As Christmas Season Gesture Turns Grief into Grace
By Emeka Chiaghanam
Awgu, Enugu State – Grief often whispers. It sits quietly in the heart, heavy and private. But in Isu-Awaa, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, grief chose a different language — the language of compassion.
On the eve of the burial of his mother, Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe (popularly known as Black Indigo, Apunanwu), Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe, Executive Vice-Chairman of Baywood Group, transformed personal loss into a profound act of communal love, feeding 1,050 families across the 21 communities of Awgu LGA in a Christmas outreach that has since resonated far beyond the locality.
When Mourning Became Meaning
Instead of beginning funeral preparations with feasting and ceremony, Emperor Ibe and his brethren chose to look outward. The decision was simple yet radical: feed the hungry first.
The Ibe Family Event Arena in Isu-Awaa came alive early that morning. Buses arrived from distant towns, carrying elderly men, women, youths and children — many bearing the quiet fatigue of people accustomed to enduring hardship. Christmas, for them, is often about coping, not abundance. But on this day, coping gave way to comfort.
Stacks of rice, five-litre gallons of vegetable oil, and packets of seasoning cubes were neatly arranged — each package representing a household, each item a statement of care.
“This Is Not Charity — This Is Who My Mother Was”
Moving calmly among the crowd, Emperor Ibe avoided theatrics. When he spoke, it was from the heart.
“This is not charity,” he said. “This is who my mother was.”
He described Lady Eunice as a woman who could never ignore hunger or turn away from suffering. To honour her, he said, meant continuing her life’s work.
“How can we cook in excess and waste food,” he asked quietly, “when people around us have nothing to eat?”
Order, Dignity and Inclusion
Each of the 21 communities in Awgu was allocated 50 beneficiary families, selected independently by the Save Awgu Forum (SAFE) — a grassroots group founded by Emperor Ibe himself. Transportation was provided to ensure no one was excluded by distance or poverty.
What could have descended into chaos remained calm, organised and respectful — a reflection of planning rooted in empathy.
For beneficiaries like Ifeanyi Okonta from Mgbidi Awgu, the outreach restored dignity:
“Christmas would have passed quietly for us. Now we can cook, sit together and feel included.”
A Legacy Beyond the Burial
Observers described the gesture as leadership without noise. Former Enugu State Executive Assistant, Mr. Lukas Udeagbara, called it “impact without publicity,” noting that such actions strengthen the social fabric, especially in difficult economic times.
As the outreach ended and buses returned families to their towns, the mood had changed — lighter faces, quiet prayers, and genuine smiles. Emperor Ibe summed it up simply:
“As we prepare to lay her to rest, we want no one left behind.”
Honouring a Life Well Lived
Lady Ezinne Eunice Nwabugwu Ibe, who died at 90, was many things — Anglican Lay Reader, businesswoman, dancer, pilgrim to Jerusalem, community pillar. She was survived by eight children, 32 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, and buried in ceremonies tagged “Black Indigo Goes Home” between December 18 and 21, 2025.
Her burial at St. Mark’s Anglican Cathedral, Isu-Awaa, drew five Anglican bishops, over 30 priests, governors, senators, diplomats and dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond. The Bishop of Awgu/Aninri Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Benson N. Chukwunweike, reminded the congregation that people are ultimately remembered by their deeds, not their titles.
Legacy in Living Kitchens
Long after the hymns faded and the ceremonies ended, Lady Eunice’s legacy remained alive — in kitchens where pots simmered, in homes where families shared meals, and in hearts reminded that compassion outlives ceremony.
By choosing service over excess, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe offered a timeless reminder:
true legacy is not announced — it is lived.
And for 1,050 Awgu families, that legacy arrived quietly this Christmas — in bags of rice, bottles of oil, and the powerful feeling of being remembered.
