Adieu, Christiana Nnenna Chukwunenye (1935 – 2015)

THE late Christiana Nnenna Chukwunenye, Lolo Omumeagwuaku I of Eziachi, Orlu, Imo State, was born to Nze and Lolo Ihezuo Onumajuru of Umuori, Eziachi, Orlu, on June 4, 1935. Born of titled parents, she got married to a titled man, into a highly titled family and kindred in Eziachi.

She lost her hardworking and loving mother at the tender age of five years and had to be raised by her father and his three other wives. Growing up for her and her junior sister, Elizabeth (now of blessed memory) was difficult. They soon embraced the Catholic faith. Joining other children in church activities such as the Block Rosary soon became her source of hope and courage to carry on in life. She later travelled to Port Harcourt with her father where she was enrolled in school up to Standard Three. She enjoyed schooling and looked forward to going to a secondary school.

Her dream of finishing primary school was truncated, as was the common practice in those years, when a suitable suitor approached her father in 1950 at the age of 15 years. The girl child education then did not have much worth to society.

She got married off to a dashing, educated, young man with a good job in Lagos, who had come back to the village, looking for a spouse. She later completed her primary education through evening school.

In 1951, she travelled to Lagos to join her husband. On the journey, she had some premonition of what lay ahead for her. Life was going to be tough and hard, but God was going to give her many gifts. She indeed faced a lot of hardship on arrival in Lagos. Barely six months later, her sister-in-law’s husband died, leaving behind two young sons that she had to start looking after as if they were her own. It took about three years of trying and seeking help before she had her first son. In all, she delivered nine children.

As the Good Lord continued to bless them, the typical Lagos landlord wahala started. A couple of times, the police had to be called in stop quarrels. Eventually, they decided to buy a bungalow from L.E.D.B. in the early 60s, fulfilling one of the ‘premonitory gifts’. But this was after they had built a set of bungalows in the village.

In 1967 when the civil war started, the family of nine relocated to Eziachi, Orlu LGA, Imo State. Life gradually became very difficult. Even feeding once a day became very difficult for the family. But by the grace of God and hard work, she managed to see her family through the civil war period without losing any member of her immediate family. The civil war period was also characterised by bitter incidents like the road traffic accident on a day with rain storm, when she and the step mother-in-law found themselves suddenly under a lorry, limbs broken, and muddy flood water attempting to drown them. After the storm had stopped, they were rescued from under the lorry by passers-by.

There were also bitter quarrels in the extended family, but the good Lord always sent helpers to rescue her in each situation. After each bitter experience, she sues for peace among all involved.

After the war, the good Lord continued to bless her and her husband and children. The last child was delivered after the war in 1971. By 1972, she started trading in women’s clothing at the famous Tejuoso and Balogun markets in Lagos. By 1974, she was running a provisions shop, having stopped the trade in cloths. She continued trading in provisions until around 1985 when she ventured into bakery, establishing and running the famous Christy Country Bread.

Being lovers of good education, she and her husband expended tremendous amount of money and energy to train their children and children from other families up to the tertiary level, including those whose parents had traumatised them during the civil war period.

On May 29, 2000, she lost her husband following a gruesome attack in his village house.

Lolo died on December 30, 2015 following a brief illness at the age of 80 years, six months and 26 days. May her soul rest in perfect peace, Amen.