Chimrose Educational Consultancy And General Services
Analysing social, economic, political, educational, environmental and general issues with the aim of providing solutions to them.
Monday, 15 October 2018
Chimrose Educational Consultancy And General Services: CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO’S COMMENT ON PEOPLE’S DEM...
Chimrose Educational Consultancy And General Services: CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO’S COMMENT ON PEOPLE’S DEM...: It is very unfortunate that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo should be talking about PDP in this manner. The relationship between PDP and Obasan...
Thursday, 29 June 2017
ABIGAIL LUCY
AGU (1925-2017)
BIOGRAPHY OF MAMA, MRS. ABIGAIL LUCY AGU
In the early hours of Monday, May 15 2017, a call came from
my elder brother Dee Ngozi. Surprise was registered all over me that Dee Ngozi
could call me around 1.00am. Quite unlike him, lo and behold he dropped the
bomb/news that our mother had just died few minutes ago. That was the end of my
sleep. The bed, the room and every aspect of the environment was no longer
friendly to me. That was a rude shock. I was confused but later took solace in
the fact that she had at least achieved some things before her death and that
she died a peaceful death.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Mama was born at Umuene presently known as Umugwu village in
Alaoma Community, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area in Abia State in the
family of Nwosuagwu. Grandpapa Nwosuagwu died when mama was very young. We
doubt if mama could pick on any face that looked like her father’s. It was her
mother and she that constituted what could be referred to as members of
Nwosuagwu’s family - just a family of two members; mother and
daughter. So it can be said that Grandpa Nwosuagwu’s direct members of his
family finally disappeared from planet earth on the 15th of May,
2017, the day our mother died, leaving their grand children and a great
grandchild behind. May God grant them a
safe and successful journey that everyone present here and the world at large would appreciate with thanks to Almighty God on the day of Christ’s second
coming in Jesus name.
As fate would have it, our grand mother died young. She died
when our mother could easily be described as a young mother. The third child of
my mother then had not started secondary education when she died.
LONGEVITY
Contrary to her parents, mama died at a mature age of 92
years irrespective of teething hurdles marriage and life created.
OCCUPATION
Our mother embarked on various kinds of occupations in order
to cater for her children. As it was common then mama’s first occupation was
farming and later ,she developed interest in hair-dressing. She went into
trading. This led to her opening a provision store. She ran a provision store
at the popular Ariaria Market. This business too was shattered by
over-submissiveness. She later went into
firewood business. The same phantom of submissiveness hunted her and brought the
business to an unexpected collapse.
Mama tried to earn reasonable money that could enable her to
take care of her children but misfortune came knocking, using her marital relationship to shatter her
dreams in life. In her attempt to learn and start hair dressing business,
marital relationship misinterpreted it as an attempt by her to go into harlotry
and unfaithfulness. Her over-submissiveness in marriage could not allow her to
run her business independently and making provision for saving for capital
formation and enlargement. This placed her in a tight corner which could not
allow her to meet the demand of her children to reach the very enviable heights
they aspired. She and her children were hunted by this stigma infinitesimally or
remarkably, closer friends and relatives can bear witnesses to this. We all
have our sense of judgment to carry out this analysis, assessment and
quantification. Not that Abigail Lucy Agu lacked the love for her children, she
was simply misunderstood, misconstrued and her business efforts misinterpreted.
Daa Abi was unlucky in marriage. Daa Lucy’s unfortunate marital relationship,
killed her dreams, earned her condemnations and destructive criticisms and
brought unnecessary challenges and difficulties which negatively affected her
until her last day on earth. It may not also be wrong to say that Daa Abi/Daa
Lucy made some mistakes which could have
badly affected her family. As a human, she could not have been infallible. And
since none of us can claim infallibility,
we could have forgiven her. This is why we are here to give her the last
respect before she finally departs to her creator.
INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP
Mama was very friendly. As a child, I did not witness her
exchange words, bandy or argue with anybody in anger. This is a rare and noble
quality in a world of today full of envy and malice.
PRACTICAL
DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE AND FRIENDLINESS BY MAMA
Mama always smiled. One of mama’s hubby was bathing of babies
on behalf of their mother during the early stages of child birth. Mama believed in peaceful living. Mama knows how
to make people smile even in times of
challenges.
She did not like a
situation in which she would be given “meat and stabbed on the back”. She used
to advise us that it is better to drink garri and leave peacefully than eating
a whole cow and quarrelling.
In place of envy, my mother will tell the achiever that he or
she is not the cause of her failure or inability to achieve and congratulate
the person. O bugi ngharam uba (Igbo interpretation)
CHRISTIAN LIFE
Mama would go to church and encourage her children to do so.
She was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. She was a choir until
old-age marked came calling.
NEATNESS
Mama detested dirtiness. She would always like to ensure that
the environment I is clean.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Mama was blessed with children whom God Almighty kept
guiding, providing and protecting in their life struggles. Permit me to also say that this is where Mama Abigail Lucy
was blessed on planet earth. She bore children that can pass for responsible
humans from her last child to the eldest.
