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Ibadan Region, Nigeria

Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Ibadan Region is one of the first four Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Constituted Regions by the Chapter Act of 2003 and was inaugurated on Saturday, 30th August, 2008, at St. Peters Catholic Church Apata, Ibadan.

GEOGRAPHICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL LOCATION OF DMMM IBADAN REGION

This Region is within the South Western part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is also extended to the Republic of Ghana. In Nigeria, we are in two Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lagos and Ibadan. Both are Yoruba-speaking areas. In both Nigeria and Ghana, we are in the following Archdioceses and Dioceses:

IBADAN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE   Ibadan Archdiocese Ilorin Diocese Ekiti Diocese Ondo Diocese

LAGOS ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE   Lagos Archdiocese Ijebu-Ode Diocese

GHANA   Kumasi Archdiocese, Ghana Konongo-Mampong Diocese, Ghana Damango Diocese, Ghana

OUR POPULATION

DMMM Ibadan Region is presently made up of 12 (Twelve) communities and 36 (Thirty-six) Sisters.

LEADERSHIP OF DMMM IBADAN REGION

The first election of this Region was on the first of April 2006 during the time with Sr. Collete Onyeocha as its first elected Regional Superior when Europe and USA were part of Ibadan Region. The leadership includes: Her councilors comprises of:

2006 - 2009

    Sr. M. Collete Onyeocha – Regional Superior
    Sr. M. Gaudentia Ononugbu - Councilor
    Sr. M. Fausta Okeke – Councilor
    Sr. M. Ogochigere Ekwebelem - Councilor
 

As a result of ill-health, Sr. M. Ogochigere was replaced by Sr. Maria Zita Uneze within one year of her service.

At the inception of this Region, with no house or land of their own, the Regional Superior and her council approached the then Archbishop Alaba Job, and there was an agreement to use DMMM Convent Apata as their temporary Regional House till the
Region gets its own Regional House. Our sisters living in this house before the birth of DMMM Ibadan Region were working in the Arch Diocesan schools of the Archdiocese. The Region continued to grow from strength to strength amidst its poor state and being the least among other regions in terms of population of sisters and number of apostolates they handle. The then Regional Superior, Sister Collete worked tirelessly to obtain a V booth Toyota car as her first mobility from the central administration. She further acquired 8 plots of land, dwarf-fenced it, and laid a 9 feet foundation for an orphanage before her tenures elapsed. Sister Collete further obtained a Toyota Bus which was for Regional activities and was used as a school bus at Mater Misericordiae Nursery/Primary School Akuru. She was also able to procure a Toyota 2007 RAV4 through the generosity of MIVA, a relief organization of the Catholic Church in Austria. The vehicle was used by the Regional Superiors who came after her and is still in use to date. It was through her numerous achievements that the region was able to stand.

At the early stage of the Region, it was made up of Lagos/Ibadan Zone, Ghana Zone, Europe and USA Zone (Florida). DMMM Apata in the Archdiocese of Ibadan, was the temporary Regional seat. In 2009, an election was held and new leadership emerged. The then current Regional Superior was reelected for a second tenure. where Sr. Collete Onyeocha emerged as the Regional Superior for the second tenure. Her councilors include:

2009 - 2012

    Sr. Collete Onyeocha – Regional Superior
    Sr. Agnesia Marie Acha - Councilor
    Sr. M. Hycentia Egechi of the blessed memory - Councilor
    Sr. M. Divine Love Nwosu - Councilor
 

This team carried the mantle of leadership of the Region until 2012 when zones were dissolved by the congregation, and Europe and USA/Canada Regions were created. Another election was conducted in the Ibadan Region in 2012. This election ushered in new team members namely:
 

The removal of Europe and USA zones from the region made things difficult for the team. Survival of the Region was very difficult. The initial slogan for the region as "Dried Region" was changed by this present regime to "Fertile Region." The Regional Superior really worked so hard to see that this fertility was achieved.

