Opinion
Lady Kosor: A Life Of Service To Humanity -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
And it is on this note that I wish to celebrate the live and times of our own Chief Deaconess Onyekaosor Felicia Akpapunam nee Chukwurah who died in London on the 22nd September, 2023.
Philosophers were right to point out that live is not about accumulation of silver and gold neither is it just about personal accomplishments nor primitive accumulation. Live is about touching other lives in a positive way since we live not in isolation but with others. It is about interdependence. Thus, one’s greatest achievement can be measured in terms of the number of people whom one has touched; whom one has inspired and given reason to live. Great people, great minds realized this ethical truth and live their lives sacrificially for others and find great joy in so doing so much so that even they are gone, they keep on living in the minds of others. The heroic deeds, sacrifices, the vision and the conduct of great people are always sources of inspiration for others.
As an activist and a policy analyst, I have devoted time to the study of policies and programs of government and corporate entities as well as the policy contractors and personalities. I discovered that part of the problem of this era is excessive individualism and lack of good role models and mentorship. People especially the youth copy those who are hyped and primed by the media who may not have characters and attributes worthy of emulation. And this has cause a lot of distortion in our value system. And the erosion of values resonates in many dimensions: crime, social vices and societal decay.
Thus, I find it necessary to always identify with individuals whose character, conduct and philosophy are in tandem with the societal values and mores in order to guide our youths and future generation that seem to have been distracted by outlandish bizarre cultures. In this era when people accept aberration as the norm it feels good to know those who dare to be different; who live out our cherished values and cultural ethos.
And it is on this note that I wish to celebrate the live and times of our own Chief Deaconess Onyekaosor Felicia Akpapunam nee Chukwurah who died in London on the 22nd September, 2023.
Lady Kosor as she was fondly called by her associates, benefactors and family was a humanist who was prolife and pro-family and devoted her live to promoting human dignity and family values through her NGO, Kosor Foundation. Her interest in the human person was due partly to her orientation and partly to her personal conviction. Born in the Midwest of Igbo parentage, she attended school in the Southwest, in the North and oversea and worked in a multicultural setting within and outside the country. And so, she saw the human family as one and did not believe in the doctrine of racism, ethnic profiling or tribalism as it is known in Nigeria.
She was a philanthropist per excellence and upon her retirement from AGIP Oil where she had worked, rising to the position of manager, she set up Kosor Foundation, an NGO dedicated exclusively to humanitarian services to the wretched of the earth – to the poor, the orphans, widows and the vulnerable – amongst us. Lady Kosor who held the traditional title of Ojogwuani of Ezi committed her time, resources and skills for the service of others. She was committed to upholding the dignity of the human person. She was so passionate about serving others as if her life depended on it. She was also a peacemaker an arbitrator and a counselor. She was a mentor and a role model to many. She was a source of inspiration and a pillar of hope to many. And to her credit was many awards and societal recognitions too numerous to be listed here.
Lady Kosor was an Amazon! She was a woman of substance; a woman of many parts. Apart from being kind, she was a woman of great intelligence, something that made her stand out wherever she appeared. She was thorough and pursued her mandate with uncommon commitment and dedication. She liked merit and excellence and achieved greatness by dint of hard work. By her acquired and innate skills she navigated through turbulent times and adversity and made her marks. She was a stickler to rules. She believed that without discipline achieving success will be an illusion.
Deaconess Onyekaoso Felicia Akpapunam was great but she never allowed success to get the better part of her. She was a woman of cheerful disposition, unassuming and humble. She was a wonderful mother to her kids, a faithful wife and a good Christian. Her philosophy was anchored on leadership which she believed was about service, empowerment and promoting the dignity of man.
In the light of these, as we mark the second memorial of her death, I reflect deeply on the values and principles that she lived and died for and enjoin the youth to imbibe our cultural and ethical values and live a principle-centered live for peace and harmony in our society. Politicians should play by the rules for unity and peaceful coexistence. I also ask parents to guide their children aright by good conduct and religious leaders to emphasize moral values instead of prosperity. Also, our traditional and community leaders should reward excellence and not ill-gotten wealth.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK
