The commercial city of Onitsha, in Anambra State, stood still on Saturday, March 8, 2014 for the burial of Chief (Mrs.) Onyenwa-Bolu-Eze Dorothy Uzoamaka Nkiruka (nee Egwuatu). Mrs. Nkiruka is the mother of Chief Tony Nkiruka, Onwa Onitsha and the multi-millionaire businessman behind Chez Kay Nigeria Ltd. Aged 87, Nne-Nto’s burial, which held at Agba Street, Inland Town, was colourful, carnival-like and attracted some of the leading businessmen and socialites from the Eastern part of the country, with whom her son, Onwa, shares a cordial relationship. From Chief Gab Okoye (Gabosky) to Ichie Patrick Okpaleke (Ginpat Aluminium), Onowu Norbert Mbaegbu (Iju Ozubulu) to Azubuike Orakwue (AZ-T Furniture) and even members of Integrity Social Club, one of the leading social clubs in Igbo land today, the whole place was jampacked. And with so much to eat and drink, Onwa elevated and enlivened the burial at night with some sky-beautifying fireworks which lasted for hours. Blessed with six children, three of whom are no more, mama lost her husband, Benedict, early and had to resort to selling ‘mama put’ and frozen fish to feed and train her children. Born in 1926 to the Egwuatu Nwagboka family of Ogbeotu Village, also in Onitsha, her corpse was handed over to her people like their tradition demands, after the lying in state. Her eldest son, Onwa, while eulogizing his mother, had this to say: “My darling mama, it will be unjust and ungrateful to blame the Almighty Father for calling you back to His vineyard at this enviable age of four scores and seven. Though we would have loved you to spend a few more years here on earth, God knows the best…You will be greatly missed by all and sundry who encountered you closely during your life time. Please, convey our profound and heartfelt greetings to our dad and narrate to him how you took exceptional care of the children he hurriedly left behind after the war…” Their father died in 1972, leaving her the huge and onerous task of training their six children all alone. Tony, Emmanuel and Okey are still living, but Dandy, Irene and Bridget are no more.