Stella Kragha’s 80th Birthday Highlights Enduring Virtue Amid Fading Communal Values

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The 80th birthday celebration of Mrs Stella Kragha has created a call for Nigerian to return to humility, emotional intelligence, and community spirit instead of get-rich-quick syndrome and individualism.

The event, which brought together eminent political leaders, oil and gas executives, scholars, clergy, and family members, transcended a mere birthday celebration, highlighting Kragha’s virtues, essential for societal development but increasingly rare in Nigerian public life.

A respected Liberian who made Nigeria home, Kragha served the country in both academia and the oil and gas sector, retiring as a senior executive at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

She is married to the renowned petroleum expert and politician, Mr Moses Kragha. Yet beyond her career achievements, guests praised her for building a life rooted in integrity, grace, and generational influence.

Described repeatedly as a “society’s missing link”, Mrs Kragha’s ability to touch lives without occupying the front pages or seeking accolades was a central theme throughout the evening.

Mr James Orife, Chairman of Versa-Tech Nigeria Ltd and a long-time family friend said Kragha has always stood out, not by riches, but by the patience, kindness, and emotional wisdom she radiates.

In today’s Nigeria, where materialism often overshadows humanity, Stella, according to the leaders remained a reminder of what Nigeria must reclaim.
Orife added, “She listens, she loves, and she lifts. That’s a kind of power our society has forgotten.”

Mrs Kragha’s son, Mr Anibor Kragha, former Chief Operating Officer of the NNPC and now Executive Secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) delivered a heartfelt tribute that traced the roots of his success to his mother’s steady presence and quiet belief.

“She never raised her voice, but her words carried weight,” he said. “When I struggled at university, it was her unwavering faith in me that made me go back and try again. Her strength wasn’t loud, but it shaped me.”

He went on to recount how she rose from the position of a library assistant to an executive director at NNPC, calling her “one of Nigeria’s many unsung heroes who quietly built this country from the inside out.”

Mr Sonny Akporokiyamo Ekedayen, Delta State’s Commissioner for Economic Planning and her in-law, also offered stirring reflections. Knowing her for over 45 years, Ekedayen described Mrs Kragha as “a woman whose presence is healing.”

“She made you feel seen whether it was through a warm meal, a kind word, or simply wrapping cake and groundnuts for you to take home,” he recalled. “What we’ve lost in today’s society is that sense of interdependence. We were raised by villages. Stella reminds us that we still need each other.”

Amid laughter and fond memories, her family member affectionately known as Aunty Abah Iruoje recalled how Stella, even at the age of three, showed an instinct for care. “When my mother was pregnant with me, Stella would insist on bringing her water to wash her hands, even when she could barely hold the cup without spilling it,” she said. “She never stopped caring. Even today, she still nurtures me and my children.”

Born on 4 June 1945, Mrs Kragha lost both parents by the age of 12 and grew up moving across Nigeria. Her early hardships, guests said, built her remarkable resilience. Rising through the ranks in the public sector while maintaining a strong family life, she earned a reputation for balancing career, character, and compassion.

Her children and grandchildren praised her as their “anchor and light”, while friends hailed her as a moral compass whose life continues to guide others, even in retirement.

Speaking softly but with conviction, Mrs Kragha expressed deep gratitude: “If you knew my story, you’d understand that reaching 80 is only by the grace of God. I may have been the smallest in my family, but I’ve always felt the strongest not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit.”
“Trust God. Hold on to your family. And never forget the power of gratitude,” she said.

As Nigeria contends with political flux, economic hardship, and social fragmentation, guests at the celebration said Mrs Kragha stands as a model of how a quiet life can echo louder than fame.