Ezinne: A Century of Dedication And Love
BY DANIEL IBIAM
Born on 2nd March 1922 in the serene farming community of Ezi Ukwu Ama Oji in Ebunwana Edda, Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mama marched on without slowing until she died a centenarian! The march was not a lonely one as she had God and Christ by her side, leading the way.
It was unfortunate that she was born when education was a scarce commodity, especially for the girl-child. Her attempt to embrace Whiteman’s education ended in less than one term as a result of the cultural barriers that weighed heavily against the feminine gender in those days. She was undaunted and what she missed all her children benefitted maximally from them. With the collapse of her dream of getting the white man’s education, she got married to Elder Kalu Ibiam Otu Ibiam of Ezi Amoba, Ogbu Edda, in 1945 and the union produced 10 children, though only three are alive today.
She embraced Christianity even before she got married as she always went to Church with her namesake at Nna Agha’s residence called ‘Mission’, any time she visited her. When she got married, she continued with the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN). Her Christian life and service were further strengthened when she got born again during her visit to her late son, George, in Jos in 1990. When she returned from that journey, she dissociated herself from idol worship and denounced everything about culture and tradition that were contrary to the word of God. Since then, she never looked back and, according to her, does not regret her action.
As years passed by, her momentum about God’s work and faith was rising fast and never dwindled and she made efforts to convert her female sibling also.
Mama took another drastic and irreversible step and maintained it to the end: Working and walking with God in order to contribute her quota in the process. She recalled the Church dedication of the first son of Dan Ibiam, her grandchild, where she saw an elderly man still working and serving God with all agility. Not minding his age, this man was all over the place, arranging seats for visitors and was among the offering collectors for the day. That greatly challenged her and made her resolve to serve her God till death. She lived up to it; she was still paying her tithe and giving offerings and contributions in her home parish, Ogbu Edda, until they stopped her from doing so.
In the Abakaliki Women’s Guild and in welfare dues contribution, she was up-to-date financially till the last day of her existence, even though she could not attend Church service physically owing to her sight problem. She never failed in paying her tithe whenever anyone gave her monetary gifts, no matter how small. She was consistent in giving her offering, thanksgiving offering, redeeming her vows and pledges to God at the appropriate time. If you ever delay it, she would feel bad. Though she could not go to Church, she remained an active online member of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC) and never missed their daily television programmes such as Healing and Deliverance service, Midweek Service, Night Vigils, Prayer and Fasting, etc. Mama maintained her personal fasting day weekly on Wednesdays. She never missed praying over her food and would always raise her two hands up to heaven to say “thank you” to God at the end of each meal.
She was a woman of prayer and worship and could pray for hours on end, just as she was a staunch member of the Women’s Guild of RPCN, Ogbu Parish. She once served as the Church Treasurer. She joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (RPCN) as soon as it started and remained rooted there therein till her death. She was a lover of God, God’s work and God’s servants she took care of Evangelists and Ministers of God that served in Ogbu Edda during her stay at home. Her service to God and humanity induced her home Church, The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (RPCN), Ogbu Edda Parish, to bestow on her the titular honour of EZINNE, good and caring mother, in March 2021.
In the social circle, Mama was always visible. She was an official of Igbo Union, Kaduna, where she served as Provost. While in Kaduna, she was a renowned trader, dealing in rice, yam, beans, dawa-dawa, among other items. In the Village at Ogbu Edda, she was a big-time farmer.
She belonged to the Ejimba Age Grade, which she relinquished after her new birth in Christ. She was also one-time President of the Women’s Guild in Ogbu Edda Parish and also the President of Ogbu Edda Town Union, Women’s Wing. She was mother to all and adviser to many young married women and men as well. She also assisted the less privileged in the community till she left the village for Abakaliki.
She was a caterer and her culinary prowess attracted people to engage her in cooking for people during ceremonies. Her kitchen was always the last bus stop of all as she usually threw it open for the hungry. It will not be out of place to describe her as “Owuru Oha”, one that cooks for the multitude.
Mama was a disciplinarian, philanthropist, and socialite and abhorred idleness. She remained sound, articulate and in control of her memory and senses even up to late last year when she spent lengthy sessions narrating her life story and the history of her lineage. Her memory never failed her even at this advanced age. Indeed, she could be described as a historian, a moving encyclopedia of our family history.
Mama was not given to the vanity and euphoria of positions and offices, hence she rejected overtures for ordination as a ruling elder of her Church on the account that she would not function optimally in that capacity due to her lack of Western education.
She was indeed a great woman leader, women mobilizer, a disciplinarian, highly influential and respected among her people and an accomplished homemaker. She was widely travelled and spoke Igbo, Hausa and Pidgin English fluently. It was the Hausa language that served as her unique selling point and gave her an edge over other Igbo traders and attracted many customers to her while as a trader in Kaduna.
She was wealthy in silver and gold but lost all those to the civil war and after the war she voluntarily retired from trading and rather opted to be a big-time farmer which she maintained until she left for Abakaliki in 1999 to live with our sister, Mary.
A woman of immense praying and praising capacity, Mama performed an extraordinary feat of spending the last two days of her life in the hospital bed singing and praising God non-stop.
Mama, we miss you, your grand and great-grandchildren, friends and relations miss you; but God needs you more and we know that you have no doubt gained a place in His Kingdom. As you soar away to that better land, we who loved you will watch out for you in the night sky; for surely you will race across the heavens faster than any star.
Good night, Mama
Bye, soldier of the Cross!
