Goodbye Ezinne Christiana Okoro Ikegwuoha.
4 min read
The burial of late Ezinne Christiana C. Okoro Ikegwuoha (nee Madu) which took place on Wednesday January 22, 2025 was indeed an outstanding testimony of the enviable life the late Ezinne lived in her earthly sojourn that spanned for 78 years. Christians especially Roman Catholics, kinsmen and women from Umuele, the place of her birth and Uba community, the place of her marriage, all took out time to pay their last respect to the “omuru n’ulo luo n’ulo and mother to many.
On Tuesday 21 January 2025, Umuaka Times local correspondents had already visited the bereaved Okoro Ikegwuoha family in Ndiuhu Uba in search of first-hand information about the big burial. On arrival, many people were already getting ready for the ceremony that would hold the next day. Still on the same day, events like wake keep and service of songs for the repose of the soul of the deceased were observed from 8pm to 12 midnight. Many people especially within the Umuaka locality participated during this program.
In the early hours of Wednesday 22 January 2025, the ambulance, family members and other vehicles left for the mortuary in Okwudor axis with the purpose of escorting home their big mother, sister, aunty, grandmother and great grandmother.
Around 8 am, the motorcade had successfully made it to the family compound with the corpse. Without wasting time, the body was taken to the lying in state room where family and friends were later called and given the opportunity to pay their last respect to the deceased. This particular ritual lasted for about 30 minutes before the master of the ceremony Chief Emma Okenwa announced that it was time for the requiem Mass at St Mary’s Catholic Church Umuaka.
The trip to the church did not waste any time as the corpse of the deceased arrived at the church premises on record time. After waiting for about 30 minutes at the entrance of the church auditorium, the officiating priest and other priests arrived and the requiem Mass kicked off at exactly 10:15am.
During the Mass, Reverend Father Peter Iwuala who preached, talked about the inevitability of death, extolled the virtues of the deceased and appealed to Christians to always follow the gospel of God through Christ Jesus and abide in Him.
About 2 hours later, the Mass was over and the congregation made up of the choir, youths, reverend sisters, family and friends moved to the late Ezinne Christiana C. Okoro Ikegwuoha husband’s family compound. By the time of their arrival, many more sympathizers had gathered and were waiting for the arrival of those who went for the church service.
The ambulance driver and the youths of the community arrived about 20 minutes later after leaving the premises of St Mary’s Church. The youths who were already waiting for the arrival of the ambulance, brought down the casket and placed it at the graveside for more prayers according to Catholic Christian rituals.
Shortly, the priests arrived and graveside prayers began immediately.
After all the prayers and supplications conducted by the priests, the body of the 78 year old late Ezinne Christiana C. Okoro Ikegwuoha, the daughter of late Chief Francis and Lolo Felistas Maduekeibeya of Umuele Amazano was lowered into the six feet grave and family members were asked to pour sand into the grave one after the other. According to Christian teachings, the body will remain in the grave until the last day when the dead and the living will all rise and meet God the Almighty to give the stewardship of their lives.
Several youth groups, Christian mothers, Christian fathers and other community based organizations that were present during the burial and interment fully took part in one activity or another.
The reception and entertainment of guests who stood by the family before, during and after the burial was in the premises of Hilltop Primary School Uba Umuaka. By the time Umuaka Times arrived at the school, more than 50 canopies had already been positioned, tagged and occupied by many who came to witness the burial of the woman of substance. Umuaka Times observed an excess supply of what to eat and drink and there were also several music groups including live bands and traditional music troupes.
Several VIPs from Uba, Umuele and other communities kept arriving at the venue until till the time the event came to an end.
An Ndiuhu Uba Umuaka chieftaincy title holder who spoke with Umuaka Times under the condition of anonymity disclosed that the heave presence of people from far and near who attended the burial of the late ezinne, was a clear indication that the woman in question lived a good life throughout her lifetime. He also prayed to God to accept her soul in His paradise.