I make bold to say that this is an achievement using the
Lagos environment where one of her
children resides. Situations abound
where the so-called united and wealthy parents
spend their money, begging their children to live good lives to no avail but none of
Lucy’s children belong to this breed of children.
Her children have been guided by God Almighty to be good citizens of Nigeria
and ambassadors of Christ, at least till her death and forever through Christ,
our Lord Amen.
Anybody with evil plan to re-write what God has written in
this family did not come here today and will never come in Jesus Name.
In a world full of undaunting challenges, a woman who lived
up to the age of 92 cannot be said not to have achieved.
She has left five(5) men on earth, with nineteen grand
children, one great child and five daughters-in-law.
SURVIVED BY:
a. Sons namely:
I.
Chikezie
Richard Agu 1st
Son
II.
Gabriel
Ngozi Agu
III.
Lawrence
Eze Agu
IV.
Chiemela
Newman Agu
V.
Robinson
Ugochukwu Nnanna Egbu-Agu
b. Daughters-Inlaw
namely:
I.
Eziaku
Agu
II.
Gold
Agu
III.
Josephine
Patience Agu
IV.
Harrietta
Egbu-Agu
V.
Rosemary
C. Agu
GRAND CHILDREN
1.
Bestman
Agu
2.
Caroline
O. Akachi (Mrs)
3.
Obinna
Agu
4.
Chimaobi
Agu
5.
Glow
Agu
6.
Adanna
C. Agu
7.
Doris
Agu
8.
Derrick
Chinonso Egbu-Agu
9.
Emmanuel
Ikechukwu Egbu-Agu
10.
Mary
Chioma Egbu-Agu
11.
Prosper
Chigozie Egbu-Agu
12.
Patrick
Chidozie Egbu-Agu
13.
Bright
Agu
14.
Glory
Agu
15.
Chidinma
Agu
16.
Uchechi
Precious Agu
17.
Rex
Chinedu Agu
18.
Chinaza
Victor Agu
19.
Noble
Agu
GREAT GRAND CHILD
Master David Akachi
R.C. Agu
for the family
ABIGAIL LUCY AGU
– SOME NOTABLE INTERPRETATIONS OF
MAMA
Mama means different things to different people. Having noted
this, I have been moved to state some of them here.
Description of this great and lovely woman has come in different ways by people who know her.
If you say that she was a girl who had no father,
brothers and sisters but very pretty as a young girl you are right. If you say
that she was unfortunate to the extent that
her ambition and dream were
misconceived in her chosen career, interest and passion you are a great
analyst. And this was what seemed to make her journey on earth very
disappointing but we thank God for his infinite mercy who made it possible for
her to live up to a very mature age before she bowed out this terrestrial
planet. And this also gave her sojourn on earth different interpretations by
different people. The whole scenario was suffered by her hardworking,
gentle, and amiable children. This also negatively affected the
tall dreams of her gentle and positively unique and enduring children. So, if
you have the impression that circumstances and mother luck were not favourable
to her choice of trade as they did not get the approval of her husband or got
the approval but was mismanaged or both you are correct. Over submissiveness and too much belief in
her husband, did not help matters. At the end of the day, the woman seemed to
have been misinterpreted as her chosen trade did not get the nod of her first
husband and over submissiveness for her second husband, dashed her hope of
giving her children the much needed push and support to climb in life. The
children suffered this till she finally bowed out of life.
However, her children cannot be said to be the worst hit in
the difficult terrain of life. What could be ascribed as the worth-while-ness
of this write-up is that the desire to
climb and get to the apex of mountain of life is very warm and manifest in her
children but for this bitter dose of fate.
May the name of God be praised for He knows it all. He is the
master of destiny.
AGU, C.N.
Saturday, 15 October 2016
Re: Economic legacy: APC chief, Balarabe Musa tackle Jonathan
Friday, September 30, 2016
Wishing Nigeria more bumpy roads at 56
September 30, 2016
Tayo Ogunbiyi
With the nagging reality of economic recession, it is quite
unlikely that the drums would be rolled out to celebrate Nigeria’s 56th
anniversary on Saturday. Without a doubt, these are hard times for our dear
nation. The signs are, indeed, not palatable. There is hunger in the land. Of
course, once hunger establishes its foothold in any place, anger is bound to
surface. Thus, there is hunger-induced anger in the land. At the home front,
husbands and wives are increasingly getting mad at each other. Palpable tension
is everywhere. At the slightest provocation, people easily flare up. Domestic
violence is on the increase. At major newspaper stands across the country,
members of the “Free Readers Association” engage in animated squabbles that
often lead to free for all. That hunger has given rise to anger in the land is,
thus, not an understatement.
Characteristically, frenzy prayers are being offered across
various religious centres in the country. Mission: For our nation to be free
from its many troubles.
