Madam Agnes Okwormba (Nee Ozoezikenyi) (1939-2017)

Madam Agnes Okwormba was born in 1939 into the family of Late Chief Isaac Ozor, an accomplished transporter and renowned businessman of his days, from Umuoneke Amogwu Aku and Late Madam Susana Ozor, (Nee Alaku) of Lelegu, Nua Aku, both in Igbo-Etiti Council Area of Enugu State.

She was the first child of the family and they were ten children in number–Agnes, Joseph (Late), Cecilia, Peter, Vincent, Francis, Felix, Mary (Late) Goddy and Anthony.In those days, it was the tradition that if a family is blessed with ten or more children a cow would be slaughtered in honour of the woman. Her mother was the first woman to be honoured for such feat in Aku town.

Agnes started her primary education at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Amogwu Aku and but was picked up early due to her potentials by her teacher, Late Chief Lawrence Okwormba in early 1950’s for marriage.

Her husband later secured a job with Federal Airport Authority in Lagos and after a while, she relocated to Lagos with her husband. After her pre-marriage course in Lagos, she wedded and thereafter started her hotel business at Yaba.

While in Lagos, the union was blessed with three children namely Ijeoma (Late), Victor and Obioma. After seven years sojourn in Lagos, her husband was transferred to Kano as a fire-fighting officer with the Federal Airport Authority.

While in Kano, she ventured into foodstuff business. At the popular Sabon Gari market, she was well known as a foodstuff dealer. She dealt in wholesale and retail (bags, mudus, tins). While the business was flourishing, the union was further blessed with four more children–Kate (Late), Patricia and Christian (Late) twins and Charles.

Everything went well in Kano until the pogrom of 1966, immediately after the coup of the five Majors led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, where many Igbos lost their lives but the merciful God spared their lives and they all came back home alive without a single property. While at home, the union was further blessed with twins, Augustine and Augustina.

During the Civil war, she started a fast food business at Umuahia with the children and later at Mbano, where she continued the same business to make ends meet.Despite heavy bombardments, shelling, and salvo of bullets at Umuahia and Mbano, none of them was hurt. They all survived the war to the Glory of God.

At the end of the Civil war, the family relocated to Enugu and Mama started the same hotel business. Her business flourished tremendously until the husband was transferred to Nsukka as Chief Fire Officer. Mama Agnes was very benevolent while in her hotel business as she most times gave food freely to the needy.

Agnes Okwormba, with her knack for entrepreneurship, business vision and acumen changed from her hotel business to textile material business. She traded in all types of textile materials – Hollandis, Laces, Nigerian wax, Hitarget etc. She was a household name in Ogige Nsukka market for these textile materials as organisations contract her to supply textile materials to them during special occasions. She also complemented her textile business with foodstuff business.

Mama lost her beloved husband in July 2014 while she was with him on medical vacation in Lagos. Because of their intimacy, Mama never fully recovered from that bitter loss, although she trudged on with her business while still struggling with her failing health.

Madam Agnes Okwormba finally bid the world farewell surrounded by some of her children, grandchildren and in-laws at about 3.10pm on Saturday, October 07, 2017.There will be wake keep/vigil mass for on her on October 27 and interment on October 28 at her husband’s compound, Amu-Uwani Obie Aku. Outing mass comes up on October 29.