Biography of Madam Ure O Ikoro.

Madam Ure Obasi Ikoro was born in Ihungwu Abiriba to the late Chief Obasi and Mrs Oyediya Ikoro of Nde Oriri Umueso, Abiriba, Nigeria on October 5th 1934. As the first daughter, she was the darling of her father, earning her the name Ure nna, (father’s pride). She only attended Okwu Igbo - night school at fef (Faith Church) where she studied basic reading and writing in Igbo; due to her resilience, she was able to read the Bible in Igbo. Her siblings included late Chief Ogbu Obasi, late Mr Odim Obasi and late Mr. Odum Obasi. Others are Mrs. Okpete Abosi Emma and Mrs. Miennaya Samuel Eleanya.

She had a simple and humble beginning with no formal education. In her teens, she lived with the late Chief Jonah Ndukwo and family in Port Harcourt, where she interacted with the likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Governor General of Nigeria, 1963 to 1966) – this is where she earned the nick name, Enyi Azikiwe. She lived at Itu after her marriage and did petty trading but took to farming when she returned to Abiriba. She was a very successful farmer, rivaling men in the quantity and quality of Yam production. Her success in farming earned her the title, Okechi aka oba.

Madam Ure was a strong advocate for education, she worked tirelessly to make sure her children and grandchildren attained the highest level of education – because she did not attend formal and conventional schools, she insisted that her children should reach those heights that she was not privileged to reach. She saw education as the best investment any one could make - you could hear her every night asking her grandchildren to go and do their homework before watching TV and or before playing. Love for education, hard work, determination and great sense of purpose characterized this great and loving mother, grandmother.

Even at the height of her illness, she was selfless due to her strong Christian faith. Madam Ure was a member of the Assemblies of God Church. Her lifetime of care, dedication and self-sacrifice attests to the exemplary woman she was. Her humanity, candor, fairness, humility, integrity, and hard work continue to inspire us and those who knew her. She is survived by three sons, Arch Jonah Obasi, Mr. Ogbugha Otisi Ukiwe and Dr. Alladin Ukiwe; thirteen grandchildren and two sister; in-laws and numerous relatives.

Eulogy of

Madam Uwaezughu (Ure) Obasi Ikoro

(Nwami Ugboelu)

A typical Sunday morning will start with mom’s favorite song:

My mighty God in heaven, everything is possible for you

I thank you dear Lord for your word is always yes with me.

So, yes she said when the Lord called her to come home into His presence … where there is peace, Joy, rest and above all - where life never ends. She is at the bosom of the Lord – she will die no more. 

A student of mine once asked me to identify the greatest hero (legendary, divine descent, with great strength or ability. MD) of all times. I scanned the history books from the 17th to the 21 century – I reviewed the works of many from John Adams/Ben Franklin, Putnam, Rosa Park, Martin Luther King, Ronald Regan and Nelson Mandela. No one impacted my life as the life and work of Nwami Ugboelu, Enyi Azikiwe, my dear friend, Nne omam…. So, I told this student of mine  that my mom was my greatest hero

Let me tell you about this great woman:

She had a simple and humble beginning with no formal education but worked tirelessly to make sure her children and grandchildren attained the highest level of education.  Because she did not attend formal and conventional schools, she insisted that we, her children should reach those heights that she was not privileged to reach. She saw education as the best investment any one could make - you could hear her every night asking her grandchildren to go and do their homework before watching TV and or before playing. Love for education, hard work, determination and great sense of purpose characterized this great and loving mother/grandmother.

My mom was the best investor I knew – she took a chance and invested in me. She invested her time, love and the meager resources she could get from her farm work. We worked together on construction sites – fetching water, breaking stones and overall site cleaning to raise money to pay my school fees during my early years in school. In all these hard work, she did not despair. As a good investor, she was patient, disciplined and had a well-defined investment strategy – a strategy to give me the best education in spite of all the odds that were stacked against her. I owe all I am to her.

Mom was our pillar and moral compass. She reminded us of the need to be truthful, fair and honest. That there was no short cut to success. She instilled the virtue of hard work, dedication to duty and service in us. She hated injustice with passion; she spoke with candor no matter whose ox was gored. 

I often would call her on the phone and pretend to be speaking with American accent and ask “can I please speak to Dr Ukiwe. You cannot but laugh when you hear her rendition of “e no dey for house”. Other times, I will ask to speak to Ure Ikoro and she will respond’ I no hear English; my son no dey for house…” When I teased her (as I often did) about being in the US for 20 years and still not being able to speak English, She would remind me that she was the only one who had the opportunity to interact with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe on several occasions, when she lived with Chief Jonah Ndukwo in Port harcourt. (earning the nick name, Enyi Azikiwe). Watching TV with her was like going through a therapy session – you would laugh and laugh. She proudly would request for Edumofia (Edie Murphy) movie or join the kids in signing “adonga adonga” (Hot dog, hot dog, hot digidi dog, Mickey Mouse)

Up until few weeks before her transition, mama was a strong woman. She even joked that she was strong enough to wrestle the doctor when the doctor asked if she was strong enough to walk. She did a lot of house chores, took care of the kids.  – She was always the first to wake up in the morning and would get the kids ready for school. She would take them to the bus stop and pick them up at the end of the school day. She religiously walked ~1 mile every day to stay fit. She cherished her independence.

Mama understood me. She knew my weaknesses, appreciated my strength and celebrated my accomplishments. On difficult and challenging situations, she, like Henry Ford, would remind me that when everything seems to be going against you, you must remember that the airplanes takes off against the wind, not with it. She was a possibility thinker – encouraging her children and grandchildren to stride on, work hard and that success will follow; she repeated the saying that Joy comes in the morning as many times as one cared to listen.

Even at the height of her illness, she was selfless. Mama told me that she was not worried about dying, but was concerned about what I  would do and how I would carry on. I loved my friend and mom very much. Her transition has left a void in our lives, we miss her dearly. Her lifetime of care, dedication and self-sacrifice attests to the exemplary woman she was. Her humanity, candor, fairness, humility, integrity, and hard work continue to inspire us and those who knew her.

Good night mama.

Dr. Alladin Ukiwe, PhD

Professor of Finance & Applied Decision Sciences,

George Fox University, Portland Oregon.