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…As President Tinubu, Minister Doro, Senators Abaribe, Ned Nwoko, Dino Melaye, others shower encomiums on Mama Kalu
From Aidoghie Paulinus and Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
Saturday, July 4, 2026, was remarkable . It brought joy, celebration and merriment- all in honour of Elder Chief Mrs. Eunice Uzor Kalu, the matriarch of the Uzor Kalu family and mother of the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who clocked 79.
Kalu and his spouse, Mrs. Ifunnaya Kalu, and the entire family brought together, friends and well-wishers from all spheres of life to celebrate a mother of all. From the National Assembly to the judiciary, to captains of industry and the diplomatic community, they all came in their numbers to grace the occasion of Mama Kalu.
In attendance were Senators Ned Munir Nwoko, Agom Jarigbe, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, Neda Bernards Imasuen, Sadiq Suleiman Umar, Adeyemi Adaramodu, Eteng Jonah Williams, Patrick Chukwuma Ndubueze, Uche Ekeunife and Dino Melaye, among others.
Also in attendance were the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Mohammed Doro; the immediate past Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Wale Edun; immediate past Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye; Nigerian Ambassador-Designate to Jamaica, Jane Bassey Adams; chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko; and the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nze Chidi Duru.
Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chris Uche and his brother, Goddy Uche, and their spouses, Ijeoma and Uloma Uche, also graced the occasion.
In a resplendent and very fascinating manner, Chief Chris Uche toasted to the good health, long life, more prosperity and everlasting happiness of Mama Kalu.
Speaking with Daily Sun, Doro congratulated Mama on her 78th birthday.
Doro said: “As you can see, she is quite happy with the crop of people that are surrounding her, that have come to celebrate with her. It shows the person that she is and how she has kept relationship over the years. So, we can only but wish her long life and prosperity, that she will enjoy more fruitful years ahead.”
Also speaking, Kennedy-Ohanenye said Mama is the Mother of Igboland and wished her long life, good health, protection and preservation of life.
“This is the Mother of Igboland. My name is Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the former Minister of Women Affairs. I am here to celebrate our Mama, our Golden Mother, Diamond Mother, we are happy. I wish her long life, good health, protection and preservation of God. That is what I wish her. She has many more years. People are 100, she has more years to go. So, I am happy,” the former minister said.
On his part, Nwoko wished Mama many more happy and healthy years.
The senator representing Delta North said: “She looks happy, she looks healthy, and she has everything she wishes for and I am sure everybody here also wishes her the same.”
Nwoko also said Mama’s life has been a glorious life, saying: “We all want and wish we had mothers like her. For me, I lost my mother many, many years ago. So, I always wish I had a mum like her who is there for her son and the family. So, we wish her all the best.”
In his kind sentiments, Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, wished Mama great life, saying that Mama is already blessed.
“At 79, you have crossed so many hurdles and only God has gotten her to this stage. So, we continue to ask God to bless her and continue to hold her up and be a blessing to humanity, in Jesus’ name,” Abaribe prayed.
Joining the array of well-wishers was the former senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, who wished Mama long life and prosperity.
“She has given birth to great children. I pray that the Almighty God will keep her in good and sound health so that we will be here again to celebrate her 90th birthday, by the grace of God,” Melaye said.
In his goodwill message, the senior Uche said: “Another 79 years added to her life in good health, in wealth, in happiness and in great joy.”
In his remarks, Kalu, former two-term Governor of Abia State, wished Mama good, long life.
Kalu expressed the regret of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who could not attend the event, but assured he would be part of Mama’s 80th birthday.
“I want to wish Mama happy 79th birthday and President Tinubu wishes her long life because Mama loves the President and the President loves Mama,” Kalu said.
Responding, Mama told Daily Sun that, at 79, she was fine and feeling so good.
At 79, Mama wished herself every good thing.
Asked if she would loved to live up to 100, Mama said: “I can’t say, God will decide.”
When told that her well-wishers would love she lived beyond 100, Mama said: “I don’t know, God knows.”
Speaking further, Mama wished Nigeria the best and every good thing.
