BIOGRAPHY: JULIET CHINAGOROM OKORIE-AGWU (nee ADAMS)
Juliet Chinagorom Okorie-Agwu (Princess) was born in January 25, 1967 in Enugu in the then Eastern Region to Stanley Gordon Adams (a Prince of the Irrua Kingdom, Ishan, Edo State) and Dorothy Adams (nee Ekeocha). The Civil War separated the family with the father being jailed by the Federal side while the mother took her and her elder sister to their maternal grandfather’s in Umu-Okeada, Ngor-Okpala, now Imo State. In 1970, their mother passed on, leaving them in the care of their grandmother, Christiana Ekeocha and their amiable grandfather, Pa Mark Ekeocha.
Early Childhood and Education
As a child, Chigo (as she was lovingly called) was almost always sickly and easily prone to cold. However, her grandmother was up to the task and always nursed her back to health. At about the age of 6, she started school at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Logara. She was an exceptionally brilliant child and always excelled, except in sports (she would rather be reading).
She started her secondary education in Essi College, Warri, Delta State and completed it in 1986 at the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In 1986/87, she gained admission into University of Nigeria, Nsukka to study Veterinary Science. She graduated in 1990 and was posted to Kaduna State for her National Youth Service Corp Assignment. She thereafter got PGDs in Agric Economic and Business Admin. She was gunning for her MBA when the call to be a mother took the front seat. Her dream was to complete it at Lagos Business School.
Having spent her early years in Imo State exposed her to the culture and traditions of her mother’s people and she had very fond memories of that period. Her close ties to her mother’s family were cemented by the loving acts of her mother’s sibling chief of which was Mrs. Patricia Adiukwu (PhD.) -- Grandma Pat, who stood in as a mother and was indeed introduced as such.
Coming from a polygamous home, and being the second daughter, she allowed her maternal instinct to blossom and she ensured that her younger siblings were well catered to. She had a pet name for all of them.
Married Life
On January 18, 1990, Chigo (then still an undergraduate) met a young post graduate student, Nnanna Okorie-Agwu. They struck it off instantly. They became every close friends and each others confidant. Within days they were inseparable and went everywhere together. She sweetly swept away all competitions and stuck with her Prince as she called him. She was his Princess. They would day dream of names to give their children and all the places they would visit. When her father came to see her in school, she boldly brought him to his lab and introduced him to her father as her boyfriend.
On March 10, 1994, Nnanna travelled to Irrua, Edo State with his Father, Uncle and other relations to ask for Chigo’s hand in marriage. On November 12, 1994, they all came back for the Traditional Marriage. The Registry Wedding took place on 13th November, 1998 while the Church Wedding was on December 26, 2009 at the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, Abraham Adesanya, Lekki, Lagos.
For ten years they were without any child and medically, nothing was said to be wrong. They stuck to each other and had eventually decided to go for IVF in 2003. At the Clinic, they were told that she would have to come for the commencement of the treatment during “her time of the month”. That “time” never came as she was confirmed pregnant at Havana Hospital, Surulere. On March 12, 2004, she gave birth to Chikamele Amarachukwu Julian Osemede Okorie-Agwu.
On September 7, 2009 she had Chimezurum Nwasinachi Jasmine Okorie-Agwu.
Her dream was complete and prayers answered.
CAREER
Chigo started as Administrative Officer with Cosmos Global, a small company in Surulere. Thereafter she moved to Optimized Technologies Ltd. In year 2000 she was employed as a Contract Staff with Continental Trust Bank. In 2004, she was converted to a full staff and shortly after, Continental Trust Bank was acquired by Standard Trust Bank which eventually merged with UBA. She worked in Oke-Arin, Trade Fair, Apapa, Lekki Phase 1, Ikota, Ahmadu Bello Way Branches. Her last place was as Operations Manager, Lekki 2, Branch of UBA, Igbo-Efon.
She loved her job and as with everything she did, she gave it nothing but her best and her all. She got several recommendations and made several “sisters and brothers” at UBA. These brothers and sisters as well as the Bank, stood by her throughout the period of her protracted illness.
ILLNESS
In February 2012, Chigo was diagnosed of a throat infection. After several treatments, the symptoms refused to go and gradually got worse. The whole family went to the UK in March and there she ran a series of tests which revealed that she had pleural effusion and fever of “unknown origin”. Eventually, she was diagnosed with an Auto –Immune Disease known as Rheumatoid Arthritis in August 2012. The rheumatoid factor test was said to be 720in/ml as against the normal range of 0- 20in/ml! Her anti CCP was above 300 (normal 0-30). She started the battle for her life!
Her organs became affected, especially the lungs and the heart. Pulmonary Fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) had set in and by August 2012, she was placed on ambulatory oxygen round the clock. In November 2013, she went to the US where the first doctor gave her the death sentence, which she refused to accept. She even attended her Cousin Ngozi Amuneke’s wedding tagging her oxygen machine along! She was later taken to Houston Methodist where she met a doctor who agreed that she could be managed. She chose to return to Nigeria in January 2014. The scarring could only be slowed down but not stopped neither was it reversible. She received several treatment/medication which together with her faith would renew her after many life threatening crisis. Not withstanding, her faith in her God increased as her condition worsened!
HER FAITH
Chigo said to me:
“No matter what they say, I won’t give up hope. It’s between me and God. Until HE tells me that HE cannot and will not do it, ehnn, then...You still don’t get it! Medical Science can’t help us now. If 60% of my lungs are ok, why am I on this machine?”
That sort of summed her entire attitude. She vehemently refused to accept the report of Medical Science. She picked up her Rosary and went to God in prayers, calling upon Our Lady for her intercession. She developed an inner peace and became to tower of strength that those that saw her then leaned upon. She never asked why me? There was no self pity. There was just plain faith in God and utter reliance and acceptance of HIS will whichever way the pendulum swayed. That she survived almost 4 years was a sheer miracle!
It was important to her to spend enough time with her children, so that she could nurture them as only a mother could. She wanted them to at least know her to be able to remember her. She way “on a journey” and she was determined to reach her destination! She did!!!
On November 6, 2015 she checked into the hospital for treatment. Her time came at exactly 8:29hrs, she was at the gates of HEAVEN, with a smile on her face and such serene look!
She once said “the deepest level of worship is praising God inspite of the pain, thanking Him during the trials, trusting Him when we are tempted to lose hope and loving Him when He seems so far away. At my lowest, God is my hope, at my darkest He is my light. At my weakest, He remains my strength and my never ending comforter at my saddest moments. Hold on to HIM. He never fails’.