnenna, Dalu, Imee.
I look at my daughter Chinero Yobachi Nnamani, I say Nnenna, Dalu, Imee, tushia. For Nina, Stacy Nnamani, I say thank you.
“There she lies today, transformed from an Ohafia amazon to an Nkanu matriarch. From a young damsel to a mother, she exits to the great ballad of Frank Sinatra, ‘My Way.’”
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