The wife of Chief (Sir) Benjamin Elue, former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Lady Esther Elue, will on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, be Mother of the Day at this year’s edition of Maris Annual Public Service Lecture billed to hold at the prestigious Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba at 12 noon.
At the lecture, the Governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi A. Okowa, CON, his predecessor in office, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, PhD, CON, and Governor-elect of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori will be Special Guests of Honour, while an industrialist, Delta-born multi-billionaire businessman, Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, will be the Chairman of Occasion.
Commissioner for Finance, Delta State, a renowned technocrat and politician, Chief Fidelis Tilije, will deliver the lecture and he will speak on the topic, “Provision Of Infrastructure As Catalyst For Growth Of Democratic Governments.”
Rev. Fr. John Konyeke will be the Spiritual Father of the Day at the lecture where Dr Festus Okubor, Dr Paul Owel, Dr Augustina Erah and Comrade Olumami Oyibo will be discussants while Anthony Kemi Emina, PhD, will be Moderator.
Below is the biography of Lady Esther Elue:
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Lady Esther Onyebuchi Elue (nee Ojeah), was born in Obior, Delta State on the 21st day of December 1946 to Pa John Ojeah and Mama Regina Ojeah (nee Jikeme).
The third child in a family of five, she started her educational career at Convent School between 1952 and 1954. She then went on to Eku Baptist School in the Western region (Present day Delta State) from 1954 to 1956, and Eku Modern School from 1958 to 1959. Thereafter, she proceeded to Queen of Rosary College (QRC), Onitsha, between 1960 and 1964. She is proudly among the students that partook in the very first Independence Day March Past of 1960.
In 1965, Esy as she was fondly called by family and friends, was admitted to the renowned University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to study Foreign Languages and majored in Slavic (Russian), French and English Languages between 1965 and 1967. Sadly, her study in Nsukka was interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War; but in 1968, she was later admitted into the University of Ibadan where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English/French. In 1974, she secured admission to the University of Lagos and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).
PERSONAL LIFE
In 1965, she met Benjamin Sunnie Chukwuenweniwe Elue, the man she came to fondly call “Ben.” It was the way she said the name! She was smitten by his boyish charms and handsome looks, as he was with her beauty, elegance and intellect, and they got married in 1970. Their marriage is blessed with 8 children, 27 grandchildren and still counting.
For Esy, the family came first and her home was open to anyone that needed help, accommodation, education or just a listening ear. She constantly sought to expand her already large family with many ” Umunnes”
CAREER
An illustrious career that spanned 35 years began with a teaching position at Baptist Academy, Lagos, from 1971 to 1975. In 1975, Lady Esther and the family relocated to Benin City, where she took up a position at Baptist High School till 1980 when she was appointed the pioneer Principal of Ihogbe College, Benin City, a position she held for four years and then moved on to become the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Asaba from 1985 to 1992. From 1992 to 1994, she worked at the Post Primary Education Board, Asaba, as an Administrative Officer and was instrumental in improving the quality of education across the entire state.
In 1995, the Delta State Government nominated her to be the pioneer Principal of the new Federal Government Girls’ College in Ibusa, Delta State. Following the successful establishment of the school, she voluntarily left that position in 2002 to support her husband who had become the Deputy Governor of Delta State in 1999. Lady Esther retired formally from active duty in 2006, as a successful educationist, guide, mentor and recipient of many awards.
Lady Esther Onyebuchi Elue is extremely well travelled and has attended several professional and Christian conferences locally and internationally. She has been the National President of the Ukpali Ladies League, Obior for the past 25 years. She has also been the President of the Anglican Women, Home and Abroad annual meeting for 21 years.
In 2011, due to her diligence and invaluable contributions to the educational development of Nigeria, NTA 24 ran a documentary on her accomplishments on national network
Lady Esther is a dutiful wife, a trailblazer, a mother, a grandmother and a mentor of great repute. She has been described by many as a shining example of a virtuous woman, an achiever, a strategic visionary, an astute administrator, a woman with sound leadership and intellectual acumen, an epitome of wealth of knowledge and experience, an educationist per excellence, a devout Christian and disciplinarian.
