All roads will lead to Saint Thomas Anglican Parish Ogbunike tomorrow for a one year memorial service in honour of the late Dame Jane Nkediniruka Efobi, JP, Pioneer President of the Aguata Diocesan Women Ministry. The service will by 10am.

Dame Jane Efobi (Nneifunanya) died on June 22, 2020 at the age of sixty-two and was buried on August 6, 2020. She was the wife of the pioneer Bishop of Aguata Diocese, former Dean, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion and one time Archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger, Most Reverend Christian Ogochukwu Efobi, JP.

Dame Jane was born on July 19, 1958 to the family of Late Mr. Godfrey Ubakamma Udoh and Late Mrs. Victoria Nwefi Ubakamma of Anugwo Ikenga Ogidi. She attended Saint Philip’s C.M.S. Central School (now Akpakaogwe Central School), Ogidi, where she passed the First School Leaving Certificate Examination (then standard six) in flying colours. Her quest to continue education failed when she lost her father at her tender age.

However, she picked up courage and enrolled in a commercial school at Ogidi where she sat for and obtained the then prestigious Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in Typing and Shorthand, which was then in vogue. Armed with this rare qualification, Jane joined the then Old Anambra State Civil Service as a Stenographer. She later rose to the rank of a confidential secretary, followed with other key positions in the Civil Service. This placed her in good stead to assist her widowed mother in providing for her family and bringing up her younger siblings, a rare feat for a young girl in those days.

Jane was Later married to a then Priest, Reverend Christian Ogochukwu Efobi in 1981. At this time of her history, Late Dame Jane Efobi decided to go back to school. She enrolled into the Teachers Training College, TTC Akwanga and obtained the then Teachers Grade Two Certificate. Soon after that, she got a teaching appointment at the then Gongola State, (now Adamawa State) Primary School Board in 1989. Later, she went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she bagged the Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE in 1993. She went to University of Jos, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (B.Ed) in 2000.

With strong Christian foundation, Dame Jane Efobi enrolled into the Mothers’ Union and subsequently into the Women’s Guild. She rose through the ranks alongside her husband as wife of a Parish Priest at Saint James’ Anglican Church, Lafia. Later, as a wife of an Archdeacon, Late Dame Jane Efobi became the Vice President of the Archdeaconry at Saint John’s Church, Yola. She then became the pioneer President of the Mothers’ Union, Women’s Guild and Girls’ Guild of Yola Diocese from 1990 to 2005 and later the pioneer President of Mothers’ Union, Women’s Guild and Girls’ Guild of the Diocese of Aguata from 2005 to 2018.

As the wife of the then Provincial Archbishop, Dame Jane became the President, Mothers’ Union, Women’s Guild and Girls’ Guild of the province of the Niger. As a matter of fact, she was a onetime wife of the Dean, Church of Nigeria, who was next to the primate’s wife.

She became the President, Home and Abroad of Saint Thomas Anglican Church, Azu Ogbunike, her home church, owing to her leadership qualities and humility in the service of God and humanity. She also became a gallant woman Knight of the Anglican Communion, hence the nomenclature, “Dame”.

The Late Dame Jane Nkediniruka Efobi, Nneifunanya left behind her widower, the pioneer Bishop of Aguata Diocese, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Christian Ogochukwu Efobi, JP, two daughters, Mrs. Chioma Umudu and Miss Uche Efobi, Mr Obinna Efobi, son, as well as son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters and sister-in-law.

As one year memorial service holds tomorrow August 21, people are reminded of the need to abide by all the COVID-19 protocols.

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