Ma Esther Fred Nwosu
Ma Esther
(Oldest Gospel Singer in West Africa)
In Evergreen Memory of Ma Esther Ozichi Fred Nwosu
Sunset 16th August, 2024
Birthplace: Ugwunagbo
Second daughter of Pastor Aaron Dinneya Nwambuwa
Childhood local singing sensation
Sang in the church choir
Marriage Home: Ovom 1, Obingwa
A very jovial and friendly person, always laughing
Giving gifts and Sharing things with others
Married to Sir Fred E. Nwosu (produce merchant in Aba)
Lived in Aba Township before and after the war
Owned a Fabric Shop at Ekeoha Market, Aba (pre-war)
Raised eight children (three girls and five boys)
Lived as a refugee in different villages during the war:
Nbawsi, Umuoru, Umuechi, Umuagwula, Umuode, etc.
Traveled to Umuahia, bought goods, resold in Umuoru
Rejected the Twenty Pounds Nigeria gave to Igbos
Operated a small trading business (post-war)
Bought and sold at big markets in Aba, PH, Oron, Opobo
Awarded Scholarships to indigent children
Gave her children and grandchildren good education
Gave shelter to several children from other families
Led women groups at the churches she attended
Finally recorded her music album at old age
Treated other people’s children as her children
Supported everything her children decided to do.
Various Defining Moments
Mama gave all the children an orientation; something I would call ‘onboarding’. In her onboarding or orientation scheme, she made sure the children learned specific quotations in the Bible so that the children could recite those places once she mentioned the quotations, we would recite them. One of the most powerful quotations was Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children obey your parents.” There were several other quotations some were about God’s protection for her children and children’s children. Others were about chastisement, instructions, growth, etc. When any of us did anything wrong, Mama would quote a portion that dealt with what the child did. The child would recite it. After the recitation, Mama will deal with the child accordingly with what she called, “Doctor Do Good”. So, whenever we wnated to do anything wrong like going to fly kite in the street without permission, skipping our afternoon sleep (siesta), or dodging our dishwashing schedules, we knew ahead of time that we would face Mama’s Court where we would be made to recite the appropriate verse. So, we avoided all those by doing just what Mama would expect.
Mama made sure that our senior sister, Grace Nwosu (then), now Madam Grace Ogbuokwe had so much power. We did not want to fall into the hands of our senior sister because we knew that Mama would not rescue us. So, we made sure we warmed up to our senior sister under all circumstances. The balance of power in the house was beyond us. Sometimes we wanted to run to Mama, but when we realized that Mama would not save us, we decided to run to our senior sister. At other times, we just decided to face the music. The worst that could happen was that our buttocks would get hot. Mama’s administration was just a continuation of Papa’s administration. Since this space is for Mama, we wold not delve into Papa’s administration but must mention that Papa made sure that Mama had everything. Mama was like the high-voltage power line that stepped down ‘power’ to our senior sister who would distribute power down to us. Our senior brother was always looking for an opportunity to show the rest of us his power in the absence of our senior sister. We were also ready to quickly run to Mama and our senior sister. Mama’s leadership methods will remain a subject of research.
Mama’s children were loved by neighbors within the yard and in the neighboring yards, whether it was on Pound Road, Clifford Road, Ehi Road, School Road, or Ukaegbu Road. Clifford Road influenced us greatly because of our stint with Ibibio language. Iniabasi, Ekaete, Ekpedeme, and their other siblings were always in our playgroups. They spoke nothing but Ibibio. Therefore, we had no other choice than to speak their Ibibio. We thus became Ibibio people. Mama was perceived by several neighobors as an Ibibio woman. We had no feeling about it. We went with the flow and enjoyed our fellowship with our Ibibio kith and kin. Ekpedeme’s father had a Triumph motorcycle. We kids adored that big machine!
