Bonny Kingdom’s crème-de-la-creme join ‘Bleggy’ as he bids late mother farewell
Photo Credits: Amasenibo Dennis Ezekiel-Hart
Bonny Island in Rivers State was bustling with all shades of glamour at the weekend as the crème-de-la-crème of Bonny society converged around politician and entrepreneur, Blessing Ezekiel-Hart, popularly known as ‘Bleggy’, to pay their last respects to his late mother, Madam Juliana Ezekiel-Hart, as she was laid to rest at the weekend.
The late Madam Ezekiel-Hart, who passed on to the great beyond at the age of 68 years, was buried at the Bonny Cemetery on Saturday, October 5, 2019.
The deceased mother of five children, among whom Blessing was the eldest, and 11 grandchildren, was a nurse during her lifetime.
brother, Senior Pastor of God’s Prosperity Mission, Pastor David Ida Benstowe 
Amasenibo Blessing Ezekiel-Hart, flanked from the right by his cousin, Ogbulu, brother, David, wife, Sarah, and other relatives. 
Amasenibo Blessing Ezekiel-Hart and his cousin, Managing Director of Bonny Delight, Mr. Ogbulu Ezekiel-Hart
Among the personalities that graced the funeral rites were former members of the House of Representatives, Randolph Brown, and his wife, Esther, and Tonye Longjohn, a former Commissioner for Finance, Israel Williams, a former Executive Director of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Larry Pepple, and his wife, Mina, Vice Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Barasua, and Leader of the Bonny Legislative Assembly, Miriam Hart.
Former member of Representatives, Amaopusenibo Randolph Iwo Oruene Brown 
Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tonye Longjohn, former Secretary, Bonny Local Government Council, Mrs. Helen Jack Wilson-Pepple, former CTC Chairman, Bonny LGA, Amaopusenibo Nelson Irimagha, former House of Representatives member, Amaopusenibo Randolph Iwo Oruene Brown, and his wife, Mrs. Esther Ibinye Brown. 
Former Commissioner for Finance, Rivers State, Amaopusenibo Israel Tuwotamuno Williams and Amasenibo Bleggy. 
Amaopusenibo Randolph Iwo Oruene Brown, and Leader, Bonny Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Miriam Hart 
Vice Chairman, Bonny LGA, Hon. Anengi Barasua Green, and her Special Assistant, Ms. Helen Green. 
First female Vice Chairman, Bonny LGA, Hon. Anengi Barasua Green 
Former Executive Director of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Amasenibo Larry Pepple and Amaopusenibo Randolph Brown 
L-R: Mr. Jeta Hart, Amaopusenibo Randolph Brown, Rt. Hon. Miriam Hart, and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Kristina Reports, Mr. Godswill Jumbo 
R-L: Amasenibo Larry Pepple, his wife, Mrs. Mina Pepple, and Lady Edith Ilah Hart. 
Leader, Bonny Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Miriam Hart
Others were the Chief and Head of Ezekiel-Hart House of Bonny Kingdom, Chief Idasonye Ezekiel-Hart, and his wife, Florence, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny LGA, Nelson Irimagha, the Councillors representing Ward 2, Kingston Roberts, and Ward 8, Mie-Iyeoju Jumbo, erudite engineer and philanthropist, Edith Ilah Hart, Chairman of Ezekiel-Hart House, Dagogo Ezekiel-Hart, a former Secretary to the Bonny Local Government Council, Helen Pepple, among several others.
Councillor representing Ward 8, Bonny Legislative Assembly, Hon. Mie-Iyeoju Jumbo 
Former Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Amaopusenibo Israel Tuwotamuno Williams, and another titled citizen of Bonny Kingdom 
Amaopusenibo Ferdinand Banigo and Amasenibo Dagogo Benstowe 
Titled citizens of Bonny Kingdom 
Chief and Head, Ezekiel-Hart House, Chief Idasonye Ezekiel-Hart, his wife, and Chairman, Ezekiel-Hart House, Amaopusenibo Dagogo Ezekiel-Hart 
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Kristina Reports, Mr. Godswill Jumbo
Upon arrival at the Bonny Coal Beach her corpse was taken to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Mission Road, Bonny, where a Commendation Service was held in her honour.
