Concerns have emerged over the emotional state of Mrs Uche Ubah, widow of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, following events surrounding a recent church dedication linked to the senator’s philanthropic contributions.
According to a close associate of the late lawmaker, Mr Eneh Victor Chigozie, Mrs Ubah has been deeply distressed since the event, allegedly due to how the late senator’s contributions to the Nnewi Cathedral project were treated by the church leadership.
In a statement on Thursday, Chigozie said he had refrained from reaching out to Mrs Ubah after being reliably informed that she had been unwell and emotionally affected by developments surrounding the dedication ceremony.
He alleged that the bishop overseeing the church, Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye, failed to adequately acknowledge the late senator’s substantial financial and material contributions to the cathedral project.
“She is not bothered about not being invited to the church dedication,” Chigozie said. “What hurt her was the attempt to downplay the enormous contribution her late husband made to the church, a project into which he reportedly invested billions of naira.”
Chigozie described the situation as painful, noting that the late senator had devoted significant resources to religious, educational and community development initiatives during his lifetime.
He contrasted the church’s handling of the matter with the response of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, following Senator Ubah’s death.
According to him, the university management, led at the time by its Vice-Chancellor, acknowledged the senator’s interventions, including the construction of a hospital and other projects through the Anambra Progressives platform. He said the institution subsequently named the hospital after the late senator, with his family formally invited to witness the event.
“This is how gratitude and appreciation should be shown,” he said.
Chigozie added that the controversy has caused emotional pain not only to the late senator’s family but also to associates and supporters who witnessed his philanthropic efforts firsthand.
The late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial District, was widely known for his investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare and religious institutions across Anambra State and beyond.
