The four children of Mr and Mrs Ikwunze who died after a suya, fruit juice meal
Abia First Lady visits family who lost all four children in one day
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, Friday, paid a condolence visit to the family of Mr. Chibuzo Ikwunze who lost all his four children on the 25th of August in Umuahia in yet-to-be determined circumstances.
Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu visited the bereaved family at their hometown Umuagu Ohuhu in Umuahia North to meet with the father and mother of the late kids whose remains would be buried today, Saturday, September 18, 2021.
The late children, kelechi, aged 12; Chimdi, aged 10; Oluomachi, aged 8 and Kingsley, aged 3, had gone for holidays at the home of a friend of the family when they met their untimely death. Their host also died, including his own two children.
Principal Secretary in the Office of the Wife of the Governor, Chief Mrs. Ezema, representing wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, during a condolence visit to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Chibuzo Ikwunze, who lost all their four children in one day
They were alleged to have died after eating barbecued beef, popularly known as suya, with fruit juice. When the incident happened, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu directed that autopsies be conducted to determine the actual cause of the deaths.
The Abia First Lady who was represented by the Principal Secretary, Office of the Wife of the Governor, Chief Mrs Love Ezema, said she had come to console the family over the sad and unfortunate incident, and urged them to take heart and be consoled by the word of God.
She recalled that as soon as this incident happened, the Governor did not only dispatch a team to the FMC that ensured that the survivors were treated promptly, but also paid their medical bills.
She said that the Governor had further directed and funded the management of FMC to ensure that thorough autopsies were performed to determine what led to this unfortunate incident and that result of the autopsies be made public as soon as soon as the result was out.
Mrs. Ikpeazu expressed sympathy to the mother of the four children, praying that God should grant the heartbroken woman the fortitude to bear the painful loss. She also donated towards the burial of the kids.
Responding, the father of the late children, Chibuzo Ikwunze, thanked the wife of the Governor for her motherly care and for reaching out to support the family in the moment of grief.
Also speaking, a community leader, Chief Patrick Emelike, who welcomed the First Lady to the community, described her action as very kind.
Chief Emelike said the incident was very unusual and prayed that it may never happen again to any family in the state. He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the role he played when the incident occurred.
The representative of the Abia First lady was accompanied on the visit by the State Woman Leader of PDP, Lady Christy Emenike, a former Deputy Chairman of Ukwa West, Lady Cecilia Okere, wife of former Commissioner of Boundary Matters, Mrs. Ezinne Obike, and the Chief Press Secretary to the wife of the Governor, Mr. Chika Ojiegbe
Meanwhile, the remains of the children would be buried today after a church service to be conducted by Godsnews Pentecostal Church, in honour of the departed children at Umuagu Central School by 10 a.m.
Mr. Ikwunze, had last Thursday, during an interview with The Oracle Today, appealed to the Government to assist him to bury his children.
