Mr. & Mrs. Kevin & Monica Ugwu met each other during the Nigerian- Biafran civil war sometime in 1967.
It was in a kind of a refugee camp where all the villagers had run, to seek refuge from the advancing Nigerian troops. It was during this time and in a place called “Amaorba” that the relationship started. This was to later progress into a romance which ultimately progressed to marriage sometime in 1968. The traditional rites could not be done at the height of the war thus, they waited till the end of the war in 1970 to have it done.
Early Life
With the war ending and the economic hardship that came with it all too prevalent, our father left home for greener pastures in the western part of the country. With no formal education nor certificate, nil special craft, and no money, it was a tall order, but he faced it squarely and forged ahead.
His sojourn in the western part of the country took him first to a town called “Owo “in present-day Ondo state where he worked as a labourer on the farms. Initially, he had traveled alone but after a few months of working on the farms, he was able to save enough money to come for our mother.
Career
Their sojourn in the western part of Nigeria took them from “Owo” to “Omu” (in present-day Osun state) in 1972, “Ibefu” (in present-day Ogun state) in 1974, and eventually, they would settle in “Isheri” in present-day Lagos state in 1975. The relocation to Isheri was after he had joined the giant construction company – Julius Berger – at the height of the massive infrastructural development of Lagos State in the 70s. He continued working with the company until sometime in the late 70 when he left and returned home to settle.
On returning home, he got a job with the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Nigeria Nsukka as a lab attendant. It was this stint at the University coupled with his exposure to westerners during his time at the Julius Berger that enkindled his love for education. He swore to see all his children through school no matter how difficult and despite all the odds, he succeeded in doing this.
Our father, left the University to start off a small trade in the early 90s. He traded on a lot of stuff ranging from liquor, and building material to palm produce for a brief period. All these while our mother had basically stayed home to raise us as traditional African families are known to be constituted. She was a hairdresser of the sort.
They are both now fully retired and enjoying their old age.
Beautiful History
Eke-Ugwu family roots reach back to late 19th century Nigeria. This family Tree started with Mr. Nweke, the middle-class entrepreneur, who married Monica Orieja together they started a family in 1968, and eventually married in 1970, which now spans over 2 generations.