FORMER ANAMBRA HOS BURIES MUM AMID EULOGIES
By Regina Igwebuike :
The former Anambra State Head of Service (HOS), Barr. Harry Udu has buried their mother, Mrs Theresa Oguguo Udu, aged 88 amid eulogies.
The burial Mass, which took place at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, Amawbia, Awka South LGA on May 10 was well attended by priests and religious, top government officials, different Church groups, friends and well-wishers.
Commiserating with the family over the loss of their Matriarch, the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo noted that his administration has a great good working relationship with Barr. Udu as the former Head of Service, who worked hard in building Anambra State.
He commended the deceased family and the parishes in Amawbia for adhering to the Anambra Burial Law, noting that the Law was passed far behind before he came on board, which Barr. Udu was instrumental.
“It is very good and I commend that, this effort the government is making to make Anambra a liveable and prosperous homeland is now sinking to the community and that is the journey of Mama Theresa.
“She shared her salary to the people. We must emulate her life, legacy and other virtues.”
The governor said that his administration has given free antenatal and free delivery even with caeserean section. Some of our dreams are being fulfilled by this present administration.
“Mama was a bookworm and produced her likes of Barr. Udu. She would be happy to hear that basic education from Nursery to JSS 3 is absolutely free in public schools in Anambra State because we are preparing our children to be like Mama. We have our libraries equipped with good books, digitalized too.
“The little you can do like Mama will change a lot of things in your family, community, parish and the society.”
The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, then, urged Ndi Anambra to uphold the Burial Law as it saves cost and the money can be diverted to paying school fees for someone in tertiary institution.
Earlier in a homily, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ifesinachi Udu said that the deceased was a compendium and he cannot exhaust saying good things about her; an inspirer, urging the family not to forget her.
“Her father’s efforts were rewarded by naming St. Matthew’s Parish after him.”
Fr. Udu explained that the story of the Beatitudes summarized the life of this great woman.
“She was a unifier. At 88 years, she knew her time was up. She was a bookworm, patron saint of readers, reading for pleasure and being at peace with herself.
“Looking at the story of Beatitudes, she had her fair share of sorrow but she did not allow it to show on her face, always yearning for knowledge, desired to know God, translated it to a piece of her life, always a jolly fellow, smiling and going for visitation anytime she came home from Enugu.”
The cleric expressed concern that the generation of givers are fast leaving this world.
“Mama was a great disciplinarian. A mother indeed who enjoyed every bit of her life and do not joke with her health. Her children are always available for her and I urge the family to immortalize her.
He further said, “the dead are dead when their virtues die in their children, that is when they truly die but when their virtues are copied whole and entire, he or she lives on.
“She touched everyone of us. You can never encounter her without loving her. She enjoyed and still enjoys the love of her children and her grandchildren because she was a unifier when she was alive.
“She remained a woman with sense of God and strong bond with our Mother Mary, which she handed over to her children”.
Fr. Udu emphasized that loneliness, aloneness awaits everyone, urging all to prepare for old age, learn to be alone and at peace with yourself, clinging to God and Mother Mary, even as he advised catholic men and women not to joke with their Bible and Rosary.
He enjoined mothers not to joke with their relationship with God, saying, “the strength of motherhood draws from God. A woman’s womb is a ciborium that helped God bring creatures into the world that is why it is said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”.
The deceased son, Barr. Udu thanked God for the successful burial, commending the priests and religious who came to pray for the repose of his mother’s soul even as he thanked the Parish Priest of St. Matthew, Rev. Fr. Michael Onwukike, for making the arrangement seamless.
He in a special way thanked the governor of Anambra State and government protocols that came to commiserate with them, wishing all journey mercies back to their respective destinations.
*Regina is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State