“Oh God, please put an end to the troubles of our nation” has
now become a major prayer point in different worship
centres. Since nothing is impossible with the Almighty God,
Nigerians are, understandably, knocking on the gates of the Most High for an
end to the nation’s many woes.
But then, as our nation turns 56, my wish and prayer for the
nation differ quite sharply from that of my other compatriots. At 56, my
wish for Nigeria is for her troubles to multiply; for her to be embroiled in
tougher challenges and battles. My wish is for the country to be entangled in
additional complicated circumstances, issues and problems. Before one is
accused of all sorts, let me affirm that my stance in this respect stems from a
patriotic standpoint that is stimulated by the stark reality that without
troubles, difficulties, challenges and complicated stuffs, no individual,
nation, or society could really make the needed head start. Troubles, fierce
challenges and perils are the major ingredients required to attain greatness.
In 1964, foremost social activist and educationist, Tai
Solarin (1922-1994), wrote a controversial article titled, “May Your Road Be
Rough”. At the beginning of the contentious piece, Solarin wrote: “I am not
cursing you; I am wishing you what I wish myself every year. I therefore
repeat, may you have a hard time this year; may there be plenty of troubles for
you this year! If you are not so sure what you should say back, why not just
say, ‘Same to you’? I ask for no more”.
While trying to clarify his stand on the subject, Solarin
wrote: “When my sisters and I were young and we slept on our small mats round
our mother, she always woke up at 6a.m. for morning prayers. She always said
prayers on our behalf but always ended with something like this: ‘May we not
enter into any dangers or get into any difficulties this day.’ It took me
almost thirty years to dislodge the canker-worm in our mother’s sentiments. I
found, by hard experience, that all that is noble and laudable was to be
achieved only through difficulties and trials and tears and dangers. There are
no other roads.”
Though many people misinterpreted Solarin’s prayer as a
curse, but the main intent is to bring to the fore the intricate relationship
between the bumpy roads of life and success. The bottom line is that success is
not achieved on a platter of gold. It comes through continuous struggles and
battles on the turbulent waters of life. In Solarin’s words, life, if it is
going to be abundant, must have plenty of hills and valleys. It must have
plenty of sunshine and rough weather. It must be rich in obfuscation and
perspicacity. It must be packed with days of danger and of apprehension.
At 56, it will not be far from the truth if one concludes
that Nigeria remains a crawling toddler. This is largely because we have always
preferred the easy route to greatness. Our Independence was more or less got on
a platter of gold. As if that was not enough, we suddenly struck oil. Thus,
began a life of misplaced allure and grandeur. At the height of our nation’s
stupendous oil wealth, a former Head of State was quoted to have said that:
“Money is not Nigeria’s problem but how to spend it”. Thus, we virtually
squandered our oil wealth. Today, there is trouble in the global oil market.
Thus, unlike what the rookie Head of State had affirmed,
money has now become our nation’s problem. Most states cannot pay salaries. The
Federal Government cannot fund its budget. Companies are downsizing. From all
indications, trouble is here. Yet, at 56, trouble and more troubles are what we
actually need to get our act together. Most of the developed world democracies
thrive under difficult situations and conditions. Ours cannot not be an
exception.
Current trouble times, if well-managed, could, indeed, be a
blessing in disguise. The lull in the international price of oil could be an
opportunity for us to eventually focus on the non-oil sector upon which our
fore fathers built the nation’s prosperity. Now that we are groaning under
severe economic burden is the exact time to pay adequate attention to other
sectors where unlimited opportunities for job and wealth creation as well as accelerated
economic and industrial growth abound.
We could take a cue from the nation of Israel which turned a
huge geographical adversity into gains to become a renowned global
agro-economy. We could also draw huge lessons from China which bounced back from
a great famine that took millions of lives between 1958 and 1961 to become the
world numero uno in food production. The Singaporean model as illustrated
by the late pioneer Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, has equally shown us that
bumpy roads are crucial necessities for national rebirth.
Going back to Solarin’s postulation, life will be worthless
and unchallenging without rough roads. It is the rough paths of life that
provide the desirable impetus for greatness. Therefore, at 56, here is wishing
Nigeria many rough roads.
God bless Nigeria.
- Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
My
people, let us have a bit of the taste of joy and comfort at least for
experience sake. Let us not die crying, staggering, stumbling, wobbling and
fumbling on the rough road and die finally. Tie Solarin, one of our greatest
fathers once had a good taste of life. Many graduates in this country may not
have access to some of the good things Tai Solarin enjoyed while alive even at
the starting point in life of the late sage and educationist.Many people cannot
even comment as yours sincerely comment on some of the national issues for fear
of being killed by the mighty, wealthy and most powerful people in this
country. Some newspapers most times drop my articles for probably, fear of
these people and in order to protect themselves and my humble self from their
harassment. Tai Solarin did all of that and lived a long life. I may say more
on this issue later. Let us have a good feel of this country my people. The
journey to this planet earth if just once.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)