Preamble

Today, 23rd May, 2015 marks my 23rd wedding Anniversary with the former Miss Ada Chioma Henrietta Nwaorgu. A journey that started in UNICAL where we were undergraduates in 1987 that led to our formal wedding at St Theresa Catholic Church in Yola, Adamawa State, in May 23rd, 1992 under the then Rev Father Ignatius Kaigama the present Bishop of Jos Catholic Diocese and President of Catholic Bishops in Nigeria. To the glory of God our union has produced six beautiful kids. When I reflect on how I met this lady who accepted me as a husband even as a student with a very poor background with nobody in mind to assist me, I look at her as the craziest lady ever on this earth.

Our Journey

Based on my relationship with this great daughter of God, I have since come to understand and appreciate what Proverbs 22:18 says, “Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.”

“Every wise woman buildeth her house,” according to Proverbs 14 verse 1. It is based on this singular fact considering how this passage of the bible tallies with the vision of Mrs. Evang. Ada Chioma Henrietta Eze, who toils daily to build her house from nothing to what it is today, that I hereby decorate this inspiring woman whose life is totally dedicated and committed to building her home. She has become a model to many Christian families in all aspects of what a God-fearing family should be.

About Mrs. Ada Chioma Henrietta Eze

Mrs. Ada Chioma Eze, formerly Miss Henrietta Nwaorgu of Ngor-Okpala in Imo State, was born on 5th September, 1962 to the family of Pa Paulinus Nwaorgu and late Mrs. Celine Ada Nwaorgu. She is the third child of a family of nine with renowned Physician, Prof. O.G.B. Nwaorgu of ENT Department, UCH Ibadan, and Romanus Nwaorgu, a senior Customs Officer, as brothers. She started her educational career at Umuodage Ntu Primary School from 1970 to 1976 and thereafter attended Amala/Ntu Secondary School from 1976 to 1981. Both schools are located in Ngor Nkpala Local Government Area of Imo State.
From 1981 to 1983 Ada attended the famous Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Owerri, where she did her Higher School Certificate, which qualified her for direct entry admission in the famous Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, and University of Calabar in 1985. She however preferred the University of Calabar, where she read History and graduated in 1988. Mrs. Eze did the compulsory National Youth Service (NYSC) with the Ministry of Sports in Rivers State. In 2006, this Amazon obtained her Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) degree from Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State.

How I Met Her

Though married to this wonderful lady for 23 years now, writing about her gives me so much joy and happiness which only God can give. I met her as a student in UNICAL in 1985 and it was sports that brought us closer. We have been lovers till date and it never surprised many of her then roommates such as Barr Gloaria Akor, Barr Mrs. Uche Uriri and Mrs. Ohunene Scott-Ananaba – all of who I met recently – that we ended up as husband and wife.

I was the Faculty of Arts Sports Coordinator in 1986 and it happened that we were in the same Faculty. Impressed with her outstanding interest and performance in sports, I called her to assist me to coordinate the female athletes as it would be difficult for me to be visiting the female hostels to ask them to come out for training and participation in the games. At the end of that year’s Inter-Faculty Games, Faculty of Arts came tops; while she was the most outstanding female athlete. I was declared the Best Sports Coordinator that year, which made me to be elected unopposed as the Director of Sports during the Students Union Government (SUG) election of 1986.

Her Impact in My Life

With the help of this true gift from God, I was able to manage the UNICAL Football Team to become the champions of the maiden edition of the NFA/Pepsi Cola Football Tournament amongst Higher Institutions in Nigeria in 1987. As a result of that feat, I was awarded scholarship with the rest of the players to complete our education in the university.

In 1987, Ada assisted me to organise the first Sports Honours Nite ever in UNICAL where prominent sports sponsors like Alhaji GNA Hamza, Chief M.K.O Abiola and Chief Emmanuel Iwanyanwu were honoured.

On completion of her youth service in Port Harcourt in 1989, she joined me in Yola, where I was posted for the same exercise. Again, this angel assisted me to become the Most Outstanding Corps Member in the State and the first Corps Member in Nigeria to have served the nation without receiving the normal allowances paid to NYSC members, as I donated mine for the development of my host community.

We stayed back in Yola after the youth service and by the grace of God were able to complete the traditional marriage rites of her people. We were thereafter formally wedded by the then Rev. Ignatius Kagama (now Bishop Kagama in charge of Jos Diocese of the Catholic Church) at St. Theresa Cathedral, Yola, on 23rd May 1992.

With her assistance, we established a sports company, Eze Continental Sports Ltd., through which we donated several cups for competitions and made our names household in the entire Adamawa State. Regrettably, after several years in Yola, we were forced to leave and return to the East about two years ago due to the menace of Boko Haram insurgents. Today, we are blessed with six wonderful kids, four in the university and one in secondary school while the last aged ten is in still in primary school.

