“A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic” – Joseph Stalin (Former President of Soviet Union)
Adiahaobong Mammie Benson Umoette, the matriarch of Umoette’s family, was born a Princess into the Royal family of the late Obong Udo Akpan Essien of Akpan Essien’s political dynasty, Ekpuk Abak, Ikot Akpa Nkuk in Ukanafun Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State.
She was the first daughter of her father while second to the mother, the late Mrs Odonnie Ibangha Ndan of Ikot Esah village in the same Ukanafun Local Government Council, Akwa Ibom State.
Though she had the privileged to be educated up to Standard Six and even beyond in her days, having been born into a family with royal background, education and exposure, she was forced to abandon her education at Standard Three as a result of an ugly encounter she had with an Ekpo masquerade.
On her way from school then, she found herself face to face with a masquerade that pursued her so furiously that she almost ran out of breath and collapsed. She refused to go to school again after that traumatizing experience which evoked feelings of instability, uncertainty and confusion, and no persuasion and untiring love from her parents could assuage her.
Informed by her fears, she always prayed to God for blessings so she could send her children to school in order to acquire the western education. It’s little wonder that when her husband, the late Pa Benson Umo EtteAtim wanted to marry a wife for Emmanuel, their first son at a very tender age as it was customary then, she vehemently resisted the move, arguing that her son should have a formal education; because education is knowledge and the only heritage that parents can bequeath unto their children.
Like she used to say: “Farmlands will become infertile; Houses will become dilapidated; Clothes will wear off, tear and turn into rags, and of course, beautiful girls will continue to be born, become adult and/or die but only western education will stand the test of time.”
Many thanks to God, her husband heeded her advice.
Ma Mfon, as she was fondly called, got married in 1957 but unfortunately lost her husband, Pa Benson Umo EtteAtim a.k.a. Pa Udo Umoassianga of EtteAtim Akpan Urom kindred in the then Ekpuk Nto Udo Akpan of Inen Ikot Unah in 1964 when their marriage was only seven years old.
Pa Benson father’s fond name “Umoassianga”, was informed by the fact that as a farmer and hunter, he was always moving from one farm settlement to the other. Consequently, members of his community used to tease and make jokes of him, thus: “Da Umo, asuk assianga”, each time he returned home.
The jokes cracked always, was later turned into his nick name, “Umoassianga” which has partially stuck till date having been blinded by ignorance to the real name. But his names were and remain Umo EtteAtim Akpan Urom as narrated to us by our uncle, Pa Alfred Umo EtteAtim a.k.a. Udodung Umoassianga of blessed memory.
Married to a family that has embraced Christianity through Missionaries of Qua Iboe Church extraction and coupled with the fact that her parents brought her up under strict Christian virtues and principles, Princess Mammie Benson Umoette was a committed Christian who never allowed travails of life to jeopardize her faith in Christ Jesus.
She was baptized into Qua Iboe Church, and remained a faithful believer in God, in spite of daunting life challenges till her death; even as she was about marking her 78th Birthday anniversary in July 2016.
Mamma served in various leadership capacities e.g. Eka Iban, Women Fellowship Group, Committee member – Inen Superintendency, etc.
Although Anwan Uko Ufok Umoette hardly had secondary or tertiary education, she left no one in doubt about her being a self-educated woman, who held her grounds among those formally educated.
She was once a one-time board member for Community Secondary School, Inen Ekeffe – a body with the mandate to identify, conceptualize and actually oversee appropriate implementation of infrastructural reforms in the school. Her valuable contributions towards the upkeep of the school stand tall because it was on her advice that the first son, Emmanuel in 1994, single-handedly donated five (5) bundles of zinc to the school which is unprecedented in the history of the school. The bundles of zinc were used to roof the Science Block of the school.
This singular gesture which people thought was politically motivated, made provision of a hall for writing West African School Certificate Examinations possible and salvaged the future of the school vis-à-vis the graduating students; as it put paid to attaching them (students) to the other known but far distant Secondary Schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area for the purpose of sitting for their examinations. The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education having been satisfied with the hall roofing approved the then newly established school as a centre for writing West African School Certificate Examinations.
