•Women eulogise iconic singer’s legacies, urge attention to personal health

By JOSEPHINE OBUTE

Some women professionals in Lagos have described late Onyeka Onwenu as a female icon whose songs and voice inspired both young and old. This is even as a senior medical practitioner, Mrs Veronica Odogwu, advised people to do routine checks on their health.

According to her, routine checks should become an issue of concern to everyone as cases of slump and quiet deaths are increasing by the day.

She said that recent sudden deaths were results of less attention on personal health.

“Recent deaths are majorly people that are below 70 years of age. Some even died in their sleep while some were actively doing something but suddenly slumped and died.

“This simply explains that majority of people do not pay attention to their health.

“A lot of people just move around without checking their health status.

“People need to really do their periodic medical checks to guide against sudden deaths.

“The periodic checks could be done within a period of a month, three or six months depending on the discoveries made from the tests,” she said.

The matron said that most sudden deaths were of cardiac origin.

She advised that people should listen to their body reactions when warning signs showed up.

The matron also advised that constant check should be done to ascertain heart status, Blood Pressure (BP), urine sugar and cholesterol.

“Water is a major driver of our health, and a lot of people would eat so much food and have little water. We should lean to drink water more often,” the matron said.

NAN reports that Onyeka, who died on July 30, was laid to rest at a vault in Lagos on Aug. 30.

NAN also reports that Onyeka, who was a songwriter, actor, journalist, activist, and politician, died at the age of 72 after a birthday performance in Lagos.

Speaking on the life led by the late singer, a Career Coach, Dr. Lizzy Omojuwa-Okiye, told NAN that she admired Onyeka’s songs and voice due to the inspiration behind them.

“I grew up loving Onyeka Onwenu’s voice. She is one-woman l truly admired. She carried herself with so much grace. No wonder she was called, ‘the Amazon’.

“Her music was a source of inspiration and joy to so many of us. The lyrics were something we all could identify with and everyone could sing all her songs.

“Her songs carried messages of hope, love and resilience that resonated deeply with every generation.

“Though she’s no longer with us, her legacy will continue to live on through her timeless music and the memories she created. We will definitely miss her,” she said.

A Gospel Artist, Mrs Paula Mbah, in her opinion, said Onyeka was her childhood icon, adding that she was an exemplary woman of excellence in the industry.

Mbah, who is also a Nollywood actor said that Onyeka’s music portrayed peace, love, culture and unity in the country as a whole.

“Her songs are evergreen and inspiring. She selected her lyrics to boost the unity and stability of the country.

“Her legacy will last long because she made a great impact in Nigeria,” she said.

The President, Catholic Women Organisation in Ijegun, Mrs Christiana Igbuku, told NAN that Onyeka was the pride of women in the music industry.

“Her songs made so much sense.

“Whenever I listen to Onyeka’s songs, I get inspired by her choice of words. She had passion for the unity of Nigeria and humanity which she portrayed in most of her songs.

“In fact, her song, ‘One love’, is an all-round music that can serve all purposes and occasions. We need new singers to toe her footsteps,” Igbuku said.

A professional dancer and consultant, Mrs Ifesy Nwagu, said that Onyeka’s songs would stand the test of time.

“Some songs would reign and phase out after a while. Onyeka’s songs would never be like that, they always sound fresh,” she said.

NAN reports that Onyeka was a highly respected and influential figure in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

She was known for her hit songs like “One Love” and her advocacy for women’s rights and social justice. (Adapted from a NAN report)

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