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At Ehi Road, Gina Onyeiaka was coming to our yard to visit Lolom and his children like Iheukwumere, Chinyere (male), Okwudiri, and Temple. Whenever Gina came, she would draw so much attention and we gravitated to her. She found out who our mother was and made friends with our mother. Our ties with Lolom’s children grew very strong. Whenever Lolom came into the yard to play his accordion, we would all go and sit around him and he was singing, “Adanma bia yirimo k’anyi la, Adanma bia yirimo k’anyi la.” The one he sang that was controversial was ‘Apoleji eburu isi nwa onye-ozo lawa n’ulo”. We did not know whatever that music was about, but there was also tension whenever he sang it playing his accordion.
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Mama wanted us to be grounded in our Ngwa heritage. So she arranged for us to spend time in the village during the school holidays. Being that we all were born in Aba Town, we did not know about calling Dede or Daa. She and Papa tried everything to make us recognize our immediate older ones. They devised a strategy that led to special titles we gave to our older ones. That stuck with us to date. The holidays in the village helped a great deal because we were even made to learn how to do the wrestling competitions, swimming in the village river, going into the forest to set traps for bushmeat, guinea-fowl.
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In 1999, Mama was on a vacation in the United States. Chima and his wife did everything to make sure that Mama enjoyed her visit. Mama was always thinking about her house and social networks back home. When it was time for Mama to return to Nigeria, she was so happy. When asked, Mama said that the United States is good, but that she was too accustomed to home life that she wanted to go back. She returned to Nigeria. After a while, she was invited to the United States for another vacation, she said she preferred her comfort zone in Aba. She did not accept the invitation to go on a second visit to the US.
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Towards the end of the war in December 1969, Mama herded the eight of us from Umuovom, Isiala-Ngwa to Ama-Owere to Ikputu to Umuodeche heading to Umunwanwa. Very late that night, we heard a deafening explosion. When we reached the major road, people coming towards us told us the Umunwanwa bridge had been blown up and many people died. Nigerian soldiers were already all over the area. We reached Umuoba, ran into a high-ranking Yoruba Army officer and his wife who wanted to take us to Lagos. Mama refused. Heading to Aba, we heard Nigerian soldiers were killing suspected Biafran soldiers. Mama told Okechukwu to remove his army uniform. Okechukwu, hesitant and emotional, went into a cassava farm, spread his uniform, and came out. The journey to Aba continued.
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Every month, before the war, Landmark establishments usually contacted Papa to send his children to their establishments for a tour. Mama was the one who usually took the children to those popular places in town just for sight-seeing. She took the children to Lever Brothers, Breweries, PZ, European Quarters, GRA, Associated Industries (Alagbon), and D.D. Onyemelukwe’s Farms at the Ngwa Road Waterside. Mama’s younger brother was a drive to Margaret Ekpo (the politician); either Mama would take us to Margaret Ekpo’s house on Park Road or Mama’s younger brother would come to the house to take us there. We had good times with Margaret Ekpo. Mama did everything to make sure her children enjoyed life. She always got everything from Papa and gave us. She was also the first to whoop our tails.
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During the war, the Brigade Headquarters in Ntigha-Uzo arrested Chima and detained him at their headquarters for holding a map of Aba that he innocently drew. Chima sent a message to Mama who was at the Umuoru market selling her wares. Mama went straight to the Brigade Headquarters and asked to see the Brigade Commander. The soldiers quickly took Mama to the Brigade Commander’s office. Mama brought Chima back home from Ntigha-Uzo.
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During the war, our adopted senior brother, Franco Jasper (Francis Jasper Jumbo) from Bonny, an army officer, was put the guardroom at their barracks in Akirika because didn’t allow his commandant to comandeer his mobylette. Mama got the information and went straight to Akirika barracks and asked to see the Commander. The commander came out. Mama asked the commander to bring out Franco Jasper. He was brought out. He is now a top guy in Niger Delta.
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Mama’s Music Album)
(YouTube Videos
Photos