She is survived by the followings:
Children
Dan Ogbonnaya Ibiam Jr.
Mrs. Mary Ndidamaka Chukwu (nee Ibiam)
Mrs. Gold Eberechukwu Enyinnaya-Philips (nee Ibiam)
Brother
Mr. Okoro Anya Agwu
Sister
Madam Uka David Ukpai Anya
Daughters-in-law
Bernadette Ugo Nne George Ibiam
Afunanya Dan Ibiam
Adaku Ivy Frank Ibiam
Grand Children
Dr. Adaeze Elenna Ogbuagu (nee Ibiam)
George Chinonso Ibiam
Charles Kelechi Ibiam
Frank Uchenna Ibiam
Miss Florence Chinazaekpere Chukwu
Bett Chisom Ibiam
Aondrea Chimzurum Ibiam
Kharissa Sochikaima Ibiam
Peculiar Nmasichukwu Enyinnaya-Philips
Winner Nkwachukwu Enyinnaya-Philips
Treasure Ihechukwu Enyinnaya-Philips
Great-grandson
Chiemezikam Miguel Elenna Ogbuagu
Sons-in-law
Dr. Joseph N. Chukwu
Mazi Enyinnaya-Philips
Grandson-in-law
Engr. Elenna Anselem Ogbuagu
Tributes
My grandmother (Mrs. Roseline Ibiam) is the sweetest grandmother I have ever had. Now that she has passed on, I am happy that she made heaven but I will miss her love and care. Granny was loving, kind, humorous and caring. It was always fun when we would visit and I go to greet her, she starts asking me questions about my academics in Igbo, and I would not be able to answer them, but over the years I have gotten better unfortunately, she would not be there to ask and teach me more Igbo Language and proverbs.
Granny, I will miss your love but I know you are in a better place.
- Winner Nwachukwu Enyinnaya-Phillip (Grandson)
Mama Nnenne, as she was fondly called, was not just my mother but also my father, my mentor, my teacher, my source of inspiration, and my role model.
I never enjoyed the love of a father, but God gave you the grace to occupy that position for me. You never went to school but through hard work you produced graduates. You were a radical follower of Christ until your death. You loved God with passion and when the time was ripe the Lord took you home. I rejoice because you are in the best place of eternity, but I will weep because I will not enjoy your love and care again.
You were a mother to many, not just your biological children. Many people and children who are now adults benefited from your exemplary kindness and benevolence. Many people called you ‘Mama’ because of this. You were a great giver both to the house of God and to the people outside the church. Because you were a lover of God you took care of many ministers of God. Your life was worthy of emulation. I miss you and will always miss you.
Sleep on sweet mother.
Sleep on the great matriarch.
- Gold Eberechukwu Enyinnaya-Phillips (Daughter)
To my grandmother, fair and strong. Who, though hit by many problems of life, lived a life that showed the testimony of grace. You loved God like a friend and saw Christ as a close companion. You are truly a mother-in-Israel. Your continuous prayers yielded much. Even in death, the glory of the Lord upon your life shines through. Thank you for taking such good care of me and bearing my childhood headaches. You were the best grandmother ever and I will miss you very much.
- Peculiar Nmasichukwu Enyinnaya-Phillip (Granddaughter)
She was the best and only grandma ever. She was loving, caring, kind, and even in old age, she still played with me. She was always happy to see us whenever we come around on holidays.
She didn’t really know our names so she called our Igbo names in a way she could remember, mine was ihechi. I loved her so much and was deeply saddened when I heard the news of her death. But her death is not something to mourn about but rejoice because she lived a good long life and died in Christ.
And now she is in a better place where she will never suffer again, and I praise God for that. I just pray that God will fill the vacuum she left behind and console us all. Amen……
- Treasure Ihechukwu Enyinnaya-Phillip (Granddaughter)
Ogo m Nwanyi, Nwanyioma, Ezinne, I salute your exercise of faith when I arrived Ogbu in the year 2000 and told you I wanted to marry your last Child and Daughter. After your brief interview, you gave me your blessings right there in your kitchen. Thank you, ma, for believing in me even when my worth could not show in material things.
Ezenwanyi, I celebrate you for accepting me like your own son. Thank you for your constant prayers whenever I visit or speak to you on phone. You went beyond the Mother-in-law relationship and accepted me like one of your sons. You were a good woman, with a strong zeal for the kingdom of God. Your faith was exemplary, when you left the world and its enticements/Association – you did not look back but kept the faith till the day you breathed your last.
You were an award-winning mother-in-law, when we had our first baby and you visited, I was on a two (2) years study leave in Enugu. You visited for that Omugu but stayed and assisted my wife for the duration of the two (2) courses which saw the arrival of our 2nd born. Your willingness to help always was your nature even in old age. Thank you very much for occupying and affording my children a taste of a relationship with a grandparent.
Farewell Ezinne.
- Mazi Enyinnaya Phillips (Son-in-Law)
A century’s sojourn
And off she goes,
To meet her maker,
To also join my own mother
Who took off 12 years ahead of her.
The best mother-in-law
You can dream of:
Gentle, loving, caring, and affectionate.
She spent her last 20 years of existence
With my family and she calls me DADDY
(were you expecting me to use the past tense?)
Sweet Granny has left her DADDY
For a better place.
Farewell Ezinne Roseline Eze Ibiam.
Good night!
- Joseph N. Chukwu (Son-in-law)
Mr. Ibiam, a retired civil servant, is the surviving son of Ezinne Ibiam
