By Senator Theodore Orji
It was Francis Bacon, British statesman and philosopher who observed that ‘it is natural to die as to be born ‘This is congruent with an earlier quote by Shakespeare that ‘death, as a necessary end will come when it will.’
Death, the end of Man’s journey on earth struck in Abia Central Senatorial District snuffing life out of two exceptional and most celebrated matriarchs, former first ladies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Eastern Region comprising the Southeast and South of today, Ladies Victoria Aguiyi Ironsi and Adanma Okpara.
These Ladies experienced the darkest segment of our history as General Johnson Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi was brutally assassinated in a counter coup in 1966, while Dr M I Okpara, Premier of Eastern Region went on exile at the Demise of Biafra.
Victoria and Adanma, in a fatal coincidence are no more today having gone the way of all mortals. They highly exemplified the biblical virtuous woman and brought to the fore the dictum that marriage is for better and for worse.
By their exits, Umuahia North LGA, Abia in general and as a matter of fact, the entire Nation, have been robbed of mother-figures whose lifestyles, stoicism and amiability will be greatly missed for a long time to come.
These Grand Ladies, epitomes of rare motherhood departed at the same time and same age having achieved so much, keeping their families and communities intact.
It could be rightly argued that what their spouses lost in age were added to theirs as compensation for loyalty and uncommon diligence. Spectacularly they were a few years shy of one hundred!
May their souls rest in peace as we pray to God to give us another like them who in all ramifications, through thick and thin upheld family values.
I urge their families, the State and the Federal Governments to assist in keeping their legacies alive as to immortalize them while at the same time, serving as veritable guides for the future generations, especially in these decadent days when missiles are guided and men misguided.