Mrs. Ada C.H. Eze was born under the Virgo Astrology sign of August 23 – September 22. When I wanted to write on this wonderful woman, I looked through her Horoscope star and it seems that those that drafted it had her in mind: “Analytical. Observant, Helpful, Reliable and Precise.” These are truly the characteristics of this epitome of true womanhood. Read through the Virgo Sign and you will be reading about Mrs. Ada Eze.

More facts about Mrs. Ada Eze

If you are not satisfied with the Virgo Signs, then read Proverbs Chapter 31 verses 10 to 31 and you would have seen Mrs. Ada Eze in her true nature. Let us consider just few of the verses of Proverbs 31 that was authored by the Holy Spirit and which vividly captures the kind of woman Mrs. Ada Eze is.

Proverbs 31:10. Who can find a virtuous woman? For her prize is far above rubies.11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.13. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.14. She is like the merchant’s ships; she bringeth her food afar.15. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens.16. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.17. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.19. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20. She stretchet out her hand to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her cloth is silk and purple. 23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24. She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delievereth girdles unto the merchant. 25. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also and he praiseth her. 29. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30, favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

All these verses have one thing or the other to express about this woman that I have prayed God to allow me marry again and again if there is anything like reincarnation. I wonder what would be my fate in this world if not for the part this special gift to me has played in my life.

In line with Proverbs Chapter 31 verse 24, “She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delievereth girdles unto the merchant,” I left our family business to her to run while I pursued my political career outside Adamawa State and she did improve so much on it that people wondered what exactly I was doing when I was in charge.

In line with Proverbs Chapter 31 verse 20, “She strectcheth out her hand to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy,” she founded the Compassionate Ministry through which she shares to the needy the goods that come her way. A devout Christian who loves God and is committed to live out the tenets of laws of God and work hard to inculcate her beliefs in her children and the rest of her family, Mrs. Ada Eze was formerly the Public Relations Officer of the Women Fellowship of Redeemed Peoples Mission, Yola District, as well as the Drama Producer/Director of the same church from 2009 to 2011. Currently an Evangelist based in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, this two-time visitor to Jerusalem on pilgrimage courtesy of Adamawa and Rivers State Governments established the Compassionate Ministries as a vehicle for her to spread the gospel and bring succour to God’s children with more attention to the poor and under privileged. Her unfulfilled desire is to wax and launch a Christian gospel musical album to enable her reach the wider public about the love of God to mankind.

According to Chapter 31 verse 26, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness,” my beloved wife stands as my most outstanding critic as she takes time to criticise any of my works or conducts that does not meet her high standards as she believes in excellence.

What Our Kids Say about Her

In line with Proverbs 31 verse 31, “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates”; and according to Nnenna Eze one of her fruits and her third daughter, “My Mum is a Princess in the court of the Most High. I’ve always known my mum to be a woman of honour, prayer, virtue, wisdom, anointing, inspiration, godliness, righteousness, endurance, an instrument of joy and dignity, to mention a few. She’s just the best mum any child can ask for and I am so proud to have her as a mother. As a child, her contributions and influence on me is infinite. She has instilled wisdom in me. If you look at my mum, you will think that she is 40 but my mum is 52 to the glory of God.”

To Monica Eze her first child, “My mum is a virtuous woman, a woman of substance, a woman that understands realities of life and gives life to the broken heart. She is my star Queen that I look up to.”

To Chinyere Celine Eze, her second daughter whom she calls her mother as she was named after her late mother, Madam Celine Adama Nwaorgu, “My mum and daughter is a rare gem and gift to us her child. I am proud of her and pray God to grant her long life so that I can attempt to repay her little of her love towards us her children.”

To her son, Kelechi Eze, “My mother is an outspoken and fearless woman who only fears God and stands by the truth always. She loves and supports me in my career.”

Her thinking about herself

When I asked my jewel of inestimable value (apologies late Awo) what she thinks about herself, she sent me a text and stated, “I am a very practical person and outspoken. I hate lying, laziness, dirtiness, unkindness, immorality. I am a natural woman that hates makeup and painting by most women. I frown on indecent dressing; bad cooking and, most importantly, I fear, love and have great CONFIDENCE in God. I give God all the Glory for what He has done in my life. If there’s something I would like to be remembered for, it’s my love for my fellow human beings. I want the world also to know that Mrs. Ada Eze is a woman so much loved by her husband and greatly cherished by her children and friends.”
Conclusion
You are right, my angel, my best friend, my mother, my wife, pillar of my life, and after Almighty God, the power behind whatever I am today: I truly love you from the depths of my heart and will do till eternity. You are one in a million and you deserve nothing less.

I will for the rest of my life with the help of God continue to love her for bringing sunshine into my life and family. She is just a tool that God used to uplift me to my present status ad I will always be grateful to God and her parents, brothers and sisters who accepted me when I was nobody and made this union to be possible. As we continue in this journey we ask fr your prayers. God bless you all and thanks.

•Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, whose photo appears alongside this piece, is a Media Consultant based in Port Harcourt. He can be reached via ezemediaconcept08@rocketmail.com; 08038199163.

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