The last of the Titans!: Omo-Oba, Ezinne Okwukwe, Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi – nee Openibo ( June 05, 1937 – August 12, 2023) By Professor Echefuna’ R.G. ONYEBEADI

BIOGRAPHY  

Our mother, Omo-Oba, Ezinne Okwukwe, Madam Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi [nee OPENIBO], was a wonderful and very exceptional woman. Having crossed the various boundaries and diverse stations in life with all its trepidations, tribulations, trials, challenges, and triumphs; and, having survived them all till her last breath on earth, our mother must have been an extraordinary human being!

An only daughter and third child out of five siblings, all of whom are now late, from the loins of late Omo-Oba, Madam Laura Adekunbi Kester of Oyomesi in Oyo, Oyo State and late Oloye, Pa Daniel Aina Openibo of Epe in Epe LGA of today’s Lagos State, our mother traversed the unusual and the unimaginable.

A completely detribalized woman, a polyglot, a legend, an icon, a trailblazer, an enigma and a woman of many parts, our mother was indeed a “men” with clear focus and a sense of direction. Our mother was a very easygoing, lovely and affectionate jolly good fellow who went about doing good to all manner of people which most of the time, she never knew before!

Providence brought our mother and our father of blessed memory, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi, together when such a union was uncommon against all odds especially across cultural, ethnic and traditional divides among others.

A loving and very compassionate woman, our mother,  Omo-Oba, Ezinne Okwukwe, Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi [nee OPENIBO] was an epitome of motherhood who was completely dematerialized and a highly contented woman. She married our beloved father of blessed memory when it was against the tide then to marry outside one’s tribe. Our mother was a thorough breed Yoruba woman while our father was of the Anioma extraction from Issele-Uku in today’s Delta State.

Our mother broke record and stood out very conspicuously to date as the only person from her lineage and siblings that have married outside her Yoruba tribe even when doing so then was regarded as sacrilegious thus, effectively complemented my father’s nationalistic and completely detribalized nature. She remained the only person out of her direct siblings that ventured to marry outside her local tribe to date.

A virtuous and exemplary role model in home management, humility and creativity, our mother as the only female child of her parents, started early enough in life to play the role of a wife and a mother long before she got married to our father. She was a mother of many nations and a mother of many children from her own loins. She has a total of nine surviving biological children today out of which are five males and four females who are now grandparents in their own rights.

To the glory of God Almighty, all of our mother’s biological children are graduates of tertiary Institutions and have all excelled in their various fields of endeavours.  Her eldest child and first son is an Emeritus Professor of Engineering Economy and a Strategic Management Expert while her eldest daughter is a retired senior civil servant in the directorate cadre of the Delta State Civil Service and leading two other younger ones who have also retired from Federal and State Civil Service. All her children have since distinguished themselves in their chosen careers and professions in various and varied fields in her life time!.

Our mother, Omo-Oba, Ezinne Okwukwe, Madam Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi [nee OPENIBO] was given birth to on June 05, 1937 at Mercy Hospital now known as Island Maternity, Lagos State.  She was born into the cerebral, royal, distinguished and Christian family of late Oloye, Pa Daniel Aina Openibo of Epe, Lagos State. She was well groomed by her parents particularly by her late father to be able to face possible future challenges in this uncertain world. She grew up in a very disciplined, cultured and God fearing family environment where she learnt early enough in life that hard work does not kill neither is it a disease!

Omo-Oba, Ezinne Okwukwe, Madam Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi [nee OPENIBO] had her early education at the (old) Epe Government Standard School, Epe, in today’s Lagos State, where she finished her standard six and passed out in flying colours. Having obtained the first school leaving certificate, she proceeded immediately thereafter to the then Modern School at Epe after which, she moved on to West Guild Hospital at Ilesha in today’s Osun State, South West Nigeria where she first trained to become a qualified and certified nurse/midwife. She also attended other training programmes of tertiary Institutions standard.

Not done yet with her pursuit of academic excellence and spirituality with a perennial yearning for  self-improving acquisition of knowledge even at old age, our mother, a deeply religious woman of the Roman Catholic faith, enrolled for a six years programme at the School of Evangelization, Benin City where she graduated September 30, 1995 with a double Diploma, first in Discipleship  and subsequently in Apostleship under the general superintendence of Archbishop Most Reverend Dr. Patrick Ekpu  and direct guidance of  Sister Angelita both of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City.

Ma’mi as our mother was fondly called by me, was a woman with a large heart, a very generous soul, magnanimous even in victory, a committed Christian, community leader, positive influencer and an embodiment of simplicity who was in tune with nature.

In recognition of our mother’s selfless contributions to the service of God Almighty and humanity in general as well as her quiet evangelization for the growth of the Christian faith, the Catholic Church in Asaba, having taken appropriate notice of her humble efforts, honoured her by conferring on our mother the well-deserved prestigious tittle of EZINNE OKWUKWE of the Roman Catholic Church September 04, 2014.

An outstanding woman of great unquantifiable virtues, our Matriarch, our own special jewel of inestimable value, burden bearer, bridge builder across diverse boundaries, peace maker extraordinaire, a very devoted Christian, grandmother, great-grandmother, our mother never remarried until the end of her life after the demise of her husband, my own father, over 39 years ago and continued to tirelessly hold forth over the years till the very end.

Our mother’s gradual journey back to her creator painfully started a little over two years ago when she was taken to a private hospital at Asaba for what ordinarily would have been a routine checkup but ‘Nigeria’ happened to her there! Her wellbeing wasn’t properly managed! She walked into the said hospital but eventually returned home in a wheelchair on the eve of her birthday. What a very sad and painful experience!

Our mother’s sun eventually set at past noon, August 12, 2023 when she finally journeyed back to her Creator.

Ma’mi, may your soul departed continually find peace with your Creator even as your Spirit lives on!

ADIEU MA’MI! REST ON NNEM!

Professor Echefuna’ R.G. ONYEBEADI [DBA; PhDs etc]

Eldest Child & First Son.