The 9 feet foundation orphanage, which was handed over to this team was completed to the DPC level, though few areas are still at the 9 feet level. The continuation of work at the structure was halted as a result of the advice given by the then Archbishop Alaba Job, who advised the Regional Superior to start a Nursery and primary school first. A Host Bakery Project was also actualized by the team.

After the 2015 Chapter, another election was carried out in the Region which again re-elected the Regional Superior for a second tenure. The administrative team includes:
 

The Temporary Regional House was repainted, a storey building for Nursery/Primary School was erected and so many others. Actually, this regime worked so hard to get close to the renamed slogan "fertile ground." The one-storey building for Nursery and Primary School, as was advised by the then Archbishop was erected to a roofed stage. A borehole was constructed, including other achievements.

The regional administrators were able to control the heavy erosion that was hitting hard on the school block of Mater Missericordiae, fixing two gates to the two entrances and fixing doors and windows/protectors to the two wings of the downstairs blocks. A poultry project of 120 birds capacity was embarked on. It was later raised to 200 birds capacity (though it was halted due to poor management). In 2021, another election was held which re-elected the current Regional Superior. The team consists of the following:

Unlike other Regional Superiors who lived in the temporary regional house, Sr. Ozioma lived far away from the seat of the Region where she is managing a school for the Diocese of Ondo. She made several appeals to the previous central administration to release her from Ondo to go to the Regional house but nobody was sent to replace her nor was she told to leave for Ibadan. There were serious hindrances and challenges in her administration ranging from no introduction to the Archbishop of the seat of the Region to absence from the Regional house. In other words, she worked under serious stress.

The regional administrators were able to control the heavy erosion that was hitting hard on the school block of Mater Missericordiae, fixing two gates to the two entrances and fixing doors and windows/protectors to the two wings of the downstairs blocks. A poultry project of 120 birds capacity was embarked on. It was later raised to 200 birds capacity, (though it was halted due to poor management). In 2022, another election was held which re-elected Sr. M. Ozioma Nwokorie as the present Regional Superior. Her councilors include:

    Sr. M. Udomsinachi Okonkwo

    Sr. M. Pauline Clare Ohakwe

    Sr. Cinta Mario Uchegbu

This administration experienced a great shock of parking out of the temporary regional house as was demanded by Archbishop Abegunrin. They archdiocese wanted to use the house as a dormitory for their students. He planned to get a place for the sisters but the place was not conducive enough to accommodate the sisters and their properties coupled with some sense of insecurity. Going by a serious warning by the Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, an urgent need to park out arose which led to the sisters moving into our school block at Akuru where the present Superior General and her council supported the region financially to complete some 3 and a half rooms, kitchen, parlor, and chapel, etc where we parked in till date. As at the time of this write-up, work is ongoing to get two more rooms to accommodate the sisters for our upcoming Superiors meeting in February 2024 and other activities for the year. Purchase of a 12.5 KVA generator has been made to power our Host Bakery equipment for better functioning.

OUR MAIN APOSTOLATE IN THE REGION

Our main apostolate in the Region is in the areas of Health and Education. These are mainly run for the diocese in which we are.

OUR CONGREGATIONAL OWNED PROJECTS

The projects that belong to us include:

    DMMM Ibadan Region Host Bakery at Our Temporary Regional house, Akuru, Ibadan

    Mater Misericordiae Nursery/Primary School Akuru, Ibadan

    Mater Misericordiae Nursery/Primary School, Badore Lagos

    Mater Misericordiae International Academy, Seniagya, Ghana

OUR REGIONAL ACTIVITIES

The activities that bring us together are:

    Annual Retreat

    Temporary and Finally Professed Sisters Seminars

    Christmas Party

    Mercy Day celebrations

    Pre- Chapter exercises

    Election of Regional Superior and councils etc.
 

2024 to 2027
	Rev. Sr. Mary Elizabeth Ann Aniakor - Regional Superior Rev. Sr. Mary Chris Anthony Ndikani - Councillor Rev. Sr. Mary Hope Nkachukwu - Councillor Rev. Sr. Udomsinachi Okonkwo - Councillor