Tribute to Lolo Cecilia Adimkaibe Ozor (1943-2018)

Lolo Cecilia Adimkaibe Ozor was born 75 years ago to the family of Ozo Ochinanwata Aninefungwu Odar’nugbo-Eze and Lolo Nwakwonazu Ani of Enugu State. She died on November 27, 2018.

It was so as the couple waited for years of marriage without the blessing of an issue. They built their faith on Ezechitoke (God the creator) who they had with humility, over the years offered supplications to waiting for their prayers to be heard.

And indeed, their prayer was heard and the birth of the new damsel, Onugu opened the gate for others to follow; but not without losing four children before the survived ones as Uzuenyi, Tonia, Prince Okey and Caroline in that other.
Onugu came and was named thus but in reverence, we called her Oyio. Oyio grew up with an ever-dying beauty and succulent body to behold. Indeed, she was a fascinating brain and beauty.

Oyio had the opportunity to benefit from western education but could not; Not because the parents were not with the matching resources but for the obvious reason of Oedipus attachment to her father who was a textile merchant, and the believe then but wrong notation that Women’s Education ends in the Kitchen.

Getting tired of the issues bothering on nostalgia around her daughter, Ochi chose to be making his business journeys with her baby. It was on this expedition that Oyio was exposed to the idiolects of the people of Uburu, Nike, Igbo- Oda to mention a few as she participated with her father in daily haggling before a price could be fixed for the textiles.

Traveling, according to the Chinese is part of education. Oyio was thus exposed to life. On maturity, she was a beauty to behold and suitors began to fall on each other seeking for her hand in marriage. The lot eventually fell on the handsome and athletic Didigwu Ozor of Umudiewa Ohemuje Aku in that year of our lord.

Marrying Didigwu brought along blessings of far reaching levels as Oyio went into the Didigwu Ozor family with innate affluence and influence typical of her paternal background. Consequently her husband became a renowned farmer, hence his Ozor title name
‘Amadijiogu’ meaning the intimidating farmer with intimidating hoe.

Oyio’s journey was never expected so soon. It came like the slow precipitation of the acidic rain. It started with headache, which snowballed to paralysis. Its epic was that Oyio could no long visit Eke Aku but rather became a regular visitor to many hospitals within and outside the town until that eclipse fell on us on November 27 , at Adoration Breeze Hospital Emene –to Attah Memorial Hospital Aku where she finally yielded to the urgly clutches of death.

That day will never be forgotten and forgiven. Just as we were on toes dancing with our daughter ‘Ada Ora’ Stephanie Ani and her husband on the occasion of their Igbankwu, the atmosphere changed. The hitherto beaming faces of relations suddenly got compressed with sadness written all over them. Nobody had the courage to break the news till the end of the ceremony and we all drove to Ohemuje and found Oyio no more.

Go in peace Adimkaibe. Farewell our ever brain and beauty. Goodbye our mother general as you will continue to sleep in peace in the boson of the lord because you saw no evil heard no evil and did no evil to humanity while serving God. Adieu. She is survived by: Ozo Didigwu Amadijiogu Ozor –husband and children: Chijindu Ozor ; Chijioke Ozor; Okwudili Ozor ; Mrs. Chinero Ochi (nee Ozor); Chieso Onu Ozor ; Prince Okey Ani (brother) and other numerous relations.