Ma Mfon during her life time positively touched many lives directly and/or indirectly as can be evidenced by the crowd from all walks of life who have been visiting her county home to pay their last respects.
Many from the community honoured her with the name “Ma Mfon” because she meant different things to different people that encountered her while she lived.
Mamma through sheer struggle, industry, hard work and her never-say-die attitude, did not allow her status as a widow to dampen her morale. She braved all odds to raise her three (3) surviving children, all of them university graduates, because according to Sir Winston Churchill – Former British Prime Minister, “There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies”.
Such a magnificent achievement, no doubt, could not have been recorded without a real support and closer cooperation as well as the open display of affection of the younger brother to her husband, Pa Alfred Umo EtteAtim whose death in 1985 was a double tragedy that struck the family even as her first son, Emmanuel was still an undergraduate at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.
The misfortune did not deter Mamma’s courage and determination. She made an enormous sacrifice so that the dream of her husband in ensuring all the children got the best of education, come true. The Princess lost her husband, the breadwinner of the family very early in life but as divine providence would have it, she brought her farming skills and hardworking attitude which she learnt from her parents to bear, as she quickly picked the pieces of her shattered life, crawled out of desperation for want of shoulder to lean on and started a small-scale business of buying and selling.
The business took her to markets such as Urua Akpan Ntok Ekpo, Urua Awak, Urua Akpan Essiek, Urua Anwa, Urua Nkpok Eto, Ekeffe and Ibeono. She traded in fish, crayfish and other foodstuffs, and the businesses thrived, and really opened up her world as she was transacting with traders who came from Igwengke/Opobo, Azumini, Aba and Port Harcourt.
Proceeds from the business venture were therefore channelled into feeding and paying the children’s school fees, in addition to catering for other family needs. Her invaluable sacrifices and investment of untiring love, support and resources to see the children and grandchildren thus far, academically, has today, paid off and produced highly qualified professionals in the field of Medicine, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science/Information Technology, Building Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mathematics/Statistics, Agriculture and Accountancy, who are doing well in their chosen fields.
Utueneikang Ufok Umoette, we owe you a huge debt of gratitude even as you live forever in our hearts.
Until she was called to glory, Adiahaobong Mammie Umoette was:
• A frontline women leader in Inen Ekeffe.
• Proprietress, Heritage Group of Schools, Inen Ekeffe.
• Women Leader & Board of Governors, Community Secondary School, Inen Ekeffe (1994 – 1998). She alongside Chief Saturday A. Adiaka, then PTA Chairman and Chief Isaac J. Umoren of blessed memory, the then Project Leader of the school facilitated the approval of a West African School Certificate centre in 1997 for the then 15 years’ old school.
Madam Mammie Umoette’s journey to the great beyond started as far back to 2004. She has been ill and remained indoor ever since but always consoled herself with a Bible quotation in Psalm 34: 18 – 19: “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all”, as she kept her faith alive.
In fact, Madam Mfon lived a fulfilled and worthy life of emulation despite medical help she received which couldn’t bring her any succour.
Words cannot therefore express how tears freely flowed over the demise of our dear mother, stepmother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister and above all, the progenitor of Umoette’s family, as her remains will be buried this month end.
Mammie who was born in 1939, died after attaining the golden age of 77 years on June 1, 2016.
Though died over a year ago, she will begin her final journey to mother-earth on December 30, 2017 at her country home, Umoette’s compound, Inen Ekeffe in Oruk Anam Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State.
The vacuum created by her departure would not be filled in a hurry as her siblings and grandchildren already greatly missing the Princess for her simplicity, listening ears, untiring love, care, support, advice plus her ever smiling mien – which people see as the secret of her strength, particularly in overcoming hard, trying and turbulent times.
Madam Umoette is survived by children, stepchildren, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sisters, brothers, brothers in-law, sisters in-law, daughters in-law and many other relatives.
Ma Mfon, adieu…o!
Utuene-ikang Ufok Umoette, good bye…oo!!
Adiahaobong Mammie Umoette, esiere…ooo!!!
