Lady Adanna Okpara (left) and Dame Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi
‘Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, Adanmna Okpara were noble women, moral conscience of society’ – Ukeagu
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
United States, Ohuhu-born philanthropist, Mr. Ken Nnamdi Ukeagu, has described the two great women leaders from Abia State, Dame Mrs Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi and widow of late Dr. Michael Okpara, the former Premier of Eastern Nigeria, as heroines who were noble women and moral conscience of society.
Ukeagu, who was reacting to the death in quick succession of the two women said he was saddened by the death of the duo at an time when their types were very rare to be found in the world of today.
Ukeagu is the Founder of Connak foundation, who hails from the same community of Afugiri Ohuhu Community Ohuhu clan of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
In a condolence message he personally signed which was made available to newsmen in Umuahia through his Media Assistant, Don Chucks Uzochukwu, Mr Ukeagu lamented that Nigeria and, Abia State in particular, have lost “two great Amazons of our time, whose contributions to the development of the womenfolk and Nigeria as a nation were remarkable and indelible.
He described late Mrs Adanma Okpara, aged 97, as woman who was a very formidable figure in the First Republic and Eastern Nigeria, saying that she continued to live an exemplary life even after leaving public office.
Mr. Ukeagu eulogized late Mrs Okpara for her sterling qualities and leadership prowess, adding that Lady Okpara’s life of courage, service and integrity positively contributed immensely to the great developmental strides of her late husband in the Old Eastern Region. He noted that her pious lifestyle even after the death of her husband in 1984 marked her out as a woman of integrity.
In the same vein, Mr. Ukeagu also described late Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, wife of the late Military Head of State, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, “as a woman who had great dignity, charisma and was committed to the ideals of an egalitarian society, even after the death of her husband.”
While commiserating with the bereaved families, he observed that both the former First Ladies of Nigeria and Old Eastern region respectively, “Her Excellency, Noble Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi and Her Excellency, Lady Adanma Okpara, represented the best virtues and were indeed true examples of noble women in nation building and moral conscience of society.”
It would be recalled that Abia State was thrown into mourning last Saturday morning when Chief (Mrs) Adanma Okpara passed on and in less that 24 hours, Noble Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi joined her, early Sunday morning.
