From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
The Igbo ethnic group adage that an old woman is never new in the dance steps she knew became manifest during the last Christmas celebration of 102 years old, Nneoma Monica Nwafo Akagburuonye, organized on her behalf by her 6th illustrious son Barr. Success Obioma Akagburuonye as the celebrant despite her age and with the grace of good health happily danced and sang all the ancient of days worship songs reeled out on her behalf.
Adorned in a beautiful immaculate white lace with motherly bag and sandwiched by his biological children, grand and great grand children as well as over 150 children other children of Ogbor Uvuru ancient community in Abor Mbaise Council area of Imo State, all in uniform starting from the shoes to the quality clothes all sponsored by the Pillar of Philanthropy, Success Obioma Akagburuonye.
The centenarian who seemed overwhelmed with joy standing and taking photographs with the team constituted mainly of children, clergies, business and political associates of the family danced like biblical David for over an hour in admiration of the visitors who were motivated into Naira rain just to tap the blessings of longevity and good health of ever smiling Mama Success.
Even though it was Christmas celebration for Nwafo as she’s well known and addressed, fully sponsored by his son who is also an Ambassador in Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria, the friends and associates of the children as well as relations and in-laws gladly showered Mama gifts of love, Mama equally surprised them with well packaged and designed 2kg of rice after sumptuous refreshments.
Mama in her speech expressed gratitude to God for given her long life and good health while narrating her ordeals in life and her total dedications and commitments to things of God and Christianity.
She advised women to be good mother’s to their children and a cheerful helper to their husbands while canvassing on the importance of brotherly love and unity of purpose among the children of God.
Nwafo further admonished the people to desist from wickedness, black mail, envy, jealousness and pull him down noting that every body has his or her own levels of special grace from God Almighty.
The centenarian also advised people on the need to live in peace and with unconditional love, just as she encouraged people to be humble and Philanthropic as a strategic means of attracting the love of God, according to her it always pay to give than to receive.
Earlier, the 6th son out of 11 children alive, Chief Success Obioma Akagburuonye, the Akaraugo of Mbaise ancient clan said that for over twenty years now she has been motivationally pleased celebrating Christmas for her beloved mother in a special way because the mother has graciously passed the biblical rubicon of life, God in the biblical book of Psalm gave mankind as 70 years and any other addition is grace to accomplish certain divine assignment or assignments.
Akagburuonye with goose pimples lamented the level of poverty the mother passed through in marriage even as he was 20 years when their father died and they became mockery of the family to an extent that some privileged individuals have the audacity to tell them personally and publicly that can anything good come out of Akagburuonye’s.
He recalled that the family suffered rejection and humiliation even though the mother was persistent in wearing clothes of perseverance and looking unto God as the author and finisher of her faith as she was an unrepentant early morning mega phone community evangelist.
According to him, ” I never knew my mother will live up to this time considering her penury in the University of life, her faith in God challenged me. She promised God of building a befitting house of worship, this she has achieved, I feel highly honoured and privileged celebrating Christmas for her, her actual 102 years birthday will be on Sunday 31st of December and will be magnificently celebrated at Assemblies of God Church, Owerri off Federal Road Safety Commission Command’s State Headquarters with a dedication of multi million Naira Cathedral, to the glory of God and betterment of humanity, was solely financed and built by me. It’s on that day we will celebrate her 102 years birthday before crossing over to next year” he assured.
Recall the day long celebration activities started with church service at Assemblies of God Church Ogbor Uvuru in which the centenarian despite her socioeconomic status and challenges bought the land and freely donated it to the church over 60 years ago and the son Success about 20 years ago, that’s 2003 expanded the church land mass acquisition through purchases and also solely built an ultra modern church complex with every facilities needed and then brought General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Nigeria, Rev Osueke in Commissioning and dedication of the complex.
This year, Akaraugo Mbaise has landscaped the entire church, fenced the over one acre church land and redesigned the frontage with paradise on earth architectural designs with locks up.
Inspired by the earlier mockery cliche by some uninformed natives that can anything good come out of Ogbor Uvuru Mbaise Assemblies of God Church, the Ambassador of God and Philanthropic Icon, Success Obioma Akagburuonye on Saturday December 23rd,2023 dragged personalities from the global communities to this his ancestral serene and peaceful community.
Among the dignitaries are Rev. Abel Amadi, the barely one year old General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church Nigeria and Hon. Declan Emelumba, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy who ably represented Governor Hope Uzodimma.
The reason for the global assemblage of these men of immense values in Ogbor Uvuru, was for the Commissioning, dedication and foundation laying of investment and divine projects solely built and planned to build by Success Akagburuonye.
Among the divine Projects its foundation was laid by Rev. Amadi is the building of biblical Noah’s Ark Shaped Worship Center at the same church land Nwafo bought over 60 years ago and freely donated to the community to plant Assemblies of God Church, despite mockery then on the level of her poverty and what some uninformed consider as religious slavery, this multi billion Naira wonder on earth church edifice is the conception and sole Philanthropic sponsorship of Akaraugo Mbaise, the son of the very stone that was rejected with, can anything good come out of Akagburuonye’s and Assemblies of God Church Ogbor Uvuru Mbaise.
Nwafo was her usual self, spiritually filled as she gave faith built testimonies of her life and the congregation went into sober reflections.
The resident presiding pastor, Rev. Charles Obasi who with Rev. Simon Ogbonna of Abuja district of the church officiated the church service and extolled the virtues of Mama Success even as the centenarian prayed for the congregation’s blessings which includes longevity, good health and prosperity for the incoming years.
