From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, and other dignitaries, including senators, House of Representatives members, and former Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General John Nwodo, attended the burial of Madam Mary Ogbuinya, mother of Supreme Court Justice Obande Ogbuinya.
Governors Charles Soludo, Peter Mbah, and Hope Uzodimma were represented by their deputies, while Alex Otti attended in person.
Madam Ogbuinya, who died in February 2025 at 105, was laid to rest on Saturday, May 17, in Umuogudu Akpu, Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State. Methodist Archbishop of Ebonyi State, Obineche Igwe, described her as a matriarch who raised her children well and lived a purposeful life.
“If mama did not live the kind of life she lived, if she didn’t raise the kind of family she raised, I am not sure you will have these arrays of big men,” he said.
Igwe urged the living to lead meaningful lives, noting that Madam Ogbuinya’s legacy drew governors and other prominent figures to her funeral. “We celebrate a woman that lived and made impacts,” he added.
Governor Nwifuru called her a woman of inestimable value, saying her death left a deep scar. “Death is a shadow all of us are carrying which does not announce its presence,” he stated. He praised her successful life, highlighted by her son’s rise to the Supreme Court.
Justice Obande Ogbuinya described his mother as a family builder and woman of peace and integrity. “At every opportunity, our late mother preached peace, the first gift Christ bequeathed to his disciples after resurrection, and cordial relationship among people,” he said. He noted that she urged her children to embrace peace and avoid division.