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By Ingram Osigwe
When you look at Mrs. Marcelina Ekwutosi Omagie, aka Nwaezebuona (daughter of a king is precious jewellery), you don’t just see a woman who is one of the rare persons to have lived through a century. No! Her cheerful mien and sharp wits belly her age. Rather, who you see is a beautiful soul, a strong, resilient woman who, every day, inspires you to endure and overcome every trial and tribulation of life.
Yes, Mrs. Omagie is a centenarian. Not many, especially in this part of the world with short lifespan, are blessed with longevity. But she is. Mrs. Omagie will be 100 on April 9. God has been good to her. She enjoys good health and uninterrupted grace in her 100 years on earth.
As Mama turns 100, her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren will be rolling out the drums to celebrate a woman whose longevity is seeped in quality of life for, according to Martin Luther King Jnr, “the quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
Though Mama has no biological children of her own, she has spent the better part of her 100 years on earth mentoring the young and old and contributing tremendously to the goodness of humanity, growth of the Catholic church and tranquillity of society.
It is, therefore, no surprise that a plethora of individuals, groups and organisations who have benefited richly from her fountain of love and who see her as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother will be celebrating Mrs. Omagie’s 100th birthday
One of such organisations is the Stella Maris Catholic Church (outstation), Onitsha, Anambra State.
According to snippets from Mrs. Omagie’s chequered life story, a time came when she immersed herself in the work and worship of God and then discovered that life and everything therein was all vanity. Mama thus decided to bequeath all she owned, including the land on which Stella Maris Catholic Church now stands, to God and the betterment of mankind.
On the day the church was dedicated, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Valerian Maduka Okeke, declared that even though Mama had no biological children, all members of the Stella Maris family were her children and would always celebrate her as their matriarch.
This explains the elaborate birthday event the church has lined up for her.
Born on April 9, 1922, in Onitsha, to the family of His Royal Highness, the late Eze Timothy Williams Obiosa Ibuaka, and the late Catherine Ibuaka, from present-day Delta State, Mama, as a kid, spent much of her time in the service of God through membership of various societies in the church, including the Block Rosary and Mary League.
That was after her baptism at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Onitsha, now Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
Her dedication to the church and things of God was to lead her to insist on becoming a nun.
However, her mother thought otherwise and persuaded her to get married. Thus, on December 26, 1944, Mama sacrificed her desire to become a nun for a married life when she tied the knot with Solomon Omagie.
The marriage did not produce children and, following a series of challenges arising from that, Mama travelled abroad, where she combined the work of God with furthering her studies.
In Rome, for example, Mama served the Pope for many years as an altar girl. She was also active in the choir, where she was noted for her exceptional appearance in African apparel.
In the field of education, Mrs. Marcelina Omagie was one of the pioneer Nigerian lecturers at the then University College, Ibadan, now the University of Ibadan. She was in the employ of the university till 1975 when, as a senior lecturer, the then Nigerian leader, General Yakubu Gowon, pleaded with her to proceed to the fledgling University of Maiduguri to help solidify its formation.
The elegant, flowery chapters of Mama’s life, especially her contributions to the growth of the Catholic faith in Nigeria, will not be complete without mentioning her role in the formation of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO).
She was one of the Catholic women in Nigeria who, in 1964, met and birthed the CWO.
April 9 is indeed a date to keep for Mama’s birthday will be a celebration of a salutary life well lived and still living in the service of God and humanity.
The commercial city of Onitsha will come alive as all roads will be leading to Stella Maris Outstation, Onwugbenu Street, GRA, the venue of Mama’s 100th birthday celebration.
According to organisers of the event, Nneoma Lady Maria Ihionu, Dr. Dorathy Ezenwanne and Barr. Lizzy Anyaonu, Mass to herald Mama’s birthday celebration will be officiated by His Grace, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha.
•Chief Osigwe writes from Akokwa, Imo State
