Fidelia Ezinwanne Chigbogu, immediate elder sister to late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, is dead. She was 61.
Mrs. Chigbogu, fondly called “Darling” by her husband, died suddenly last Sunday morning in Lagos while preparing to go to church.
Her husband, Chudi Chidinma Chigbogu, from Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, who spoke amid tears, described her death as a shock.
“It was like a shock to me, because even as I am talking to you now, I never believed it,” he said.
Narrating how it happened, Mr. Chigbogu said the family had an electrical incident last Thursday when their meter exploded and burnt their change-over room. They alerted officials of the power company who promised to come on Monday to replace and relocate the meter.
“We were busy waiting for them. My wife said she will give testimony in church on Sunday and we were preparing for that,” he said.
According to him, there was no sign of illness.
“That Sunday morning, she woke up, there was nothing like headache, nothing like fever, nothing. She finished bathing and was preparing to go to church. She usually leaves home between 7 and 7:30 a.m. because of roles she plays in the church.
“I went to wash the car because of dust. Around 8 a.m., I called my son and said, why has mummy not come down? Go and check. Only for the boy to go and start screaming that he called his mummy and she did not answer, he lifted her hand and her hand dropped.”
He said he rushed upstairs and met her lying on the bed unresponsive.
“I called her names, no way. I alerted neighbours, we carried her to six hospitals. Anywhere we went, they will take me aside and say I didn’t bring her on time, that she has passed on. I said no, it is not possible, until we got to Navy Hospital, where they refused to admit her.”
Mr. Chigbogu said prayers were held for hours at home, until around 4 p.m. when someone told him she had seen his wife in a vision, moving fast without looking back, and that she had made it to heaven.
“That was when I changed my mind and allowed ambulance to come. She left here after 6 p.m. and got to the village around 7 a.m. the next day,” he said.
He described his late wife as a natural leader, peacemaker and philanthropist.
“Aside calling her darling, I called her many names because she was a leader. No matter the case in the family, she would settle it. She is the founder of a women group, played a very big role in the church, known for her charitable work. Before her passing, she was working on her orphanage. Even though she is no more, I will not let her down, I will make sure that project comes to pass,” he said.
On family background, he said their parents had seven children – three men and four women – and his wife was the second daughter. She was also one of the trustees of the Ubah family.
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