The remains of Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, wife of Nigeria’s first Military Head of State, were on Friday laid to rest in her husband’s country home in Umuezuwere Umuana-Ndume in Umuahia, Abia State.
Victoria, who died on August 23 at the age of 97, had eight children, including former Defence Minister and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, Ambassador Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi.
In a sermon during a requiem mass in her honour at St.Theresa Catholic Church, Afara Umuahia, Rev. Fr. Henry Maduka, described her as “a courageous and unwavering woman of faith”.
“She was an elegant and humble woman, who undertook the challenge of bringing up her children after the death of her husband, Major General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi.
“It was her Catholic faith that led her through her turbulent times,” Maduka said.
Continuing, he asked, “The reality of death confronts us daily but how often do we put our unbridled desire to check?”
The cleric urged Nigerians to reconcile themselves to God by respecting His injunctions in order to escape eternal damnation at death.
According to him, those that will escape eternal damnation are the humble in spirit, pure in heart, peacemakers and those that are persecuted for defending what is right, among others.
He said that God had given “expo” to man to enable him to qualify for eternal life and avoid hell.
“It will, therefore, be disappointing to lose any soul, haven been given an expo that will help us to make heaven.
“Unfortunately, many are not adhering to God’s gospel of redemption,” Maduka said.
He blamed the current social ills bedevilling the country, including armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, unknown gunmen and hired assassination on people’s obstinacy to the gospel of God.
“Our chain of problems is too numerous to count. From general insecurity on our roads to extortion, ethnic hatred and tribal subjugation.
“There is also the looting of the nation’s treasury, leading to largescale poverty in the land, unemployment and lack of industries.
“The pertinent question, therefore, is: ‘What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?’
“We should model our lives after our redemeemer,” Maduka, who is the Parish Priest, St. Patricks Catholic Church, Amuzukwu Umuahia, said.
In a speech, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu paid special tribute to the deceased, saying that “she espoused the virtues of nobility, hardwork, comportment and faith.
“These were the virtues she possessed that saw her through the trying period, following the death of her husband.
“I chose to describe her death as the closure of a great chapter that started in Ibeku land, where a great man sprang up to serve Nigeria and paid the supreme sacrifice in the course of doing so,” Ikpeazu said.
The funeral mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Umuahia Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Lucius Emejuiwe.
It was attended by Deputy Governor Oko Chukwu, Sen. Theodore Orji, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, former Sen. President Adolphus Wabara, two former State Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ukasanya and Chief Uzodinma Okpara, and some top state government functionaries.
Also in attendance was the Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, who represented the President of the pan-Igbo group, Prof. George Obiozor.
Others were some religious and traditional leaders, including Archbishop Opoko, Bishop Sunday Onuoha both of the Methodist Church Nigeria and Eze Philip Ukaegbu, the Traditional Ruler of Afarukwu Umuahia, the deceased maiden village.
Aguiyi-Ironsi, who became Military Head of State in the aftermath of the January 15, 1966 coup, was killed in a counter-coup on July 29, 1966.
