OBITUARY: CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EZINNE LOLO PRISCILLA NWANYIMMA NWAGBARA.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was born in the year 1947 into the family of late Mr. Dick Njoku and late Mrs. Christiana Njoku of Umuokoro Lude Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was the third child in a family of eight.

Ezinne Priscilla Nwagbara started her early child education at St. Bridget Primary School, Nnarambia in Ahiazu Mbaise, where she obtained her primary school certificate. After her primary education, she resorted to assisting her parents in farming and local trading in other to help raise her younger siblings.

Priscilla Nwagbara got married to her heartthrob, Chief A. Nwagbara at a very the age of sixteen in 1963. In the same year 1963, Ezinne Lolo Priscila Nwagbara and her husband worked down the aisle and received their sacrament of matrimony at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ekwereazu, now St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Umuokirika and their marriage was blessed with nine (9) children, three men and six women.

After receiving their sacrament of matrimony, she relocated to Enugu State where her husband was serving as a chief steward to the British Colonial masters. In Enugu State, Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was sent to learn tailoring, bakery and was also sent back to school to acquire a college education by her husband. She finished her college education at C.W.C Enugu and came out with excellent grades.

After her college education, her husband opened a tailoring shop for her in Enugu where she managed while he husband was serving his British masters as she lived in Enugu until the end of the colonial British era, and subsequently, the Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara and her husband later relocated to the village after the breakout of the civil war in1967, at the of which in 1970, Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara started a food vendor business, popularly known as “Mama put” in other to sustain her young family. This was the business she did for many years before her husband’s younger cousin; late Mr. Everest Nwogu introduced her to Echee garri marketing, known as “Ahia Echee”.

She joined the late Everest Nwogu in the garri business which helped her take care of her family needs.

When Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara could no longer cope with the risk of travelling a long distance to Echee for her garri business, she then decided to open a palm oil producing factory and became one of the biggest palm oil producers in and around the Mbaise Nation. This was the major business she did to train all her children through the University.

Ezinne Priscilla Nwagbara was the first Lolo the Obohia Community had during the Ezeship coronation of Late HRH, Eze Leo Okoroanyanwu, where she played major roles during the reign of Late Eze Leo Okoroanyanwu and contributed immensely towards the growth of the then Obohia ancient kingdom and the development of Obohia in general.

She was a major stakeholder and one of the pillars that held the old Christ the king (CKC) Catholic Church Obohia, served in various capacities in the CWO wing of the church and also belonged to many of the church societies, some of which she held major positions for many years.

For instance, Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was the head of CKC Legion of Mary for 8years, CKC Lay readers association for 8years, CKC, CWO for 10 years, the treasurer for 16 years and was also in the choir.

Ezinne Priscilla Nwagbara was a fervent lover of Christ, the church and she devoted all her life in the things of God. She was an embodiment of peace and love. She had so much love for the church that she fought so hard to see one of her sons become a Catholic priest, but as it pleased the Lord, her dream to see any of her son become a priest did not come to manifestation and upon realizing this, she decided to make every priest and seminarian her son and equally treated them same way she would treat her biological sons.

Notable among the priests mama adopted as her sons were, Rev. Fr Augunus Nwele, Rev. Fr. Bede Ukaibe, Rev. Fr. Kirian, Rev. Fr. Joakhim Iheanacho, late Rev. Fr. Dan. and many others.

She was amongst the pioneer members of the then newly created St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Amano Obohia and worked very closely with the first parish priest to see that the church succeeded and to set the standard at which the other priests of the Parish had to follow to make the church what you see today.

It was her contributions towards the church and humanity earned her the noble Ezinne award in 2008.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was the C.W.O president of St. Peter’s Catholic Parish, Amano for eight good years. A great lover of the Blessed Virgin Mary and an advocate of St. Vincent De Poor.

Mama was one of the pillars at which the church of God rested for many years. She loved the poor and a peace ambassador. It was her sacrifice to the poor in her community that gained her the nickname Nne Umuogbenye, meaning, the Mother of the Poor, she gave scholarships to many children who could not pay college school fees and assisted many in paying their University tuitions.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara served as a volunteered member of Ahriazu Primary Healthcare for many years. It was through her sacrifice that Ezinne gained a lot of popularity, name and respect as there was never anyone or family in the entire Ahiazu Local Government who did not feel her presence one way or the other while she served as a primary health worker.

Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara was survived by her husband of many years, Chief A.S Nwagbara, her children, Princess Carol Ngozi, the CEO of Carolina luxury Homes, Mr. Soroibe Nwagbara, the CEO, Soko Furnitures, Mrs. Juliana Ojoh, a Nurse and Midwife, Mrs. Mercy Jen, the MD of Prince and Princess Academy, Mrs. Precious Oboh, a Chartered Accountant, Mrs. Jennifer Onoh, CEO of JENEW HOMES LTD, Bar. Chinedu Nwagbara, founder of LINA Luxury Homes,         Princess Chidimma Onuoha, an Accountant, Mr. Johnson Nwagbara, CEO of FIRSTDAV NIG LTD. 

Mama had 33 Grand children and 4 great grand children.

Even as Ezinne Lolo Priscilla Nwagbara is asleep in the Lord, she had inculcated the spirit of peace and unity among all her nine children and as the bit farewell to their sweet mother, it is their wish that peace and unity she brought them with, would not depart them.