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By Henry Akubuiro
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My mother was one of my strong muses, because my third novel, Worth More than Dollars, was inspired partly by her life. It is a story of courage and a good heart. All these combined together meant progress. At all times, she was a humanist to the core. And given that strong inspiration, I thought it was necessary to honour her with that literary outing,” said Camillus Ukah, former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors at her country home, Umuokirika town, Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State.
Born in 1935, Margaret Ukah died at 91. But thirty-three years after her husband passed on, she soldiered on with the family, ensuring that all her twelve children were university graduates. She was also a woman of faith, who co-founded the Charismatic Renewal Ministries in Houston Texas.
Her burial brought together writers, inlaws, community leaders, clergymen, church members, friends, and relatives from far and wide, with Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu, General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries, overseeing the requiem mass.
The ANA delegation was led by Usman Akanbi, ANA President, and his vice, Obari Gomba. Also, Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan, Chairman, ANA Board of Trustees. Professors Olu Obafemi, Razinat Mohammed, and Joe Ushie, members of the board, were also present to honour the late Agu Nwanyi. Emeka Ugbuaba, Ernest Onuoha, among other representatives from ANA Rivers, Bayelsa, Enugu and Imo chapters were also part of the delegation to Umuokrika town, Ahiazu Mbaise.
“I was humbled to see writers come from different parts of the country to honour my mum,” Camillus Ukah told Daily Sun. “Perhaps they felt I deserved it, and they took pains to come here to honour her, and, by extension, honour me. From my brothers, siblings to the villagers, everybody was highly impressed. Seeing the writers’ delegation was an indication I did well as ANA president.”
Gerald Ukah, the first son of the family, was indebted with gratitude to the ANA delegation, who visited the family to honour their late mother. He said: “All of you have been here to express your love for my family. As a matter of fact, it is not only my brother you are relating to but with the entire family. I convey warm greetings from the family to you, especially to our elder statesmen, who took out time from your busy schedules to be with us. God bless you. We are really grateful.
“As I have kept saying, mama has left, but her legacy still remains. I also pray that your legacy of each and every one of you will continue here and hereafter.”
ANA President, Dr. Akanbi responded warmly: “There is nothing we can say to quantify the warm reception you have given to us since we came here. If there is anything we can take away from the family, it is the quiet dignity and unity of the Ukah family. We didn’t see anybody quarreling or fighting. It is exemplary, which we don’t often see in many families.
“It means you have given the right kind of leadership. We are going to do away with this. Our prayer is that you will also have an enduring legacy like mama has left, and you grow from strength to strength. The family has made mama proud. We are leaving here with nice memories of the good things we have seen.”
Professor Femi Osofisan described the former ANA president, Camillus Ukah, as a “hard working and very nice person,” which explained why ANA deemed it fit to visit the family to commiserate with him. For Professor Joe Ushie, “Mama is gone, but she is here. Wherever she is, she is the happiest person.”
Lending his voice, Professor Olu Obafemi told Gerald Ukah: “It is obvious to us that this is a united family and you are going to carry the legacy of the family into the future. The leadership is there; you have demonstrated you can lead. Camillus is also an exemplary leader in his own right.”
Recalling fond memories of his mum, Camillus told Daily Sun: “My mother was a model of strength, fairness and kindness. She was a woman you could not but accord respect that verged on fear, because she had zero tolerance for misbehaviour. She was a positive disciplinarian. When you went out, you wouldn’t want to do certain things, because of the fear mama. She was a positive disciplinarian, who wouldn’t quarrel with you if you were behaving well.
“She was such an exceptional mother that would go out to ensure everybody was okay. We never experienced hunger, not because of abundance but because of her diligence. Looking back, one would think she was very strict, but we didn’t know we were being formed into strong characters – value centred men and women. Whatever we are now is what she put in us.
“Our father was a very pious man but he was not always there, because he was a senior exploration staff. Most of the time, we were with our mother. You can imagine why we named her Agu Nwanyi. She was a lioness who could stand in for both the man and the woman. She was accustomed to strength.
