I will find it very difficult to refer to Uche in the past, because for me, she lives on. With so many pleasant memories, having achieved so much... My first encounter with Uche occurred when she was posted to work as a Funds Transfer Local ( Ftl ) staff in Oceanic Bank , Corporate Branch , Victoria Island where I was Head of Operations , the busiest Oceanic Bank Branch in Nigeria at that time . I had wondered then why someone who could easily have been a Super model, a Miss World, a Fashion Icon would want to sit down passing Debit and Credit entries and attending to customers. I had my reservations, and I am very sure she must have noticed, but she just worked. Once she was put through, I could not think of a replacement for her. She was a thorough bred professional , very meticulous , balanced her books at the end of the day , never out , microfilmed her tickets , arranged and submitted them and displayed excellent customer service skills , I never had a worry on her desk when auditors came to the branch. Then she moved to Cash and Tellers and my heart did a somersault. How would she cope with the retail cum corporate clientele and with the not too hygienic Nigerian Currency? And she surprised me yet again. She never had a shortage or an overage. She balanced her cash on time, never recorded posting errors and made her cash analysis with the minutest details one could ever imagine and in spite of every customer wanting her attention, she never lost her cool. When she eventually left Cash and Tellers, she was so grounded in Operations .The many fans she had made missed her! I missed her the most. I was so proud of her. She applied herself diligently, and in her future responsibilities in the Bank thereafter, she spoke authoritatively in matters relating to Operations. She had an eye for details, excellent numerical skills, was articulate, highly organised, and understood new tasks so quickly that I often wondered if there was anything she could not take on. She redefined the dreary look and feel in Operations, and brought in sunshine, fun and laughter. With her team of mischief makers (Paul Osagie and Dr Dapo Adeleye) named “the three musketeers”, there was never a dull moment in Corporate Branch. She never let you know how she felt, except when you looked in her eyes, she always asked about everyone but herself. She was such a selfless personality and when she left Oceanic Bank, she kept in touch, with phone calls and visits. She was a health and diet freak and yes! We all loved her figure! And even when we knew how much she put into it, we still hoped we could achieve that figure with chocolates and sweets on our tables. She was unassuming, almost unaware of the looks that came her way when she walked into a room. She would tell you how shy she was when you paid her a compliment. She was strong , hardworking , polished , multi talented , passionate , caring , diligent ,disciplined, thoughtful, always willing to go the extra mile ....I can only remember her in superlatives and thank God for sending his loveliest angel to spend some time with us all, and leave us with memories we will forever cherish . Abigail Duopama – Obomanu