By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka

[b]The burial of the former first lady of the defunct East Central State, Mrs. Chinyere Asika in the ancient city of Onitsha on July 24, 2015, lived up to its bidding as it attracted very important personalities from across the country. Former military head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and former Defence Minister, General Theophilus Danjuma, who were prominent members of the burial committee of the former first lady, virtually relocated to Anambra State to ensure the success of the event.
Mrs. Asika died on May 3, 2015, at the age of 75 years. Other members of her burial committee included Alhaji Ahmed Joda, a former federal super permanent secretary, Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Andy Uba representing Anambra South in the Senate, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, women empowerment leaders Otunba Basirat Nahibi, Dr. Esther Mangzha and two of the late Mrs. Asika’s sisters, former minister and PDP Women’s Leader, Ambassador Kema Chikwe and Reverend Obii Pax-Harry.
The secretary of the committee was Mr. Enukora Okoli, former chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, who was a close friend of the family. The All Saints Cathedral Church, Onitsha, was filled to capacity and the famous Otu Odu women group of Onitsha featured prominently from the time the body of Mrs. Asika arrived from her maiden home at Egbu, Owerri, Imo State to Anambra State.
Speaker after speaker praised the late Mrs. Asika for her efforts in mobilizing Igbo women after the Nigerian Civil War and making them realize that government work was everybody’s work and should, therefore, be taken serious.
With her popular slogan, ‘Otu Olu Obodo,’ an Igbo interpretation of the Civil Service and service to the people, Mrs. Asika successfully campaigned for the Igbo women to take ownership of whatever project government provided for the various communities. Her programmes became so popular that most women at the time wore mostly dresses with her picture embossed on them.
After the overthrow of the administration in which her husband served, Mrs. Asika lived a quiet life until former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed her pioneer Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on NEPAD and the organization’s Chief Executive Officer in Nigeria. She was later to become the chairman, national steering committee of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, and she led the organization in its mission to evaluate the progress and challenges of governance in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who appointed Chinyere’s husband, the late Ukpabi Asika, observed that Asika succeeded as the administrator of East Central State because of the support he received from his wife at the critical period in the country’s history. Speaking at the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha during the funeral service attended by many notable Nigerians, Gowon said he appreciated the late Ukpabi Asika because he filled the gap at a very difficult time.
According to the former Head of State, when he proposed the post of Sole Administrator of East Central State to the then lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Asika told him that he would do it for the sake of Igbo people. He said: “I was struggling to get an administrator for the newly created East Central State when the name of the late Ukpabi Asika came up. He was then a lecturer at Ibadan.
“When we met, I did not know which one of us was younger. But he exuded strength of character and understanding, and wanted to start work immediately. Though I cautioned him to think about it, I told him, you must consult your brothers, and your wife who was there, to know if you would accept. I came away convinced that this was the man I needed.
“I did not know how to place his wife, Chinyere, but when she arrived from Kenya, she plunged head-on to the idea. She was a courageous woman, caring and humble. I remember her efforts in ‘Otu Olu Obodo’- a public service initiative- which she used as a tool of empowerment for her Igbo kinsmen and women.”
Also eulogizing Mrs. Asika, Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano urged the children of Asika and other members of the family to imbibe the virtues of patience, charity and humility from the late Mrs. Asika, examplified in all the assignments she had the opportunity of handling for the country.
He observed that she was among Anambra women that set good example, worthy of emulation by the present generation. In his sermon at the church service, the Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Rt. Rev. Owens Nwokolo dwelt on the need for people to live a life of service and lauded the life of service lived by late Chinyere Asika and her noble contributions to the development of humanity and development of the state.
Former Minister of Defence, General T.Y. Danjuma, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the ceremony urged Nigerian women to emulate the late Chinyere Asika, who took whatever assignment she had to do very serious.
Other prominent Nigerians, who attended the burial ceremony included immediate past governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi, first civilian governor of new Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, as well as senators and members of House of Representatives.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/eulogies-as-chinyere-asika-is-buried/


Cc lalasticlala Ishilove

hmmm

[size=18pt]And when did Onitsha become an ancient city?[/size]

[size=13pt]There is no ancient city or town in Igboland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Truth be told.[/size]

Wife of a Sabo

Those Igbos at that burial are goats

Tufiakwa
Sabo mere anyi aru

ibedun:
And when did Onitsha become an ancient city?

There is no ancient city or town in Igboland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Truth be told.

How to reply to nonsense?

ibedun:
[size=18pt]And when did Onitsha become an ancient city?[/size]

[size=13pt]There is no ancient city or town in Igboland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Truth be told.[/size]

Disgusting pig. Instead of you to pass your condolences this is all you can muster.

And you wonder why Yorubas are tagged as tribalists

ibedun:
[size=18pt]And when did Onitsha become an ancient city?[/size]

[size=13pt]There is no ancient city or town in Igboland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Truth be told.[/size]

When yolobas are degenerate to this extent,shameless Igbos like egift and eurobomber would come to preach about the merits of one zoogeria

Good fences, good neighbors

How to set up a pattern lock on pc like that of android This is very simple to archieve.. Just read all the steps listed @ http://arewamobiles.com