PEN MASTER’S 11 INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN IBUSA IN 2020

 PEN MASTER’S 11 INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN IBUSA IN 2020

Although the focus in Ibusa, a community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta Stateh has always been the Ibusa men, in reality, the Ibusa world has not always been about the men. The community which is rich in abundant human resources is equally the home of women, many of who have beyond the community bound, contributed to global development. Expectedly, some of these women are married in places outside the community and are not only hard-working but the support of their husbands. In this compendium Pen Master has listed the Ibusa women that enjoy influence within and outside the community as drawn from different walks of life. They are either Ibusa by birth or Ibusa by marriage. Still, they are no less Ibusa.

Going through this compendium, it is a matter of what an Ibusa can do, an Ibusa woman can do even better. Please note that the list is in no particular order.

On number one is Dame Winnifred Akpani, the Northwest Petroleum and Gas Co. Ltd founder and Managing Director. Billionaire Dame Akpani is considered one of the wealthiest living Ibusa natives. Indeed, not a few people also consider her a hard-working woman having risen from a trainee account in an audit firm to what she is today. Beautifully, she goes by Ibusa name and remembers this at all time a she looks back home with contributions to Ibusa Community Development Union affairs. Over the years, the wife of Walter Akpani, also the Managing Director of Providus Bank has risen to the status of an influential personality in the community. She is a well-known philanthropist in Ibusa who was honoured in 2017 by her community. The Northwest Petroleum and Gas Co. Ltd founder and seasoned chartered accountant is doing well in Nigerian oil industry as an indigenous firm and her influence has spreads at home and afar, making the name, “Akpani” the envy in Ibusa.

Number two on this list is Hon Dr. Princess Patience Ajudua, the present Honourable member representing the Oshimili North at the Delta State House of Assembly. She is the wife of Fred Ajudua, the Onwanetili Oha of Ibusa. Over the time, Hon Dr. Princess Adankele Ajudua has risen to the position of the Chief Whip and has represented her constituency a number of times unbroken. She seems by far, Ibusa’s biggest female name in Delta State and Nigerian politics. Her typical characteristics also define her as near most circulating Ibusa female political figure within the community. Rarely does the elegant Hon Dr. Pat Ajudua turn down invitations to functions organized in the name Ibusa. it would also seem that she is standing in political gap for the Ibusa women, giving the men a run for their money in these political journeys.    

31-year old Beverly Nanya stands on number three. She is unarguably, one of the most influential Nigerian personalities in the entertainment industry. Beverly Ifunanya Bassey, the British-born Nigerian actress has won the Most Promising Talent at the 2010 Best Nollywood Awards and has also won the award for Fast Rising Actress at the 2011 City People Entertainment Awards. Filmography career covers more than 23 movies that include “Guilty Pleasures” shot in 2009, “Death Waters” (2012), “Make a Movie”, “Stripped”, “Chief Dandy” and many more. Beverly Nanya is by every standard, Ibusa’s most seen personality in the tube. In 2020, Pen Master published a similar piece that requested her to think Ibusa, the land of her birth by bringing home the gifts of Nollywood.  

Next is Prof Ifeoma Linda Utomi who is the wife of Nigeria’s foremost economist and politician, Prof Pat Okedinachi Utomi. Prof Ifeoma Utomi though not so popular in the community, is the Head of Ibusa Women Professionals. She currently works at the Orthodontic Unit of child Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. Responding to the question on whether she felt comfortable with her husband’s social activism and political stance, she reportedly said “I won’t say I was very happy because of the peculiar nature of politics in Nigeria. I had a problem with the kind of characters involved in Nigerian politics. But when I realized that Nigeria needed to get to the point that people can benefit from the immense resources that the country has, I had to support him”. Ibusa will appreciate it if Prof Ifeoma Utomi gets better involved with the Ibusa grassroots. Still, she makes this list.   

From the unknown to the ladder of philanthropic and cultural affairs, Josephine Isioma Nwannabuogwu who many Ibusa people are looking forward to grab the community’s mantle of Omuship makes this list. With Josephine Nwannabuogwu’s interest in ascending the Omuship of the community, the institution received revival of interest from the generality of Ibusa indigenes. Not a few are waiting anxiously waiting to witness her ascension as the Omu of Ibusa so that it seems that only the unknown is withholding her. The mother of Dean is carrying with her so influence and may pass as the most influential female youth of Ibusa extraction. The Mazone Stitches Queen who started Igbuzo Singles Meet and became imbibed with Ibusa culture, rose within moments to become a philanthropic name in the community. With Josephine Isioma Nwannabuogwu, the future of Ibusa Omu is guaranteed among the comity of Anioma Omu.

