Parents have been urged to endeavour to leave behind legacies of good values and character above material wealth as inheritance for their children.
The Prelate and General Assembly Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Ekpenyong Akpanika, gave the admonition Saturday in Itim, Edda local government area of Ebonyi State.
He spoke during the funeral service of late Mary Chima, mother of a renowned judge in Ebonyi State, Justice Iheanacho Patrick Chima.
The prelate who pointed out the inevitability of death, emphasized that sinful wealth is ephemeral bringing sorrow, dissensions and pains to the inheritors while a person’s strength of character built upon legacies of love, empathy and generosity endures over time, giving peace of mind to survivors.
Speaking on the life and times of the departed matriarch and her many positive impacts as enunciated in the glowing tributes and orations, the clergyman maintained that a virtuous life produces great reward and enjoined Christians to always take their children through the right part and be meaningfully involved in the development of their communities.
Referencing the Biblical book of Proverbs Chapter 13 verse 22, he further cautioned against the growing craze for inordinate wealth especially among the youths in the present day society, stressing that the wealth of a sinner is laid up for the just.
Akpanika emphasized: “And based on the testimonies that we have heard about her, we can say of a truth that late Mrs Mary Chima left a good testimony, a good legacy not just for the family but for the entire community.
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“I therefore urge you to strive more to leave value and character rather than wealth and material things for your descendants.”
Son of the deceased, Justice Chima, in an oration, described his late mother as a faithful, hardworking, patient and resilient woman who left indelible marks worthy of emulation in her family and community, adding that her doggedness and absolute trust in God gave her victory in the face of many life’s challenges.
Chima said: “I am proud of my mother. She lived a seamless life, a very determined life.
“My mother was so strong-willed that even when she was in labour, she kept doing what she was doing; she just went to the backyard and gave birth to me.
“My elder sister heard the cry of a baby, and Mama just said, Go and call me that neighbour.
“The neighbour came and did what they did, and here I am.
“And my elder sister too; while she was heavily pregnant, she took her tray and went to the farm.
“She gave birth to her on the way to the farm.
“My mother believes that there’s nothing impossible to accomplish; her moral standards are unmatched.
“We will miss her so much.”
The Chief Judge of Ebonyi state, Justice Elvis Ngene, in his tribute, described the late matriarch as a woman with incredible strength and virtue, talented, industrious and highly enterprising.
“She was her best in everything she did, including her trades in fabrics, which took her beyond the shores of our state.
“Her intelligence and high acumen were evident in her ability to read the Igbo Bible fluently without formal education” Ngene narrated.
Others who spoke, including the daughters of the deceased, Ngozi Okoro and Chinedu Ejem; her daughter in-law, Grace Iheanacho Chima and one of her grand children, Ijeoma Ezikpe, described their mother as angelic and promised to continue to uphold her legacies as a way of immortalizing her.
The late matriarch Mary Chima passed on during a brief illness on May 20, 2024 at the age of 93. Her funeral service witnessed an unprecedented roll call of who is who in Southeast, Nigeria and beyond comprising the clergy, political class, the academic and lawyers.
She will continue to be remembered in the Presbyterian Church and her community as a moral educator and mentor to young women.
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