Follow Us on Google
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Grief is often quiet. It settles into the heart, heavy and unseen. But sometimes, grief chooses another path. Sometimes, it walks into the open, carrying food, hope and warmth for others.
That was the story that unfolded recently in Isu-Awaa, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, as Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe and brethren turned family loss into a powerful act of love for 21 communities in Awgu.
Day before the burial of his late mother, Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe, the Executive Vice-Chairman Baywood Group, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe and his brethren made a decision that surprised many and moved even more to think in this direction.
Instead of beginning preparations with feasting and ceremony, he chose to feed the hungry. The result was a large-scale palliative outreach that reached 1,050 families across all 21 towns in Awgu LGA, a gesture rooted not in publicity, but in memory.
The Ibe family event arena in Isu-Awaa Village, Enugu State came alive early that morning. Long before midday, buses rolled in from different directions, bringing beneficiaries from distant towns and rural communities in Awgu local government area. There was no noise of celebration, no music blaring. What filled the space instead was anticipation, respect and hope.
Elderly men stepped down carefully, aided by younger hands. Women held small bags close to their chests. Some came with children, others alone. Some others came uninvited. Many carried the tired look of people used to enduring hardship silently. Others kept dignified calmness anticipating the best.
Neatly arranged within the venue were stacks of food items: bags of rice lined up in clean rows, five-litre gallons of vegetable oil reflecting the morning sun, and packets of seasoning cubes placed beside them. Every item had a destination. Every package represented a family.
Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe did not stand apart from the crowd. He moved calmly through the venue, exchanging greetings, offering nods, speaking softly. Terrified the crowd was more than expected, but had to ensure it’s done as initially planned to avoid chaos.
“This is not charity,” he said. “This is who my mother was.”
He spoke of Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe as a woman whose life revolved around giving, not when it was convenient, but always. To her, generosity was not measured by abundance, but by willingness.
“She could not ignore hunger,” he said. “She could not look away from suffering.”
For him and his siblings, honouring her meant continuing what she started. Feeding the poor before celebrating her burial was not a strategy; it was a duty.
“How can we cook in excess and waste food when people around us have nothing to eat?, he asked.
It was a different kind of funeral preparation. In many communities, funerals are marked by lavish displays. Mountains of food are prepared. Large sums are spent. Often, much is wasted. Emperor Chris Ibe chose to challenge that pattern.
Before a single ceremonial pot was placed on fire, food was sent to homes that needed it most.
Each of the 20 towns in Awgu Local Government Area was allocated 50 beneficiary families. Selection was not done by the Ibe family. It was handled independently by the Save Awgu Forum- SAFE, a grassroots pressure group with coordinators in every community founded by Emperor Ibe.
To ensure inclusion, buses were provided to transport beneficiaries to the venue and back to their communities. No one was excluded because of distance, age or cost. What could have been chaotic was instead calm, organised and respectful.
For the beneficiaries, the outreach was not just about food. It was about dignity.
Ifeanyi Okonta, who travelled from Mgbidi Awgu, said the support changed the mood of his household positively while Christiana Onwualia described the gesture as deeply emotional.
“When someone remembers you at a time like this, you feel seen. You feel valued,” she stated.
The outreach drew quiet praise from observers who saw it as an example of leadership driven by values rather than image.
Mr Lukas Udeagbara, former executive assistant to the Enugu State governor, described the initiative as service in its truest form. He noted that in difficult economic times, such gestures help communities survive festive seasons with dignity.
“When individuals step in like this, they strengthen the social fabric,” he added.
In choosing to honour his mother through service and feeding of 1050 families, Baywood Ibe offered a powerful reminder that true legacy is not announced, it is lived.
At the burial service of Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe , the late matriarch of the Ibe family proper, five Anglican Bishops, governors paid tribute to the great woman who was a lay reader, super dancer even as the family donated a two-storey guest house to the church
Known as Black Indigo, she died at 90. She is survived by eight children, 32 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
At her burial ceremony at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark’s, Isu-Awaa, Awgu Enugu state, the Anglican Bishops present included pioneer Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, who also was the pioneer Bishop of Oji River diocese, Most Rev. Dr.Amos Madu, the Bishop of Afikpo diocese, Rt Rev.Paul Udege, the Bishop of Eha- Amufu Diocese,Rt.Rev Daniel Oliha, the pioneer Bishop of Awgu/Aninri Diocese Rev.Dr Afam Ugwu all came in their full robes.
The Bishop of Oji River diocese, Rev.Dr.Ikechukwu Egbuonu and that of Nike diocese, Rev.Dr.Onyeka Onyia were both represented while over 30 Anglican priests attended the burial ceremony.
Delivering the funeral sermon, Bishop Chukwunweike urged the congregation not to take life for granted, stressing that life itself is sustained only by the mercy of God. He noted that no human being has control over how long they live, but everyone has control over how they live.
Thereafter, the Church services at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, the remains of late Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe was laid to rest in his late husband’s house at Isu-Awaa.
Among the personalities who were at the church service was the Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, former House of Representatives member, Aninri/Awgu/ Oji River Federal Constituency, Hon.Toby Okechukwu; Hon.Chijioke Edeoga and Hon.Ikeje Asogwa, a former chairman of PDP in Enugu State.
Former Aviation Minister, Chief Osita Chidoka, former PDP chieftain, Olisa Metuh and Hon.Martins Chukwunweike were there.
Others include Princess Peace Nnaji’, Dr Dakuku Petersside, Eugene Eneh, Gabriel Oladekpo, Sir Chidi Nwokeabia, Prince Austin Nwankwo, Dr Raph Ezeoma, Dr Mrs Nkoli Anibogu, Dr Emeka Onah,Yakubu Yikassa, Prof.Victor Nnam, Chief Enahoro and many others from different parts of the country.
Baywood commended all for coming to identify with the Ibe family in their activities to mark their late mother’s transition to glorious eternity. He poured encomium on his wife for the bountiful care of love she showered on his late mother, Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe while she lived. He asserted that he is being tempted to visit his in-laws at Obosi and pay her dowry once again, if they permit because of her exceptional, unique manners and care for his family.
Governor Peter Mba of Enugu state; Dr Alex Otti of Abia State; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon.Benjamine Okezie Kalu; immediate governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Senator Osita Izunaso; Senator Osita Ngwu, senate minority whip; executive director Fidelity Bank PLC, Ken Opara; MD/CEO Polaris Bank Limited Kayode Lawal and the chairman of Awgu local government area Hon Uchenna Joseph Okolo all expressed their sympathies to the family.
