Mrs. Cecelia Ujebe celebrating.
‘Infact, one woman was even mocking her that she will never live in a good house. Her husband died 25 years ago when her mud house colasped and there was no hope’
By Nweze Anaga, Abakaliki
Life is not full of roses. It is very unpredictable. Fortune could smile on you when not expected, and could also turn against you the same way – such is the story of a homeless septugenerian widow, Mrs. Cecilia Ujebe.
Mrs. Cecilia Ujebe is a native of Igwemini village, Okposi Umuohara in Ezza North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, who has tasted the vicissitudes of life.
She was not born with silverspoon; she lives in a local community, where ownership of mud house was celebrated.
Her poor husband, who died 25 years ago, could not afford a modern house; he lived and died in the mud house.
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After her husband’s death, Mrs. Ujebe became homeless and lost her two sons. Her only surviving child (a lady) left the village with the grandchildren to secure them in a rented apartment.
But luck smiled at the poor widow, who had never lived in a modern house before, while looking for money to bury one of her late sons.
Rev. Jacinta Nwakaego Nworie, the former Senior Special Assistant to Ebonyi State former governor, David Umahi, became her destiny changer.
Rev Nworie, instead of the money she was begging for, donated a brand new bungalow to the homeless widow.
She spoke of her encounter with the widow.
Dr. Nworie narrated that the widow had been homeless for over 25 years after the death of her husband, which made her vulnerable to all manner of things, stressing that her husband’s mud house was totally dilapidated which prompted her to start the new building for her.
She further explained that her two sons died abandoning her with a surviving daughter who left the village with the widow’s grandchildren to Enugu State since they didn’t have any shelter to place their heads.
Dr. Nworie explained that the only surviving daughter and the grandchildren were back after the new bungalow was erected.
Dr. Nworie also added that as the President of Lions Club, and former SSA on Lagos Liaison office, she was always passionate to assist widows and the downtrodden to live a good life, stressing that she was instrumental to the return and rehabilitation of Ebonyians who were hawking goods in Lagos State back home through former governor Umahi.
She narrated: “I have been a pastor for the past 25 years. When former governor Umahi won election, he had my story; how I repatriate some children they were using for hawking in Lagos. I am the one who let Umahi know about Ebonyians hawking in Lagos. I wrote to the governor and governor did something about the hawkers in Lagos.
“Before now, I had been passionate about the dying souls in Nigeria.
“I am married. This place is called Igwemini village, Okposi Umuohara in Ezza North LGA.
“This widow had her two sons and they all died mysteriously. One of them, who had psychiatric problem, was taking to one pastor, where he was tied and he died there.
“So, the woman came to me and appealed for money to bury her dead son, but I had her story that she had been homeless for 20 years. I told her that she needed shelter instead of money to bury the dead. She has been managing a dilapidated mud house.
“Infact, one woman was even mocking her that she will never live in a good house.
“Her husband died 25 years ago when her mud house colasped and there was no hope. One politician around here molded blocks and packed them here, but never did anything until I started building for her.
“I made up my mind that I am going to give her a home; here is the bungalow. I added more rooms for her to occupy and rent others to generate income to feed herself.
“She has nothing doing, she is a vulnerable widow. She has no helper. Her only surviving daughter ran away with kids because they had no shelter; but one of the things I achieved in erecting this building is that her only daughter that ran away with this widow’s grandchildren are back home after the building project was completed.
“She brought back the grandchildren and reconciled them with the family.”
When asked whether she has intention of extending this kind guesture to others, Rev. Nworie said givers never lack, according to the scripture because since she embarked on the building project to provide shelter for the widow, God has lifted her in a remarkable way because givers, never lack.
“Give and it shall be given on to you. Since I started building this house for this woman, I have no cause to regret. Since I left office, I am better than when I was appointed because God has been sustaining me. Lions Club International and friends also supported me. It took me barley one year to build this house for her.
Also, after commissioning the new bungalow, the Parish Priest in charge of
St. Anderns Catholic Church, Umuohara, Rev Fr. Mathew Isukpa, applauded Mrs. Nworie for doing a good work to help the less-privileged in line with the biblical injunction that, “The test of true faith or true religion is by doing good work’.
“Saint James says that the test of true faith or true religion is by doing good work. So, this woman has actually carried out the injunction, and I congratulate her. Let this widow do her best to judiciously use the house. I want to advice other well-to-do individuals to emulate the gesture of this woman by always helping the poor.
One of the family members, Mrs. Roselin Mgbada, commended the efforts of Rev. Nworie, who saw her condition and came for recue, adding that after the death of the widow’s two sons, she has been engaging in doing menial jobs like weeding farm, among others.
“This woman gave birth to two sons and a girl but the two sons all died except the lady. It’s Mrs. Nwakaego Nworie that saw her condition and decided to build for her. This widow is just doing a menial job to herself by engaging in weeding farms. I am happy about what happened here because I didn’t expect it.
On her part, they benefiary, Mrs. Cecilia Ujebe, who was overwhelmed with joy, prayed God to bless and keep Rev. Jacinter Nworie, who remembered her when she was homeless, noting that she has been passing through alot of challenges until Mrs.Nworie located her.
The event features formal presentation of gifts from the widow’s family members to Rev. Nworie for the good job she has done and dancing celebration by the friends and well wishers who came to celebrate with her.
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