Number six on the list is Mrs. Florence Obiajulu Agoh. The Akwukwu-Igbo-born woman who is married to Mr. Albert Agoh was recently favoured by the Lagos Zone of Igbuzo Singles Meet as the Patroness of the Zone. She was born in Fadeyi, Lagos and commenced educational pursuit in Regan Primary School where she had her basic primary education. She moved on to Ilupeju College for her secondary education after which she passed through the Grace Polytechnic with Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Management. She was to obtain her First Degree in Business Administration. The Chief Executive Officer of Flobat Party World recently tested her Ibusa popularity with the Lagos Branch of Igbuzo Singles Meet where she emerged the choice of the Ibusa youths as the Patroness of the Association. The unhindered choice of Mrs. Agoh is expected to introduce glamour to the Association, impact positively and also provide sound mentorship to the Ibusa youths. Her respect and sense of humility are her selling points. However, her discovery of Ibusa influence among the organized teeming Ibusa sent a worthy signal to her and the Agoh family of Ogboli-Igbuzo where she is married.

On number seven stands elegant and graceful Chief Mrs. Rosemary Moji Ikolodo. The wife of late Hon Chief Willy Ukadike Ikolodo, the former Uwolo of Ibusa who was also a member of the House of Representatives is known to have enjoyed wholesome Ibusa attention in their days of glamour and prominence. However, she is looking more popular to Ibusa youths in recent times. Hardly is she found missing in the affairs of Ibusa youths, an association that has won her more prominence. Aunty Moji as she is popularly known has made several philanthropic contributions to the youths in different areas thus justifying her eminence. Her encouragement of Ibusa researchers in varying areas especially where others are found missing also announces her as one of Ibusa most dependable figures. This is coming in addition to accessing her easily. All of these combined with her motherly nature, distinguish her from her peers.

Enyi Adaoyibo Philo Okonkwo, the pioneer president of the Otu Ehulu Fulu Society of Ibusa enjoys uncommon influence in the community. The soft-spoken woman, a retiree of the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation who has been given a title as far back as 20 years ago when she started bringing developments to the community through the oil companies is respected within and outside Ibusa. Enyi Okonkwo has among her contributions reportedly brought Shell and Total at a time to do projects in Ibusa. However, this is not about the woman that was honoured in 2017 by her community through the arm of Ibusa Community Development Union. She has always featured in the plan and arrangements of a better Ibusa in nearly every sphere. Intelligent Enyi Adaoyibo Okonkwo is one of the Ibusa women with the most philanthropic impacts and contributions towards the growth and development of the community and this cannot be denied her. She is by nature welcoming to all, small and big without any description, the very quality that projects her. Above all, her taste is sophisticatedly refined, the very reason stakeholders of the community run after her every time they are expected to delivery. The testimony of the community’s belief in her is found in her selection to head the Otu Ehulu Fulu Women Society of Ibusa.

Mrs. Ngozi Ezeoba has grown to become an Ibusa household name as distinguished by her philanthropic contributions to the community. Interestingly, her charity does not know the rich hence, well spread among all that are genuinely in need of it. The name, Ngozi Ezeoba is encouraging to the needy in the community and also a perfect means of running an NGO that centers on how a people should give back to the society that bore them. Her kind deeds are spreading the Ezeoba name very fast. She is best described as an Ibusa female giver with testimonies of achievements handy. Mrs. Ngozi Ezeoba makes this list as one of the influential Ibusa women.

Dr. Priscilla Okeleke (PhD Guidance and Counseling) is a Life Coach and Entrepreneur. The daughter of late Obi Vincent ‘Ngadiolu’ Obieke, one-time Honourable member of the defunct Bendel State House of Assembly has over the time had her influence fully-fledged in Ibusa especially among the womenfolk and folks. It is a rare to find her missing in any assembly of Ibusa women. The Ibusa woman is a Board Member of Umejei Descendants, General Secretary of Ibusa Women Professionals and also the Career Counselor of Igbuzo Singles Meet. Dr. Priscilla Okeleke is a likeable sort, easy to work with, one of the reasons she is one of the sought after women by the community’s associations. She is also an influential member of the People of Oshimili North (PoON). In year 2016, she was a co-guest lecturer with Pen Master where the duo delivered a speech on the effects of cultism on the community to Ibusa youths under the auspices of the Ibusa Sports Club in the community. She has also been a Guest Speaker on a number of times during the Igbuzo Singles Meet conference in Ibusa to speak on the promotion of Ibusa inter-marriage.   

It would seem that Ibusa is determinedly and energetically growing another great politician in Patricia Oyana whose influence is indefatigably spreading through the thick and thin. The influence of the Umuekea-born lady is fast spreading as she bulldozes her way through and piercing every political front and corner of Anioma with hard-work. The strong point of Patricia Oyana appears to be the Ibusa patriotism in her; loyalty, honesty and integrity. She is also considered trustworthy over her ability to deliver on mandates assigned her. She is in the good book of the Ibusa politicians hence, nearly every Ibusa politician would like to work with her. Passionate though, she owes even her opponents respect. Severally, Pen Master has sought to put her influence to use two of which have been the plan to see her in the historical team to Ejeme Aniogor where a research was to be carried out on Umuogwu-Ibusa migrants and the other, a planned historical journey to Uruagu (Isu Nnewi) in Nnewi, Anambra State, to also research into the Prince Umejei claim of origin from that Igbo axis of Isu by other historians.