Publisher/editor-in-chief of Nigerian Newsleader Newspaper, Mr Celestine Okafor, has lost his mother-in-law, Mrs Evelyn Happiness Okwosha-Nwabiani.
She passed on at the age of 85 years in her home town Oguta, Oguta local government area, Imo West Senatorial district, Imo state, South East, Nigeria.
Until her death recently, Mrs Okwosha-Nwabiani was a junior school teacher, gifted seamstress and a devout Christian; a respected community matriarch who was renowned for her frank talk on issues affecting individuals and her community.
She was also known for promoting peace, unity and love among individuals, groups, families and community people in Oguta town. Mama Evelyn Happiness, as she was popularly known and referred to in Oguta, was a strong adherent of the Grail Message Movement and a cross bearer of Grail.
Mrs Nwabiani was married for over 50 years to her beloved and highly respected husband of blessed memory, a retired corporate Accountant and also an Oguta titled community leader, Chief Francis Bonny Nwabiani, FBN (the Damanze Ezekpe of Umukwonkomoshi village, Umuenechi clan, Oguta). At the time of her passing a couple of days ago, she was the oldest member of her paternal family, the Nwosu Okwosha family of Umudei clan in Oguta town.
Born in 1939, Mrs Evelyn Nwabiani, the first daughter of Chief (Mrs) Ine Nwabishi, one of the wives of a famous and wealthy Oguta patriarch, Chief Nwosu Okwosha in Umudei village, married at 18 years into the Nwabiani family, one of the most popular and influential families in Oguta town. She has five surviving children out of eight, including Mrs Juliet Nwabiani Okafor, an economist and the managing director/chief executive officer of SeaRoute Communications Limited.
Already, her burial plans, according to a funeral statement by her first son and head of the family, Mr Frank Obiora Nwabiani, an Abuja-based businessman, have begun in earnest and details of which would be made known soon.
She leaves behind five surviving children: Frank Obiora Nwabiani; Marilyn Nwabiani-Ani; Juliet Nwabiani Okafor; Rita Nwabiani-Uzor and Sharon Ngozi Nwabiani, among many grand and great grandchildren.
