104 Super Grandma with 91 Grandchildren

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:12 am

Lolo Nwunnyenna Edoga Ugwuanyi, 104 year-old great grandma is an interesting personality. Even at her age she still craves for the good things of life. She loves cars, television set and other exotic appliances. For her, modern time is better than the drudgery of the old times. But crime and corruption make her sad.
She spoke with Daily Sun about her life and family.

Mama may I know you?
My name is Lolo Nwunyenna Edoga Ugwuanyi from Owerri-Edem-Ani, but married to Amenu Edem-Ani in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
I am from Ugwuanyi’s family and as fate would have it, I also married into another Ugwuanyi family.

I married my late husband at the age of 15 in 1917 or thereabout. My husband was also the oldest man in our community at the time of his death. He was 125 years. My late husband was so dear to me, that is why I still pray for his soul to rest in the Lord.

Did you remarry when he died?
No, I married only my husband and we lived in harmony before death separated us. That was why we celebrate our Edoga’s day. That is the only opportunity for all my children, grand and great grand children to come together and know teach other and put things in order too.

How old are you?
I am above 104 years because then, we kept no records, except with remarkable festivals or incidences like that.

How many children have you?
My children are seven in number. One of them is the chief nursing officer, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The other one is a senior lecturer and the wife of the former deputy vice vhancellor, Academics, UNN, while the other one is into politics. All my children are educated and each time I remember them I feel happy.

And your grand and great-grand children?
I’m sorry, I can’t really say or count them, but I can boast of 91. In fact, God has blessed me with so many children and they are always by my side that if you go inside my room, you will see box of clothes which were sent from those in Nigeria and abroad.
I must say I love all my children. They are all special to me.

Life then and now
If not because of the shooting and the rate of corruption, I would have preferred this modern life to that of past because now, you have lots of technology that would be helpful to human life, like cars, TV. Then, there was not enough clothes to cover our nakedness unlike now. Whoever has two clothes was regarded as a rich person and people from other communities will come and borrow from him or her for special occasions.