Abia State Governor Alex Otti has expressed his condolences to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, after the death of her mother, Mrs Kamene Okonjo.
Otti called the death a personal loss to himself and to the people of Abia State, noting that losing a mother leaves a gap that no honor, achievement, or global recognition can ever fill.
The governor expressed his sympathies in a statement released on Monday by his chief press secretary, Ukoha Njuko-Ukoha.
He stated that Abia grieves alongside Okonjo-Iweala not only as a distinguished Nigerian on the world stage but also as a cherished sister whose life embodied the values her mother taught her.
Otti said the deceased was far more than a mother, portraying her as a moral guide, teacher, confidant, and prayer warrior whose virtues of integrity, diligence, excellence, compassion, and service remain evident in her daughter’s life and her contributions to humanity.
The statement quoted the governor as saying, “To lose a mother is to lose a part of oneself. For us in Abia, this is a personal loss. We have lost a mother, a matriarch who raised a daughter who has become a global pride to Abia, Ndigbo, Nigeria, and to all of humanity.
“No matter how accomplished a child becomes, a mother remains that irreplaceable place of comfort, quiet strength, and unconditional love. We have seen our sister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, speak of her mother with so much reverence and love. We know how close they were, and we feel her pain deeply.”
Otti prayed that God, who had upheld Okonjo-Iweala throughout her journey of service to humanity, would comfort her and her family during this difficult time.
He encouraged her to find comfort in the knowledge that her mother had lived a fulfilled, impactful, and exemplary life, adding that her legacy would endure for generations.
Mrs Kamene Okonjo passed away on Friday at the age of 96.
She was the wife of the late Obi Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, the immediate past traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State, with whom she shared 66 years of marriage.
