The remains of the late registrar of the Wigwe University, Isiokpo in Rivers State, Ulonna Inyama, have been laid to rest in Imo State.
The burial, conducted according to Catholic tradition, was held at her hometown in Itu, Ezinihitte Mbaise council area of Imo State, on Friday.
Ms Inyama died on July 27, 2024, in Abuja, during a brief illness. She was aged 41.
Speaking at the funeral, a sister to the deceased and senior employee of NAN, Ugonne Uzoma, extolled her as a humane, confidant, mentor and resource person whose unconditional love endeared her to all around her.
A tearful Uzoma said that her late sister was an epitome of kindness and compassion who left her family with shoes bigger than they could fill.
She said, “This loss has shattered me and my grief is palpable; she was a definition of class and excellence who supported and loved us all, unconditionally. I look forward to the resurrection morning when I shall see my big sister again.’’
Also speaking, the mother of the deceased, Scholastica Inyama, described her late daughter as “kind, almost to a fault,” adding that although she was exceptionally brilliant, she remained humble.
She prayed to God to grant the deceased rest in his kingdom and the family the fortitude to bear the “untimely, irreparable loss.”
Also, NAN Zonal Manager, Owerri, Sam Oditah, urged the family to look up to God as the “author and finisher of our faith.”
Mr Oditah, who extended the condolences of the entire NAN family, prayed to God to receive the deceased and grant her a peaceful repose.
He said, “Since the world is not anyone’s permanent home, we must all learn to look up to God in good and bad times and to rely on God in times of adversity.’’
The late Ulonna graduated with a First Class Honours from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2004 before proceeding to work with the National Universities Commission.
At the NUC, she started as a quality assurance officer before rising to become the executive assistant to the executive secretary of the commission.
She also served in various directorates of the commission and actively contributed to many projects, policy committees and working groups within the NUC.
She took a leave of absence from the NUC in 2022 to accept the position of registrar at Wigwe University. She eventually became secretary to the governing council of the institution, a role she filled until her demise following a blood transfusion.
(NAN)