Lady Christiana Obiageli Uzodike was born on Christmas Day, 25th December 1937 into the family of His Royal Highness, the then Obi of Ezinifite, the late Chief N.N Anyika and his Chief wife Mrs. Irene Anyika from Aku, Ezinifite in Aguata local government area of Anambra state.

Her father, Chief N.N Anyika, in addition to being the Obi of Ezinifite, was the president of the Eastern Council of Chiefs and the founder of the very successful Erico shipping company which at its height, had about 20 ships in its fleet. The ships ferried people and goods across the River Niger before the construction of the Niger Bridge. Chief N.N Anyika was also a property magnate with an extensive portfolio in Nigeria and abroad in countries such as the United Kingdom.

Christiana was the eldest surviving daughter of the children born to her mother Irene. Her siblings are Mrs. Josephine Abiakam, Mr. Geoffrey Anyika and the now late Jason and Ephraim Anyika of blessed memories. She loved her little sister Josephine and her brother Geoffrey. She also had numerous step-brothers and sisters.

As a little girl, Christiana was a very pretty child and was dotted on by her many brothers and sisters but she cried a lot. It was said that the crying was quite legendary especially on Sundays as her cries announced to all, the readiness of the Anyika children for departure for church. It took several of her brothers taking turns to back her to placate her.

After completing her primary and secondary school, Christiana was advised and accepted to go into the teaching profession. Her father dispatched her brothers to United Kingdom and her to St Monica’s College Ogbunike a renowned finishing school for young women and teachers’ training college. St Monica’s was founded in 1892 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) under the leadership of Mrs. Edith Ashley Warner.

Upon graduation from St Monica’s Ogbunike, Christiana, accepted a teaching job at St John’s Secondary School Fegge Onitsha. She moved to Onitsha and after a couple of visits home, she took her little sister Josephine to live with her as she thought she was being spoilt rotten by their mother.

As a young lady, Christiana Anyika was a renowned natural beauty. Her Mother Irene pleaded with her to take more care dressing up and to wear more make up etc. but Christiana preferred the natural look. Her natural beauty attracted many suitors. She was also gentle, virtuous, simple, humble, reserved, kind, extremely neat, graceful, career-focused and surprisingly devout in her Christian faith. She was so devout that her Catholic cousin, Reverend Father Francis Ezeabasili, hoped that she might become a nun. The only problem with this was that she was not of the catholic faith.

Her father was completely bewildered by her devoutness. During the school holidays, instead of returning home to her family as expected by her father, she would take off to prayer camps where she would devote her time to fasting and prayer. She would often take her little sister Josephine who said that Christiana fasted so much that the camp organisers would advise her to stop and consider her health and she was once advised to leave the camp as the organisers had received word that her father was very angry and given orders for her to be fetched back home.

Her father, had expected that the next step for Christiana, would be marriage but she turned down suitor after suitor including very popular and nationally renowned statesmen from her father’s well-heeled political and business circles to his despair and embarrassment. 

It was while teaching at St John’s Secondary School Fegge Onitsha that she was introduced to the late Dr Benedict Chukwudi Uzodike. Ben, the first son of the then first black Anglican Bishop on the Niger Diocese, the late Bishop L. M Uzodike, was a qualified Consultant Gynecologist and Obstetrician just recently returned from the United Kingdom. He asked and she said yes!

Apparently, the fact that he was from a godly family played a big part in her decision to accept as Christiana had long been praying for God’s guidance in her decision on a life partner and for Him to place her in a godly family and home.

They were married in 1964 at the All Saints Cathedral Onitsha. The wedding was a glorious affair indeed.
After their honeymoon, the new couple settled in Kano, in Northern Nigeria. It was obvious from the start that the marriage was a good match. Christiana, at the request of her husband and advice of the late Mr. & Mrs. Felix Ebelechukwu Modebelu and her father in-Law, the late Bishop L.M Uzodike, reluctantly agreed to give up her teaching profession and become a homemaker.

Soon thereafter, Christiana became pregnant but the baby, a girl, died within a month of delivery. Her mother Mrs. Irene Anyika heard the sad news while in transit to Kano for the “Omugwo”.

Christiana and Ben moved from Kano to Port Harcourt and Ben established his medical practice - Fazal Hospital Port Harcourt which was a successful practice. While there, to the delight of the couple, they had a baby girl and this time, she lived!

Despite the couple’s joy at their new daughter and Ben’s successful practice, they had to abandon all they had to flee Port Harcourt because of the Nigerian civil war in 1967. They moved around the small towns in Anambra State during the war but finally settled down in Aba, a thriving commercial town in then Imo State (now Abia State) after the war.

Ben began in earnest to build a brand new practice – Fazal Hospital Aba. He worked very hard and Christiana tended the home front and kept house. They made a nice team. As his efforts paid out and the practice grew, their family also grew in time and now comprised of Chizoba, Adaobi, Kenechukwu, Nkiruka, Chukwuemeka and Ifeanyichukwu.

