By Aramide Oikelome, Snr. Correspondent, Lagos
The hall at the University of Calabar Hotel Conference Centre was filled to the brim. The decors of the room, lit in brilliant colours blended well with the colour of the book arranged carefully on the table. The title of the book was Mother of Multitudes. In no time the subject of the biography, a tall elegant lady appeared and people, young and old, lecturers and students hustled to hug, shake, and take photographs with her. It was the day for a much-deserved celebration for Professor (Mrs) Ebele Eko, a retired professor of Comparative Literature and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of University of Calabar (UNICAL).
Prof. Eko, Prof. Ekpe, Prof. Esu and Eko’s sister Mrs. Obiaga at the book launch in Calabar
The biography, written by her former student and mentee of 15 years standing, Betty Abah, journalist and activist, documents not only the professional accomplishments of the Anambra-born Eko and her exemplary marriage to the late Cross River-born Dr. Ewa Eko but also highlights the great philanthropic works she has done mentoring, assisting and mending the lives of hundreds of people who pass through her either in UNICAL or outside.
The book launch brought together several of Eko’s colleagues from UNICAL, family, friends, former students, mentees and beneficiaries.
Professor Ivara Esu, former UNICAL Vice Chancellor under whom Eko served as Deputy, and who is new Deputy-Governor-Elect of Cross River State, who was special guest at the occasion, said it was a much deserved documentation of the work of the amazon whose administrative and personal excellence he attested to. He also commended Abah whom he praised as one of their outstanding students who had made them proud.
“As a wife, as a mother and as a career woman, Ma Eko has excelled. There are only a few woman who have combined excellence in those areas and we can only thank God for giving her to us as a testimonial of His faithfulness, to influence lives wherever we go,” said Professor U. J. Ekpe, who also served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin) at the same time with Eko and under Prof. Esu.
Mrs. Christy Obiaga, youngest sibling of Prof Eko (youngest of nine children by their late Mother Helen), said she was not surprised that her sister turned out a philanthropist of great standing. “I am so happy that someone could think of writing such a compelling book documenting the story of my sister because her story is really a special one and I believe it will inspire many people. Right from when she was only a girl, she has always exhibited a heart of gold. In her I see one thing—that love shared does not diminish, but multiplies. She is God’s gift to us as a family.”
Abah, former journalist with TELL Magazine who currently runs the child’s rights and welfare NGO, CEE-HOPE, said she was motivated to document Prof. Eko’s exemplary life in order to inspire others to do good.
“There is so much celebration of bad role models and outright charlatans in our society to the detriment of the gems with which this country is blessed. As writers, as consciences of the nation, we owe a debt to hold up good people like Mummy Eko as mirrors before the nation especially as models for our younger generation,” she said.
Abah added that besides affecting her personally, Eko, who runs the Word Family in Calabar has been a source of hope for many poor students, indigent women and children and sponsored so many in schools and projects even abroad, many times sacrificing her last savings.
The book contains narratives of Eko’s accomplishment including Federal Government and US Scholarships as a student in Nigeria, her travels through Senegal, France, Germany and the UK on international scholarships. It also reveals her encounter with her husband-to-be Dr. Ewa EKo in the USA, the scintillating story of their love, marriage and eventual return to Nigeria where she held sway at UNICAL, mentoring and inspiring generations of students.
Besides becoming the first Head of Department of the English and Literary Studies Department, Eko also was the first female to be appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor at UNICAL, where she worked with Prof Esu and Ekpe to stamp out cultism from UNICAL in addition to instilling an enduring tradition of environmental cleanliness in the school.
But the most gripping aspects of the book are the testimonies. They include the case of a student at the medical school in UNICAL whom his lecturers deemed too “deformed to practice the prestigious medical career,” and would not pass him for nine years. Prof. Eko’s intervention to the highest levels of the university authorities helped in securing his graduation.
Prof. Eko, mother of five, who hails from Nnewi in Anambra State and daughter of an Anglican clergy, was married to Cross River State-born Dr. Ewa Eko, a former INEC (then NEC) State Commissioner in the FCT as well as Cross River and Kwara States.
A prolific author, Mrs. Eko has several books and publications spanning English grammar, poetry, literary criticism among others including Effective Writing (Grammar); Wings of the Morning (Poems); Bridges of Gold (Poems); Healing Streams, (Poems); Colour Him Love (Poems), Elechi Amadi: The Man and His Work (Criticism), Elechi Amadi at 55, Poems, Short Stories and Papers (Criticism); The King’s Daughter (prose), Seal Me in Your Heart (prose); Joy Unspeakable (Poems); Ewa Eko: The Man and His Works (collection); Masterpieces of African Literature (Criticism) among others.
Prof. has won so many awards including being the first Archbishop Tutu Distinguished Professor, University of North Florida (1999-2000), a visiting professor at Valdosta State University, Georgia (1991-93), and University of North Florida, Jacksonville (1998-2000). She has been a Fulbright Scholar in the University of Florida, Gainesville (1985-86) and Fulbright Scholar in Residence at the Valdosta State University (1991-92).
Other awards and honours include an Award for Excellent Service and Commitment to African-American Studies, Valdosta State University, Feb. 4, 1999.
Prof. Eko was honoured in Calabar as one of the Cross River Amazons, A profile on 100 top Cross River women.
American-based literary scholar and pioneer Head of Department of the English Department UNICAL, Professor Emenyonu described the biography as “a timeless honour done to Professor Eko for her wonderful legacies.”
Kene Onwudinjo, a post graduate student of English Language Studies (ELS) and neighbor of the Ekos, said of the matriarch: “Mommy Eko is my grandmother. She is a mother to my father and also a mother to me. Each time I feel stressed, each time I feel sad or confused, all I need to do is to think about her and my sorrows go away. When the Bible says, “To be all things to all men, I used to wonder how a human being with so many imperfections can be all things to all men, but I have found that Mummy Eko is indeed all things to so many people, both men and women. She is a woman of God who has proven that in being one with God, one has a big capacity for enormous good, she has the biggest and warmest heart. I have always longed to meet great people in my lifetime like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Maya Angelou but just three minute away from my house is a woman of enormous grace.”
But the tall and intimidating Eko would want not want to take the glory. “Everything is a gift so there is nothing to boast about,” Mummy Eko as she is popularly called told the appreciative audience, flashing her trademark smiles.
“It is the Lord that has made all things possible and made the gifts available; it is not about me. I will have real satisfaction if the book will point people to the source of all true success, which is God.”
The post Pay-Day for Mother of Multitudes appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.