By Comrade John Odah
It has been a week of deaths for some of us, forcing one to confront the challenge of a decent ‘good night’ to the departed patriots. As Hon. Barrister George Uchi (class mate from 1973-78) made his final homeward journey from Abuja to Makurdi, I cannot but reflect how tough this outgoing week has been.
I had hoped I would ring up his junior brother, Theo, and arrange for some of us in Abuja to meet him at the hospital to, at least, bid an initial farewell to George. This wasn’t to be as Gbayan called just around 9am to say they were due to hit the road by 10am
Late Barrister Uchi
When I was in Makurdi about a couple of weeks ago, we planned to go and see another of our mate, Arch. Emmanuel Igbah, who is battling ill health from stroke. George insisted with PS Gbileve that he should pick him up at home so that we go together. Strong willed and straight talking, he was his usual self throughout the trip to and from Igbah’s residence, a trip we did with our senior, Ambassador Chive Ka’ave, whom I light heartedly accused of talking too much in the course of our being together.
Though George was frail and the effect of his illness meant that he had slowed down and we had to walk with him at times to cross the road leading to and from Arch. Igbah’s place, there were no evident signs whatsoever that the end was so close.
In our meetings and later in our WhatsApp platforms, Hon.Uchi held clear cut views on issues under discussion. You always know where he stood on the issues in contention and he didn’t allow sentiments to colour his views. Indeed, as a classmate put it on our platform on hearing of his demise: “We miss a classmate who always stood his ground on whatever topic, no matter how many people had contrary view(s). I could imagine his argument on the floor of the Benue State House of Assembly. We have lost a hero, whose views, will be painfully missed”
Late Suleiman Doho
Two or so days before yesterday, (July 26th, 2024), we got the sad news that one of our UNIJOS undergraduate sociology classmates (1979-83), Suleiman Doho from Gombe, had died about two months earlier from an illness he was bedridden from. His death was more painful for me because we, his mates, had initiated a fund raising drive amongst ourselves to try to help but we were still in the process of mobilizing the funds when the sad news of his demise got to us.
He left seven (7) children and a wife. A classmate described Suleiman as a
“great guy, friendly, jovial and always providing comic relief in class in our university days.”
Same week, we got the news of the death of Ebisente Awudu, former Surveyor General of the Federation. Surveyor Awudu was my course mate when we attended the 26th Senior Executive Course of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in 2004 in Kuru. He was officially the youngest participant at the course-but he would never agree, teasing me, for example, as his junior.
Late Surveyor Ebisente
As a surveyor, he was “unusually” familiar with virtually every nook and cranny of Benue State. He married from Borno state.
Surveyor Awudu was amiable and I cannot remember any of the 55 of us who spent the 10 months of the course duration having any problems with him. He had come in as Baylesa State representative on the course. He transferred his service to the Federal Civil Service before being appointed Surveyor-General of the Federation.
Awudu used to tell us that, in his bid to practice the motto of the National Institute which is “For a better society”, he transformed the office into a truly Federal institution when he took over the leadership but only to make very powerful enemies for that reason as Surveyor-General of the Federation.
This has been the story of my week-a reminder that we all have a date with destiny and when our appointed time comes, we’ll bow out. So tough a week and so long a week!
Adieu Hon.Uchi (who was a former member of the Benue House of Assembly), Suleiman Doho and Ebisente, now late Surveyor- General. May you all find yourselves in the presence of God over there.
