November 4, 2023

Gov Otti mourns as late aunt, Mrs Nwaeze is laid to rest

The remains of late Mrs. Uzoamaka Chinenye Nwaze, auntie to the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, have been laid to rest in her hometown, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Mrs. Nwaze (nee Odabe), younger sister to Governor Otti’s mother, Late Mrs. Rose Otti (nee Odabe), died on June 6, 2023, aged 65. She was a former school teacher.
Speaking during a funeral service conducted in her honor by the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Uburu Parish, on Friday, Governor Otti, while thanking God for the life of her auntie, described the deceased as a great woman, who cared for people.
“I want to advise that we all take heart,” Governor Otti consoled the families her auntie left behind.
He continued: “I grew up knowing my auntie because she used to live with my mother and my father. It took years for me to understand that Auntie was not my biological sister. From the cradle, she looked after myself and my immediate younger brother and we lived with her as an elder sister, sometimes fighting, and resolving.
“I want to thank God for her life. She was a great woman, a good woman, a very good woman, and you can take it from me. A woman with a heart of gold, compassionate, always there for you. Sometimes you will be wondering why she was concerned about things that have to do with other people than herself.”
The Governor said that he was shocked to his marrows when the news of the death of Mrs. Nwaze was relayed to him on June 6, 2023, just days after he was sworn in as the governor of Abia State.
Governor Otti encouraged himself, saying that her auntie had only transited to eternal glory. He advised other members of the family, particularly her immediate family, to take heart and expressed hope that the late Mrs. Uzoamaka Nwaze will rise again on the resurrection morning.
In a sermon, “What Life?”, Rev. Emmanuel Agwu enjoined all not to boast about life as no one knows the beginning and end of life.
He called on the living to surrender their lives to Christ as no one knows tomorrow, adding that the only thing that would keep people’s memories when they are gone are the good things they did during their lifetime.
In a biography on behalf of the family, the eldest son, Mr. Fidelis Nwaze described their mother as an excellent family woman, who raised her children to become responsible, fostered peace and unity, and served God fervently during her lifetime.
Late Mrs. Uzoamaka Chinenye Nwaze is survived by her husband Mazi Fidelis Ogba Nwaze, her seven children, 10 grandchildren, and a host of other relations.
A former GOC 81 Division Lagos, Major General Obi Abel Umahi (rtd); the Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Mr. Austin Nmeregini Okezie; the SSG, Professor Kenneth Kalu; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, and other members of the State Executive Council and senior government officials attended the funeral.