ANA Mourns Death of Greg Mbajiorgu’s Mother

 

ANA MOURNS DEATH OF GREG MBAJIORGU’S MOTHER

 By: Wole Adedoyin (ANA PRO South)

 

Camillus Ukah, President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has condoled with Greg Mbajiorgu, a Playwright, poet, and senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) following the death of his mother, Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu (Nee Elegbusi).

 

ANA described Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu’s death as painful and disheartening.

 

Camillus Ukah said that the death of Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu was not only a loss to the Mbajiorgu’s family but also to the entire Pen community.

 

In the condolence message written to Greg Mbarjiorgu, a former National Publicity Secretary (South) of the Association partly reads “We received the news of the demise of your beloved mother, Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu with sadness, but we are consoled by the fact that she lived a life of dedicated service to humanity. Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu was a strong pillar in her community, a disciplinarian and a devout Christian and would be missed by all those whose lives she affected in positive ways.

 

“We share in your sorrow and pains at this period and we pray that God will grant you and the family the courage to bear the loss, as we also pray for the repose of the soul of your departed mother.

 

“On behalf of the entire members of ANA, we mourn with you on the unfortunate demise of your beloved mother,”

 

ANA finally mourned the octogenarian as an icon of family values who shall be dearly missed in society.

 

Lady Theresa Igboegesiokwu Mbajiorgu (Nee Elegbusi) was born in Nsukka, Enugu State, on the 15th day of October 1936 to the family of the Late Oshimili Michael Alfred Okigbo and Anna Elegbusi, of Ehim Umunuko village in Ukpor, Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State. She was the only surviving twin daughter of the family of six children comprising 2 sets of twin daughters and 2 sons. Lady Theresa and her twin sister (Catherine) were born at St Theresa’s parish, Nsukka, now St Theresa’s Catholic Diocese, where their father served the first parish priest at Nsukka (the Rev. Fr. James Mellet) who was transferred from Ogoja by His Lordship Bishop Shanahan, as a catechist.

 

Lady Theresa attended primary school in the parish school at Nsukka, and continued at a girls’ convent school in Ukpor. She started a post-convent teaching career with the then Holy Rosary School, Ukpor. In 1956, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II of England’s visit to Eastern Nigeria, and with the Eastern Nigeria Government directive to school teachers to converge in Enugu to welcome the Queen, Lady Theresa travelled to Enugu to make a divinely arranged connection with an Audit Clerk of the Colonial Audit Department of Eastern Nigeria Government, Mr. Moses Sylvanus Nnabike Mbajiorgu.

 

The divine connection led to a marriage that was contracted with a wedding in February 1957, and consummated with fruitfulness of nine children comprising 7 sons and 2 daughters, all of whom are university graduates. In addition, Lady Theresa saw to the steady rise of her husband, from the third-class Audit Clark she married in 1957 to a Chief Inspector of Audit in 1974, to Bursar of the University of Port Harcourt in 1976; Bursar of the then Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu, in 1980; and Bursar of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1983 until 1992 when they retired. After retirement they continued in public service until 1995 on a World Bank funded Agricultural Development Project of the Federal Government, in Benin City, on a contract appointment.

 

During the course of these years, Lady Theresa travelled far and wide across the country and around the world. In 1971, she travelled with her husband to London, England, where she trained as a stylist and hair dresser. In 1984, the couple returned to England on a short course and holiday at the University of Bath. In 1989, they travelled through several states of the USA on an International Visitors Travel Fellowship. Later in 2004, Lady Theresa travelled to Canada on a private family visit to one of her sons living in that country.

 

Apart from her early teaching career, Lady Theresa also worked in self-employment as a hair dresser and stylist, and in business as a contractor supplying essential goods and foodstuff to colleges and other tertiary institutions of learning in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Nsukka where her family lived.

 

Lady Theresa was a great socialite. Along with her husband who was conferred with multiple chieftaincy titles in Ihiala (Ichie Chiwubereze in 1982; Iduu Odum in 1991), she was conferred with the title, Lolo Odoziaku. She was a Lady Auxiliary of the Knights of St John International (KSJI); she was a member of IGWEBUIKE Social Club of Ihiala; and she was a member of NWANNE DI UTO Social Club of Ihiala.

 

On the religious life, apart from being a Lady Auxiliary of the KSJI, she was decorated Mother of the Year 2018 of St Peter’s Chaplaincy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). She had held/played the following offices/roles in the catholic church:

 

• Patroness of St Christopher’s Parish, Ogboro/Umueze, Ihiala

• Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) Rep of Ihiala at the Diocesan Headquarters

• CWO Treasurer at St Peter’s Chaplaincy, UNN

• Ladies Auxiliary Treasurer, KSJI

 

Lady Theresa was a member of several church Departments such as the St Jude Society and the Choir in the parishes where she worshipped.

 

Mama, Ezinne! You have run a good race; you have kept faith with your God; you have finished well the course assigned to you. We pray the good LORD to grant you a peaceful, eternal rest in His bosom, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Adieu Mama! Farewell.

 

Professor Constantine C. Mbajiorgu

For and on behalf of the Family