Mrs Amaka Ugwueze, wife of late Enugu lawmaker, Mr Chijioke Ugwueze, has inaugurated a foundation to empower widows, youths and offer full University scholarship in memory of the deceased.
Ugwueze disclosed this in Enugu on Tuesday during the one-year memorial service and inauguration of the foundation in honour of her late husband.
The widow, now representing the constituency after the demise of the husband, said that the aim of the foundation was to fulfill the vision of the deceased in assisting and empowering the less privileged in Isi-Uzo constituency.
She said that the foundation known as “Hon. Chijioke Leonard Ugwueze’s Foundation’’, would empower widows and skilled youths as well as offer full University scholarships to indigent students from the area.
The lawmaker described the demise of her husband as traumatic, noting that the memorial service was to enable her remove the mourning cloth after one year.
According to her, one year mourning is traumatic, hectic and horrible as the sudden death of my husband places a lot of responsibilities on her.
“Today is the first memorial service of my husband, Late Chijioke Ugwueze. It is 365 days already.
“It has been a traumatic one year, very hectic and horrible one year. I don’t think there is any word to express it. But God guided and protected us,’’ she said.
In his remarks, Chief Edward Ubosi, Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly recalled the contributions and legacies of the late Ugwueze within his short stay in the seventh assembly.
Ubosi, also chairman of the occasion appreciated the political stakeholders in Isi-Uzo constituency for allowing the wife of their late colleague to replace her husband at the state assembly.
He pledged to stand by the Ugwueze family at all things.
Presenting the philosophy of the foundation, Prof. Ebere Idoko, Senior Lecturer, Enugu State University of Science and Technology said the philanthropic idea and empowerment of Late Ugwueze started several years ago.
Idoko said that 33 beneficiaries, comprising 11 widows, 11 youths and 11 students benefitted from the first phase of the foundation which would be sustained.
The deceased was a first time member of Enugu state House of Assembly; he died after a brief illness and was buried on July 31, 2020.
Highpoint of the event was the unveiling of a book written by the widow, entitled ”Chijioke Ugwueze and marriage’’ by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.