Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Monday, bemoaned the death of former First Lady of Nigeria, Chief Mrs Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi and wife of late Premier of Eastern Region, Chief Mrs Adamma Okpara, saying Nigeria and Abia State in particular have lost two great women.
Senator Abaribe in a statement released by his media adviser, Uchenna Awom, in Abuja said the death within a space of two days of Chief Mrs Aguiyi-Ironsi, wife of first Nigeria’s Military Head of State, late General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and Chief Mrs Okpara, wife of Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr Michael Okpara, marks a sad end of glorious era.
Both women, Senator Abaribe said represented the best and were indeed true testament of the noble role of women in nation building and as moral conscience of society.
“Both women leaders lived out their roles as worthy pillars of support to their husbands, who played pivotal roles in the shaping of Nigeria as a nation at various times when they held sway as Head of State of Nigeria and Premier of Eastern Nigeria respectively.
“I’m happy they lived a robust and very active life of service that is worthy of emulation and of course both of them raised good families and highly successful children who are contributing very well in the development of our dear Country and State of Abia. We are very proud of them and will sorely miss them,” Senator Abaribe said.
He, however, condoled with their families, the government and people of Nigeria as well as the government and people of Abia State over the demise of both women.
The two Amazons passed-on on Sunday and Monday respectively, barely 24hours apart. While Okpara died on Sunday at the age of 97, Aguiyi-Ironsi joined her ancestors on Monday early morning at the age of 98.
