Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged Nigerians to live a life of service to God so as to impact positively on the society.

He gave the advice on Saturday at the requiem mass in honour of late Chief Mrs Lizzy Emuobowho Umukoro, wife of the Chief Judge of Delta State Justice Marshal Umukoro, at Emmanuel The Saviour Catholic Church, Asaba.

The Governor said late Mrs Umukoro lived an impactful life and would be long remembered for her role as a sickle cell counsellor and in helping to establish eleven sickle cell clinics across the state.

“The death of Mrs Lizzy Umukoro is a big blow not just to her immediate family but to entire Deltans, she meant more than that to us as a state because she put in a lot of her time assisting my wife in a particular programme that touched the lives of those who are usually neglected in this nation-those suffering from sickle cell,” he said.

“Through her honest advice, hard work and efforts, my wife was able to establish eleven functional sickle cell clinics in 11 general hospitals across the state and the last being Umunede General Hospital in my local government area where His Royal Majesty, the King of Umunede, testified to her good works as she spent four days away from home making sure that the clinic was ready for commissioning,” Okowa further said.

He advised parents to bring up their children with love and in a godly way, stressing: “As fathers and mothers we must be able to bring up our children in the right way, We must reach out to people and ensure that we impact on the lives of people around us.”

The Governor condoled the Umukoro family and urged those present to do a self appraisal and use your God given talent to impact on lives just as Mrs Lizzy Umukoro did.

Bishop of Issele-Uku Diocese, Most Rev. Dr Michael Elue in his homily urged Christians to emulate Mrs Umukoro by living for Christ and serving humanity.

Governor Okowa was accompanied by his wife, Dame Edith Okowa, former Governor James Ibori, former Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, and his wife, former NBA President Chief Austin Alegeh, and top government functionaries

•Photo by Jibunor Samuel shows, from left; Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; his wife, Dame Edith; Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro and his wife, Engr. Ebierin, during the Funeral Mass of Late Chief Lizzy Umukoro, at Emmanuel the Saviour Catholic Church, High Court Road Asaba.

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