Chief (Mrs) Adanma Okpara (middle)
Wife of defunct Eastern Region’s Premier dies at 97
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
Wife of late Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, Premier of former Eastern Region, Chief (Mrs) Adanma Okpara, is dead.
Mrs Okpara reportedly died Sunday morning at an undisclosed hospital in Abia State. She was aged 97.
Reports said she was rushed to hospital on Saturday but was reported to have passed on by Sunday morning, according to a source in the Umegwu Okpuala Afugiri community of the Okparas in Ohuhu Clan of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
Information reaching The Oracle Today revealed that Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had while addressing Catholic Bishops in Enugu, reportedly disclosed the incident and that the gathering had observed a minute silence in honour of the departed matriarch of the Okpara family.
When reporters called at the Umuegwu Okpuala Afugiri country home of the Okpara family late Sunday afternoon, second son of the deceased, Uzodinma Okpara, could neither be reached in person or through his telephone line as he did not pick his calls or responded to text messages sent to his his line.
He was said to have gone to the hospital at that material time.
But a source in the area confirmed Mrs Okpara’s demise.
According to the source, Mrs Okpara was taken to hospital Saturday, but reports reached the villagers tha she died early Sunday morning.
Chief (Mrs) Adanma Okpara, a distinguished Women Leader, teacher and farmer, was born on Sunday, June 22 June, 1924, at Ntalakwu Oboro in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
She was a trained professional teacher before she got married to Dr. M. I Okpara.
She was conferred with chieftaincy titles of “Eze Nwanyi” and “Ochi Ora” and was known as a disciplined, humble and hardworking Lady who was an icon by her own virtues not because she married the late Premier of the then Eastern Nigeria.
