Cleric advises Nigerians on spirit of giving without conditions

Nigerians have been urged to have the spirit of giving generously and without conditions.

Delivering a sermon at the 10th year memorial Thanksgiving service of late Ezinne Lolo Jesdie Nwabaraku Nwachukwu, on Sunday, at St. James Anglican church Asokoro Abuja, a layreader of the church, Mrs Felicia Ike, said “that was the one sure way of doing what pleases God.”

Speaking on the topic: “The grace of giving – giving cheerfully and proportionately”, she said the essence of giving was to Express love and care to one another, “just like the apostles of old did by sharing willingly and freely with one another.”

She said: “I urge you all to emulate the apostles by being your brother’s keeper.

“God gave first, we are expected to give, but no matter what you give you cannot outlive God who gave His only begotten son to die on the cross for our sins.

“God appreciates not just only quantity but quality gifts. There is always a spiritual return for every good gift. You don’t need to be a multimillionaire before you give. Those things you regard as useless is beneficial to someone else. So give it out, but give cheerfully and God will reward you bountiful.”

In his own words, Venerable Andrus Ukadjiofor, the Vicar of St James Anglican Church Abuja, praised the late Ezinne Jessie Nwachukwu for the life she lived and those she helped.

He also thanked the family for remembering her death after 10 years, and urged them to keep doing the good work she was known for, as he prayed for the continued repose of her soul.

Speaking, the first son of late Ezinne Jessie Nwachukwu, a veteran journalist, Dr Obinna Nwachukwu, said the death of his mother on 4th November 2009; on his birthday, shattered all his birthday celebration plans.

According to him, “Although death is inevitable, that my mother died on the day she gave birth to me, still baffles me. Could it be too much love? Mere coincidence or divine?

“She was not born with the proverbial silver spoons, but through dint of hard work rose from obscurity to celebrity. This was a woman whose life was hallmark of sterling qualities, excellent record of service, credibility and patriotism to both God and humanity.

“Given her parents low background, she literally pulled herself up by her own boot straps in the grueling struggle of life; overcoming and surviving the sordid experiences of poverty, child mortality and civil war, which called forth all the survival instincts of every human being and challenged her to play those sterling qualities which distinguish excellence from mediocrity, solid achievement from feeble performance, imaginative insight from visionless bungling, and creativity from idealism. That was my dear mother.”

Born in 1926 to Late Mr.& Mrs Ukabiala Anosike, of Eziala Obizi in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local government of Imo state, Lolo Jessie Nwachukwu was the first among five children. Her birth came after a long delay which made her parents to give her the Ibo name “Nwabaraku” meaning “a child that cost money to get”.

She was dearly loved by everybody in her maiden home particularly her father, who had the habit of carrying her about on his shoulders even to social functions.

She later got married to late Nze Israel Ekeleme Nwachukwu, a pioneer Councilor in the old Mbaise County council (1966-1979). The marriage was blessed with ten Children, out of which only four are living.