*We will miss her capacity to quell storms, no matter what happens. We will also miss her capacity to bring people together. She redefined motherhood. It is now we are realising the value of roses and lilies she created in her attitude to motherhood.”
The first son of the family, Gerald Ukah, told the crowd of mourners at the funeral: “When I read the bible story of Abraham in the Bible and God appeared to him, asking him to count the stars and he couldn’t count. Those stars Abraham saw, I have seen them over time but from a good heart. You didn’t dare misbehave in her presence. She was a strict disciplinarian, and it was for good. She was a loving, caring mother who was ready to take anything for the family.”
In an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, he added: “I am happy about the discipline she inculcated in us. I That is probably why all of us turned out well. My father was not around most of the time. He was a Shell BP staff in Nigeria, which he joined in 1951. She was one of the first surveyors.
“So my mother played the role of the father and mother at the same time. All the idioms and adages I know today were taught by my mother. She spent more than 25 years in Houston Texas, where she planted fresh spices and vegetables, and would cook Nigerian soup whenever I went to visit her.
“There was no dull moment in her Christian life. She kept getting stronger as a woman of faith. While in the US, she was involved in ministries and church organisations. Whenever she went to church, she took along her bible and sorting materials to take note.
“I will miss her cousine. She cooked ukpa, egusi, and oha very well. Her soup was very unique cooked with natural spices unlike today. She had almost 50 grandchildren, and she had a special name for each of them. As the leader of the family, I have a responsibility to keep the family together, because she kept our family well 33 years after my father died.”
His wife, Dr Florence Ukah, corroborated her husband’s remarks when she noted: “Mama Grace was a welcoming woman, who showed me love from the beginning. She asked me to sit on her lap the day her family came to ask for my mind in marriage. That was something that showed me this was going to be good. Of course, we were the same – the Charismatic Ministry, I was a bit more relaxed. That was a signal point of a way to go. I had my peace. She gave me room to adjust to the family.
“She also taught me how to dish food to multiple people not exactly from your own immediate family.. There was no discrimination. She maintained an open relationship for people to express themselves. Mama was schooled in proverbs, and spoke wisely. She was committed to the things of God. She was a strong, energetic and intelligent woman. She knew how to organise a home.”
From the clergy, Solomon Inikori,
Senior Pastor, Grace and Glory Sanctuary, Charismatic Renewal Ministries, Houston Texas, spoke glowingly about Mama Ukah’s faith: “She was a real solid and foundation member of the Charismatic Ministries in Houston Texas.” He met her right after he graduated with his PhD in 2002, though she had been living in the US before then.
“Then, Camelia Nzenwa, together with my family and mama, started a house fellowship in mama’s house in Houston. Mama was very supportive. All the positions Camelia was able to accomplish in the US wouldn’t have been possible without mama. Because of her difficult marriage, Mama was there to help in raising Camelia’s children.
“Every time we went for the fellowship, mama was very active in the fellowship. Those days, she used to share the Bible in the English language. She was one of our foundation members. Through her support, Camelia started with associate nursing. From there, to LVN. She eventually got her associate degree and then her bachelors, masters and doctorate in nursing. All this support wouldn’t have been possible if mama was there as a solid rock, helping to take care of the children.
“Eventually, the Charismatic church started fully in 2018 in Houston Texas. Mama believed people should be punctual. She didn’t have patience for sternness. From time to time, she would like to encourage us, the pastors, to come early.”
At 83, he recalled, mama Ukah couldn’t drive again, but she found a way to come to church when she discovered, as a senior citizen in the US, she could get the county authorities to pick her from her house and take her to the church before any of the pastors could arrive. She would also attend the African fellowship in the evening.
“Even when she lost Camellia, she praised the Lord for several minutes, and by the time she finished praising the Lord and regained herself, she said, God gave her Camelia, but, if God had decided to take her, she respected God’s judgement. And that was it. I have never seen that kind of faith from an African woman.”
Dignitaries, including Senator Chris Anyanwu and Mr. Frank Nneji, Proprietor of ABC Transport, attended the burial.