Christiana as a wife, was utterly devoted to her husband whom she loved and fondly called “B.C”. He loved her too and dotted on her very much. They were very close and her children would say you could barely put a piece of paper between them. Her Marriage was much talked about in town as it was apparent that it was a love match and Ben’s good and generous treatment of her was obvious for all to see. He was a rare gem. He was happy too for he demolished her mother Mrs. Irene Anyika’s house and built her a brand new house in appreciation. Together, they worked to provide a loving, peaceful and stable home for their children.

There had been great joy and celebration when Christiana gave birth to a baby boy in 1974. He was aptly named Chukwuemeka Madubuko Uzodike but sadly in 1978, he took ill and died. Ben, Christiana and their kids were devastated. She had lived in the Hospital for many months taking care of him in the hope that he would survive but that was not to be.

Ben and Christiana together with their family mourned and tried to rally but more sad news was on the way….. Christiana’s Father, the indomitable Chief N.N Anyika died in 1980 and her beloved brother Ephraim Anyika followed suit barely a month after their father’s burial. It was a difficult time emotionally for Christiana. She held on to her faith in God to help her through it.

On the other hand, Ben’s medical practice grew from strength to strength and although Christiana was still a home maker, she invested in several business ventures as such as transportation - owning a fleet of cars, whole sale distribution – owning a string of bookshops and also dabbling in her husband’s hobby - speculative stock market dealings under his tutelage. She was very successful in her business ventures.

Christiana also indulged in another of her Husband’s hobbies – travelling. Ben was now the president of the Rotary Club of Aba. She and Ben travelled around the world attending conferences and used this opportunity to see the world. They would spend the entire month of June every year playing tourists without the children (much to their angst). They toured the world visiting interesting tourist sites in far flung countries from India, Brazil to Egypt. She and Ben visited all the continents in the world except for two.

As a mother, Christiana was firm and determined to instill her deeply held values of fairness, integrity, in her children. She was resolute in her determination to teach them about God. She taught them in addition to cooking, how to pray, read the Ibo and English bible and about fasting. She taught them the importance of fairness and justice. Ever the gifted teacher, she used every method and skill in her tool book to get her message across. Once deciding they needed to buck up in learning how to run a home, she sent Ben off to their June travels alone– this time to Japan, she stayed back in Nigeria to teach the children how to practically run a home. She sent her staff back to their homes on summer vacation and announced to her children, that now her beloved husband was out of the way, she would eat whatever they chose to cook…that particular summer could be aptly labelled as the summer of discontent among the children. Her persistence in training the kids earned her Ben’s gratitude in his last will and testament.

Her hospitality skills were outstanding. She welcomed all who came into her home with respect. She treated everyone the same whether you were rich or poor. She fostered an atmosphere of kinship and brotherhood amongst all who lived in her home as she treated everyone kindly and taught her kids to do so too. Her warm, welcoming and open nature suited Ben’s philanthropic personality to a tee as he was easy to love. This ensured that their home in the village was always a hub for many wonderful family strengthening and fun activities.

Ben’s medical practice had become so successful that patients came all the way from other countries such as Cameroon and India to consult him. The traditional rulers in the Aba and its surrounding community decided to confer on him a chieftaincy title – Akanaechekwandu 1 of Abayi - for his outstanding contributions to the community. She became Lolo Akanaechekwandu 1 of Abayi. Ben opened up annexes of Fazal Hospital in the communities surrounding Aba.

Christiana and Ben by now were well integrated into the Aba community. They were members of St Michael’s Cathedral - a thriving Anglican Church in Aba Diocese. They attended church regularly as a family and she belonged to all the requisite groups’ such as Mother’s Union and Harvest group 2. Ben was conferred with a knighthood and they became Sir Dr Benedict and Lady Christiana Uzodike.

In 1988, Christiana deepened an already existing faith in God. She gave her life to Christ and became a born-again Christian. She and the children who already were born again Christians held prayer sessions and prayed earnestly for Ben to become a Christian which he did in 1989.

It was a euphoric time as they both along with their family began a new journey with God. They joined the Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship International (FGBMFI) – a gathering of Christian business men and women and took great joy in taking courses at The Living Word Academy – the teaching arm of Living Word Ministries Aba. They both grew in their faith, replacing Rotary Club conferences with Christian Conferences. All seemed well…

In early 1990, Ben took ill. As the present chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association Aba branch, the doctors rallied to diagnose and treat Ben but there was no improvement. Christiana and the children prayed and fasted desperate to see him get better. As his conditions worsened, she refused help as she personally nursed him and along with the kid and saw to his needs. She constantly prayed for him encouraged him in what seemed like impossible odds she desperately hoped that all will be well but sadly on 29th December 1990, Sir Dr Benedict Chukwudi Uzodike died.

To say that Christiana was devastated is an understatement. She was broken hearted and the children were completely shattered. To know Christiana was to know that Ben’s death changed her forever. She was never the same.