Delivering his homily during the service, the Dean of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Very Reverend Richard Hart extolled the virtues of the late woman, noting that her devotion to God was unperturbed by the challenges she faced during her sojourn on earth.
The Dean, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny, Very Rev’d Richard Ibituru Hart
Dean, Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny, Very Rev’d Richard Ibituru Hart delivering his sermon during the funeral. 
The clergy exhorted everyone to emulate her goodly graces while alive, and commitment to selfless service to God and humanity, pointing out that life is a fleeting interregnum designed for mankind to please God and pursue his cause while on earth in order to dwell with Him in eternity.
The Ibani Ladies making fashion statements….
Ibelema Banigo 
Esther Randolph-Brown 
Miriam Hart 
Girlie Ate 
Sarah Ezekiel-Hart 
Anengi Barasua 
Daba Williams 
Asa Brown, Edith Hart, and other ladies 
Darling Benstowe and a friend 
Amoni Mbawuike 
Prof. Data Alex-Hart and her sister, Sodienye Alex-Hart
The finesse of Ibani men’s fashion
Morris Stowe and a friend 
Randolph Brown 
Ogbulu and Blessing Ezekiel-Hart 
Hartley Ezekiel-Hart, Blessing Ezekiel-Hart, Boma Tolofari, and other guests 
Blessing Ezekiel-Hart and Godswill Jumbo 
Christian Ezekiel-Hart, Bleggy and a friend 
Bleggy, Hartley, and Bennett Jumbo 
Samuel, Bleggy, Christian Hartley, and Bennett 
David Hart, a guest and Bleggy 
Jeta Hart, Ngere Abere, David Hart, and Abarasi Halliday 
Bright Hart and Azubuike 
Benjamin, Boma Hart, Kignston Roberts, and Wilcox 
Brown, Pafuro Tolofari, and Abie Jumbo 
David Benstowe and a guest 
Fubara Ezekiel-Hart 
Ene Randolph-Brown and Idamina Tobin 
Clergy: David Benstowe, Sima Pepple and Abinye Jumbo 
Ibifubara Banigo 
BlessingGeorge Jumbo 
Vivian Brown and Seth Lazarus 
Dagogo Benstowe 
Sodienye Joe-Banigo 
Promise Halliday, Idaobu Halliday, Boma Tolofari, and a friend 
Mie-Iyeoju Jumbo 
Jeta Hart, Chief Idasonye Ezekiel-Hart, Dagogo Ezekiel-Hart 
Christopher Halliday 
Clement Longjohn 
Iwari Pollyn 
Telema Allison 
Daniel Dappa-Brown 
Ngere Abere 
Diari Brown-Adasa and Daniel Dappa-Brown
Very Rev’d Richard Hart, while praising her first son, Blessing Ezekiel-Hart for his relentless efforts at taking care of his mother while she was alive, counselled him and his siblings to model her sterling qualities, humane disposition to her fellow humans, and legendary generosity, observing that that was the best way to immortalise her memory.
He later led other clergy to the Bonny cemetery were her body was interred and laid to rest.
Guests were hosted at the Ezekiel-Hart family compound opposite Bonny Main Market along Mission Road, Bonny…
At the graveside…final obsequies
Mama’s family bids farewell 
The last song for Mama 
the Obsequies 
St. Stephen’s Cathedral Choir…the last song for a revered singer 
Mama Adieu! Mama, fare thee well 
Bleggy, head bowed in grief but in submission to the Almighty 
Ogbulu, the last goodbyes to Auntie like no other 
Sarah, a bouquet of flowers for Mama 
Melvin, Diri, Jumbo, last song for Mama Juliana
