The popular KFT Event Centre, situated along the NNPC Housing Complex Road in Ekpan, Delta State, played host to a steaming interactive session among other events that held at the weekend (Saturday, August 19, 2023), to the descendants of an iconic woman named Madam Deide Eregha, a nativity of Kokodiagbene and Kurutie communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, in the present-day Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.

In their hundreds, the descendants of Madam Deide have come together for a family reunion, first of its kind since her demise in 1956. And topping the agenda of the maiden meeting is the need for familiarization among her descendants, so they can get to know each other, especially in a fast-changing world where many family members are losing touch of their relatives due to migration to distant settlements.

"What took place here today is a reunion and get together of the children of our grand mother, great grand mother, and great great grandmother named Deide; for the family to come together to know ourselves and to rebuild our unity. That is the essence of our gathering," said one of the grandsons, Mr. Sylvester Uduboh, in a brief chat with PENGlobal Social at the venue.

Speaking on his grand mother's background, he said: "Deide is paternally from Kokodiagbene. Her father is Eregha from Kokodiagbene, and maternally from Kurutie. She had five children: three males and two females.

"This woman first got married to Amayengha from Ofunama in Edo State, and gave birth to four children: three men and one female. She later got married to another man at Obotebe and gave birth to one female, bringing all her children to five, in numbers.

“The names of her children, from the eldest to the youngest, are: Dizi Awobi Amayengha Uduboh, Chief Siloko Amayengha Uduboh, Chief Pilot Wilson Amayengha Uduboh, Mama Oweimieghayei Amayengha Uduboh, and the last daughter is Mama Ebiboke Kerenkerenwei Pori. That’s how the lineage is.”

The reunion meeting featured among other activities a one minute silence in respect of departed relatives, introduction by each descendant present at the meeting, an exposition on the family history of Deide descendants, a family interactive session, group photograph and light refreshments.

But also very important on the need for the reunion is to guard against falling prey to intermarriage among relatives of Deide descendants as the family tree keeps getting wider by the day. This was buttressed by one of the descendants during the interactive session, who narrated how he almost became a victim in the course of interaction on social media with an  acquaintance, unknown to him, was a distant relatives.

The Late Madam Deide, who is the only child of her mother, is also reputed for setting an historical record as being the first individual to be buried in Kurutie, a community that presently plays host to the takeoff site of the first maritime institution in Gbaramatu Kingdom, the Nigeria Maritime University, NMU.

"She was the only child of her mother. Before her death, Kurutie people were burying their corpse in Kunukunuma, a neighbouring community. But at her demise, the people departed from that tradition. She passed away in the year 1956," Mr. Sylvester hinted.

In his closing remark, the host of the reunion, Chief Ekomieyefa Uduboh, thanked those that made out time to be present in the maiden edition and also harped on the need for all family members, alongside their children, to take seriously the importance of attending such meeting, noting that the more united they are, the stronger they will become. 

Some of the elders of Deide descendants in attendance at the reunion are: Capt. J. T. Daunimighan (Chairman), High Chief Ekomieyefa Uduboh, Mr. Godwin Uduboh, Engr. Innocent Pori, Mr. Sylvester Uduboh, Mr. Ejoh Ebisinde Ebullient, Mr. Bernard Innocent Moneyin, Dcns. Justina Timiyan, among others.

#penglobalsocial #reunion