Born on 19th April, 1988, as the fifth child (third daughter) of Elder Kenneth Ekwesianya and Mrs Grace Ekwesianya, Chioma was a charming, precocious girl. She attended Obom Community Primary School, Azia, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate in 2000. Thereafter, she had her post-primary education at St Anthony’s Secondary School, Azia. In 2006, she sat and passed her West African Senior School Certificate examination in flying colours. She then enrolled in the Pre-science programme of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Mbaukwu, through which she gained admission as an undergraduate student of the university. 

At this time, there was a financial difficulty in the family: all her four older siblings were already in the university and our parents could not afford the financial weight of her admission. While the family was still struggling to raise funds for her university education, Chioma elected to forfeit her admission and wait another admission year. In addition, she engaged herself fully in the family’s poultry farm where much of the money used to sustain her siblings’ education was being generated. She sacrificed the pursuit of her own education and ensured continuous supply of resources for the education and wellbeing of her siblings.

Despite the physical, emotional and social distress the economic situation of the family had put her into, Chioma forged ahead doggedly and never despaired. She still made out time to continue reading and planning for the future. She wrote another University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and got another admission at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. By this time, the economic situation of the family had tremendously improved. She enrolled in the university and fought her way through. On 7th August, 2012, she obtained her Bachelor of Science (Ed) in Science Education/Physics with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division). 

Chioma did her National Youth Service in Lagos, and had her passing out parade on 4th March, 2014. Post-NYSC, she engaged in several skills acquisition programmes where she acquired several life skills necessary to fulfil her vision of entrepreneurship and financial independence. Concurrently, she worked as a science teacher at St Anthony's Secondary School, Azia, for several years. Her burning zeal for education made her enroll for a Master of Science (MSc) degree programme at Anambra State University, Uli, which she was about concluding before her call to rest.

Born in a religious family and being a daughter of a pastor, Chioma’s piety and moral excellence were attested by all. She led an exemplary life, preferring modesty and contentment to superfluous exhibition of pomp and flagrance. She was fully engaged in all church activities, always reminding her siblings of the need to remain focused on God in everything we do.

There is no better way to describe Chioma’s stint on earth than to summarise it as a life full of sacrifices. She gave up her first university admission to allow her siblings complete theirs. In addition to this, she worked tirelessly in the family’s farm to generate the money required to sustain her siblings’ education.

After we had acquired our university education and everyone had left the family home in pursuit of their career, Chioma elected to stay back at home, taking care of our ageing parents and especially helping dad in her pastoral work. She was always communicating us on the state of the family and wellbeing of our parents. In some occasions when our parents had some sickness and would prefer to hide it from us so that we would not be troubled, Chioma was always the one intimating us on their condition which led to early medical intervention. She was always ready to visit any of us and render necessary assistance in times of need. Despite all these, she never demanded any reward and was never compensated. 

Chioma’s death occurred on February 3, 2021, while she was attending midweek church service in the company of our parents and a host of other church members. They were surrounded by a masked gunman who ordered them to lie face down. Together with our parents, Chioma was murdered in cold blood, in the house of God.

Left to mourn her are her siblings (Chinwendu, Oluchi, Ifeanyi, Andrew, Chinyere and Ezra), other family members, church members, friends and well-wishers.

Our beloved sister, Chioma, your life of sacrifices and piety will remain a light in our path through this life. Rest on. We shall meet on the Resurrection Morning.