The Esther of Abia State

Comrade Obinna

In Nigeria’s present democracy, the noted achievements of some great women in politics have altered the mindset of the world at large that the successful stories of  our democracy is a stillborn. Some of these great women-cum-amazons have contributed immensely to the growth of Nigeria’s democracy.

Abia women are also in this elite group but there is a special species among them who has cut a niche for herself through her selfless service to humanity and care for the poor, earning her many names, including the Golden Mother of Abia State, the Transformer of Widows’ Lives, the Merchant Provider of the Underprivileged, a trailblazer, an Amazon who has tasted different sides of life and weathered the storm to become who she is today. She is the founder of  Vicar Hope Foundation (VHF), Her Excellency, Mrs. Nkechi Caroline Ikpeazu, aka Nee Nwakanma.

Daa Nkee or Nee Nwakama as, she is frondly called by her loved ones, is the wife of the incumbent governor of Abia State. She is an alumna of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and ESUT, with a master’s degree in Management and currently on a PhD programme in Abia State University, Uturu.

Mrs. Ikpeazu is a deaconess and active member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is a rare kind of Christian mother who has touched so many lives and taken the art of womanhood to an enviable height.

Daa Nkee started her humanitarian work with Vicar Hope Foundation to help the underprivileged within and outside Nigeria. Today, VHF has taken up the responsibility of providing good healthcare for mother and child in Abia State, treating cancer, diabetes and sickle cell patients and it has erected buildings for some indigent widows, orphans and widowers in Abia.

Mrs. Ikpeazu, through Vicar Hope Foundation, gave more than 100 furnished houses to indigent widows, orphans, widowers and so on in the statel; some of the beneficiaries are:

1.   Mr. Isaac Otuji

2.   Mrs. Happiness Nweke (63 years old)

3.   Mrs. Ngozi Nwaeze (37)

4.   Mrs. Ahaoma Nkube (43)

5.   Mrs. Oluchi Anyanwu (68)

6.   Mrs. Lovina Emenike, and others.

This is an act of assisting and bringing succour to the indigent in society.

It is necessary at this point to erase the negative notion by some people against the Vicar Hope Foundation as the only non-governmental organisation funded by Abia State government. This is a lie.

It is evident and known by most good people of Abia State that Vicar Hope Foundation is funded by appeals to some companies, prominent/wealthy men and women in society.

Vicar Hope Foundation is currently building a sickle cell hospital/cancer diagnosis and treatment center in Umuahia. This is hinged on Daa Nkee’s quest to offer subsidized treatment to the above mentioned patients.

On the ground of scholarship, Daa Nkee, the Esther of Abia State, offered university, secondary and primary school scholarships to over 500 residents, comprising those from Abia, Imo, Enugu, the northern states, etc, residing in Abia State. This confirms that Daa Nkee is a Unique Amazon that detests discrimination and marginalisation. The best graduating student of Daa Nkee’s alma mater, Girls High School, Aba, benefited from the scholarship.

This is in order to support the developed blueprint of His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Executive Governor of Abia State, to make education in Abia the envy of other states.

The First Lady has also urged stakeholders in education to key into Dr. Ikpeazu’s new education vision for the state.

Abia civil servants have applauded Her Excellency for her selfless service to humanity and as the bedrock of the new minimum wage paid to civil servants by the state government.

Daa Nkee’s exceptional qualities, service to humanity and programmes have created awareness not only in Abia State but in Nigeria as a whole. This also gained her recognition across the West African region.

Apart from Daa Nkee’s free house scheme, her other developmental programmes, like building and rehabilitation of community markets, health care centers, youth and women empowerment, skill acquisition, etc, have proved that Abia’s Golden Mother is an ideal woman of virtue.

Daa Nkee’s obsequiousness went beyond Abia people’s expectations when, in the midst of prominent men and women and other political juggernauts, she gave financial support to underprivileged primary schoolchildren. She also de-wormed thousands of Abia primary school kids.

These great achievements brought the Abia First Lady international recognition as the Golden Mother of the state. The Esther of our era, whose support for women’s development drastically changed the rural women’s view on economic issues.

Today, Daa Nkee has encouraged Abia women to render selfless service to humanity and tread in the stormy political terrain of Nigeria.

To crown it all, Mrs. Ikpeazu is an epitome of honesty, hard work, generosity and dedication to the service of God. A mother who champions the cause of persons who had nobody, like the biblical Esther.

Mrs. Ikpeazu has distinguished herself in the state and country as one of the most passionate, dedicated and caring mothers in the midst of Nigerian states’ First Ladies. It is obvious that, if Nigeria’s democracy thrives, amazons like Daa Nkee will continue to emerge.

I say kudos to our dear Esther of Abia State. Keep rolling the ball to grace the post of  the underprivileged in Abia State.

Igbalala, Imela, Kaa woo, Ndewo!

•Comrade Obinna