Most things being equal, Mrs. Nkechi Mba, the Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), who narrowly escaped death in a fatal road accident in Ondo State recently, would be back at home before the New Year.
Mrs. Mba, who was in the same private bus conveying her and her other lady friends, including wife of former Senate Leader, Victor Ndom-Egba, Amaka Ndoma-Egba and wife of Anambra State-born politician, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Barrister Mrs. Nnenna Millicent Ukachukwu, miraculously escaped death when she and one other colleague in the bus were flung out of the vehicle when it was rammed into by a truck.
Mrs. Ndoma-Egba and Mrs. Ukachukwu were among those that lost their lives in the accident that involved the truck, the bus the ladies were travelling in and two cars.
The ladies were on their way to the burial ceremony of the mother of Ondo lawyer and politician, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, when the accident happened. Chief Oke’s wife, Nkem Oke, is said to be a mutual friend of the ladies.
Mba, a lawyer by training, and the first female Executive Director of NDPHC, was first rushed to a nearby hospital from where she was whisked in an ambulance to Benin Airport and airlifted straight to the Cedar Crest Hospital, Abuja for urgently needed medical attention.
A family source told GPNews that she had multiple fractures and had to go through surgeries. According to him, “she is now recuperating and doing very well. There were no brain or spinal cord injuries. We give God great praise for His wonders in her life.”
He said she would have been discharged in time for Christmas but that the Doctors wanted to be very sure that everything is in good place.
Stressing that there was nothing that would have warranted Mrs. Mba being flown abroad for further medical care, he noted that Cedar Crest Hospital, being run by Dr. Felix Ogedengbe, is reputed to be one of the best hospitals for orthopedic care in the country and that they have done the best for Mrs. Mba.
Mrs. Mba is one of the daughters of Chief (Mrs) Justina Eze, a popular politician from the South East geo-political zone of the country, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Uzo Uwani constituency of Enugu State in the Second Republic, a one-time Nigerian Ambassador to Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde and Presidential Liaison Officer to the House of Representatives during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency.
Nkechi Mba is said to be a good spirited woman, who enjoys enormous goodwill. The hospital was at the peak of her crisis, said to have been receiving a flood of visitors, all asking to see her or making inquiries about her state of health. Some days, according to hospital sources, there were between 1000 and 2000 people trying to see her or asking after her, but the hospital had to restrict access to her.
Family members, classmates, especially at the Law Faculty of the Abia State University and the Nigerian Law School, colleagues at work and other well wishers, especially those whose lives she has impacted in one way or the other began fervent prayers across the world for her survival once news of the accident filtered out and later, prayers for her full recovery.
She represents the South East zone on the Executive Management of the NDPHC, having been appointed to the coveted position in October this year.
