Funeral arrangements for the burial
of health campaigner and Uncelebrated Nigerians Awards UK organising committee
General Secretary Dr Nkem Ezeilo who passed away last Sunday have been
announced by her family.
Dr Ezeilo, 43, a highly respected as
a healthy lifestyle campaigner, public speaker, author and community activist,
finally succumbed to a lengthy battle against cancer on Sunday September 11.
She will now be buried on Thursday September 22 at the Alum Cemetery in
Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, WD6 3PJ.
Before the funeral, a service of
songs will be held for Dr Ezeilo at 9.30am at All Saints Church, Shenley Road,
Borehamwood WD6 1EB. She will then be laid to rest at Alum Cemetery
Borehamwood, after which there will be a reception at Alum Hall, 2, Allum
Lane WD6 3PJ, Borehamwood.
A graduate of the University of
Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Dr Ezeilo ended up finishing her medical studies at the
University of Papua New Guinea, where she emerged the overall best graduating
student. Over recent years, Dr Ezeilo has established herself as one of the
leading bloggers and public speakers on health issues in the Nigerian diaspora
in the UK.
For several years now, Dr Ezeilo has
been battling cancer and in the process, defied all medical predictions,
refusing to accept defeat despite it spreading to virtually every part of her
body.
Even when doctors gave up on her, she refused to accept defeat, soldiering on using the strength of sheer will power to defy the ailment.
Even when doctors gave up on her, she refused to accept defeat, soldiering on using the strength of sheer will power to defy the ailment.
Dayo Olomu, the president of the
Nigerian Trainers and Speakers Consortium UK, said: "Dr Nkem is one of the
most courageous women I have ever met. She will be sorely missed."
Dayo Olomu
Tunde Loye, the chairman of the
Central Association of Nigerians in the UK, added: "Dr Nkem died doing
what she liked, so we feel comfortable she was happy in her life. Dear friend,
the Nigerian community in the UK will never forget you."
Tunde Loye
The Commandant General of Nigerians
in Diaspora Mentoring Corp and Founder of the 1st Ethnic Satellite
Company in Europe shared that “Dr Ezeilo had surely left a legacy of empowering
the communities and changed many stories to do with healthy living. Apart from
that her willingness to work for the people is an inspiration others should
emulate. May her soul rest in perfect peace.”
Alistair Soyode
Malcolm Benson, the chairman of the
publicity sub-committee of the Uncelebrated Nigerians Awards UK organising
committee, said that Dr Ezeilo will be honoured at the forthcoming event on
September 24. He added that apart from the fact that there will be a minute of
silence for her before the event starts, a full page paying tribute to her will
be published in the brochure.
Malcolm Benson
"Nkem was our secretary and was
a well-loved and highly respected member of our time, so it is only right that
we give her as good a send off as we can. Knowing Nkem, she would want us to
celebrate her life, so on the day we intend to celebrate all she achieved as a
health campaigner."
Fomer Enfield Mayor, Kate Anolue,
the chairman of the ethics sub-committee of the Uncelebrated Nigerians Awards
UK organising committee, added that among other things, Dr Ezeilo was also the
editor of the Eminent Nigerian Series published by the Nigerian Diaspora Direct
Investment Summit. In that capacity, she campaigned against African time
syndrome whereby Nigerians turned up at events hours later than scheduled.
Kate Anolue
Born in the Lusaka, Zambia, Dr
Ezeilo grew up in Nigeria, where she attended Federal Government Girls College
Owerri, before gaining admission into UNN. She was a tireless campaigner who
spent her entire professional life agitating for healthy eating, saying that if
people did that they would not have to visit the doctor in the first place.
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Society