Ben, the rare gem that he was, had left her and the children, well provided for. He had thought of everything and had left a very detailed will behind to ensure she and the kids would be okay – he had said so to them a few days before his death as he charged her to look after their kids in his absence. But to know her was to know that all that he left meant nothing for HE, the most important part of it all was gone! Her best friend, her beloved husband… B.C was no more… he was gone… not gone for a while, but forever….!

She was inconsolable. The world suddenly looked very grim and dim.

To also know Christiana was to know that she loved her sister Mrs. Josephine Chinwe Abiakam very much. They were extremely close and the frequent chants of “my sister” each time they spoke or saw would have you almost believe they invented the very word. Ben said that part of the reason he installed the land telephone was to watch her face light up each day as she chanted “my sister” as they spoke over the telephone.

Mrs. Chinwe Josephine Abiakam proved a sister indeed during the dark and difficult times that Christiana found herself facing after Ben’s death. She was a stalwart in her unflinching support for her sister. She, a Christian too, wept with her and prayed for and with her. She constantly pleaded with her to try to heal and find some measure of peace. She visited her at the drop of a hat as the distance between Enugu and Aba seemed to have been reduced to nothing at all of a sudden. It goes without saying that Christiana could never have survived this dark period without the support from her sister and her husband, Dr A.I Abiakam.

Eventually, Christiana did the only thing she knew how to do and could do, she turned to God. She did this with a singular determination. She became very kingdom focused. She told her children that the best they could do as a family was to ensure that they all ran their Christian races in such a way that ensured that they all will meet again as a family in Heaven where Ben was now… “Let no one be missing on that day" she said.

Christiana joined and became an ardent member of the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) Aba branch. She joined the prayer team and spent many weekends cleaning the church despite the protests from some younger members of the church. She attended every programme including all night prayer meetings. Eventually a prayer team would be planted in her home by the intercessors at CPM. This singular act helped Christiana rally as she devoted her time to prayer and service to the lord.

She also helped run Ben’s medical practice Fazal Hospital along with her kids who had graduated from University. Christiana focused also on solidifying her children’s relationship with God. She encouraged them to attend bible school and serve in any department in their respective churches. Her methods were by no means popular among the children but she would not be deterred.

For example, she decided the kitchen would not be open for any catering services on Wednesdays anymore. Every Wednesdays was now considered a fasting day at their home. Everyone had no choice but to fast. All night prayer meetings were the norm and try as they may, the kids could never beg off an all-night prayer meeting. An excuse that one was tired was met with an answer such as “no worries, you can sleep when we get to church”. She knew fully well that one could not comfortably fall asleep due to the enthusiastic drumming and frequent loud chorus of Halleluiahs and Amens. She was relentless in her bid to ensure that her children were thriving in their respective relationships with God.

As the murderous kidnapping rampage raged on in Aba, Christiana reluctantly moved to Port Harcourt. There, she tried to settle down and find a church. She missed Aba and her church but was reluctant to attend Hilltop International as she did not want the personal attention that she might receive due to her daughter Dr Stephanie Oarhe and her Husband Rev Chris Oarhe. Eventually, she did. She joined Hilltop and attended every programme she could. She attended the faith clinic regularly and was a member of Senior Citizens at Hilltop International Christian Centre. She attended Wednesday bible on 3rd March 2021.

Christiana lived the rest of her life, with her son and daughter close by in Port Harcourt surrounded by her grandchildren. She watched them grow up … but you could tell that she was always lonely and was somewhat ready to go home… to heaven. Twice the Lord had told her during Christian conferences, “not…yet Christiana” and she said okay". I guess God finally said yes and called on her to come home on 5th March 2021. She was ready. She said her goodbyes quietly to her Son in- Law, Pastor Chris Oarhe and her daughter Dr Stephanie Oarhe as She went to her room and quietly as always was her way, laid down and slipped into glory.

Her Children are heart broken by her death and do sorely miss her for she was a great source of inspiration and encouragement to them but they are also consoled by the fact after thirty one years that she is now finally reunited with their Daddy, her “B.C” in heaven.

All that remains they say, is to thank God for giving us a great and wonderful Mother and to say, “Thank you Mummy for staying this long, for your prayers, your discipline and all that you taught us on how to love God with all our hearts and serve Him and how to take care of each other… thank you for all you have done! Thank you! ….. Goodnight! Rest in peace in the bosom of our Lord with our Daddy until we all meet as a family again to part no more… Mummy ….Adieu!!

Adieu Christy, Nwunye B.C Adieu! ….Adieu, Nwanne Josephine Abiakam and Geoffrey Anyika Adieu! Adieu Grandma Adieu! Adieu Aunty Adieu! Adieu! Adieu! Adieu!

Mummy, your lonely days are over…as requested by daddy in his last will and testament, you will be buried beside him at the family home. Rest in Peace .. Adieu!