By Uche Amunike
Nigerians woke up to the news of Coscharis wife’s death, Sunday at Nnewi after she suffered a stroke.
This came as a shock to her husband, Cosmas Maduka, popularly known as Coscharis, who is the President and Chairman of the Coscharis Group.
According to the billionaire entrepreneur, the late Mrs Maduka was until her death, the Vice President and co-owner of the Coscharis Group right from inception.
He explained that his late wife, Charity Maduka accepted his hand in marriage, even though she knew he wasn’t a rich man back then.
According to him, he was not deterred by his financial constraints, because even though his pocket was empty, he had great faith and determination in marrying her and she, on her part, believed that he had a bright future.
Most Nigerians were not aware of this narrative until the sad event of Cosharis’ wife’s death, which seems to have opened a window flood of memories for her billionaire husband.
Mr Maduka stated that his late wife’s uncle shot him three times and threatened to kill him because his late wife came from an upper-class family in their village and as far as they’re concerned, he did not measure up to their standard and therefore had no right to ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage.
He added that her parents considered her insane when she accepted him, because it looked like an area boy going to Adenuga’s house to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
He averred that his wife’s belief in him was what prompted him to make her Vice President of his company, confirming that she was until her death, the only sole signatory in his company apart for himself.
Hear him: ‘she can sign a check of N10b naira. It is only her who can sign the cheque alone, in the whole of the company and myself. Her credit card has no limit, but it didn’t happen overnight’, he said.
Coscharis wife’s death will certainly leave a big vacuum in their business empire, considering the roles she played in the organization.
The late Mrs Maduka was once the Executive Director and supervised the Administrative, Legal, Works/Maintenance and Export Technologies teams of the organization from 1984 to 2003. She grew the business by adding value through several strategic departments she supervised within the organization.
She was also, until her death, she was Executive Chairman/ CEO of two of the subsidiaries of the Coscharis group namely, Beverages Limited and Cultural Properties Limited respectively.
She was also a professional teacher and caterer having attended the Teachers Training College in Nsugbe, Anambra state between 1979 and 1981. She also attended Concertum Institute of Catering and Hotel Management, Idi-Araba, Lagos State from February to July 1983.
She taught briefly at Akamili Central School, in 1981 and also at Tolu Primary School, Tolu Village, Ajeromi Ifelodun/Apapa, LGA, Lagos State.
The Madukas got married in 1977 and their marriage produced three sons and a daughter. Their business name, Coscharis was coined from their first names Cosmas and Charity.
