MEMORABLE TRIBUTE for EMMANUEL NZEKWESI< NWOKEA< MMILI-NA-ALI UGWU1 in ACHALLA
Chaii !!!: Ife emeee!!!
How do I start, and what do I say about a brother, a friend and an associate?
Nwokea ----, as we call ourselves;
World5 ----, as he was sometimes called by friends;
Mmili-na-ali-ugwu1 of Achalla ----, as he was sometimes called by friends;
Gentle giant ----, as he was sometimes called by friends.
And a host of others I could not recollect now.
- Nwokea, both of us are/were the products of the School of Agriculture, Michael Okpara University, Umudike Umuahia. While I left for further studies at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, you stayed on at the Research Institute (NRCRI) from where you later moved on to Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Awka.
- Again, while in the UK, I usually visited Nigeria and we always stayed and had a few fun time and memories together in Lagos. It was in one of my visits that you intimated me about yor plans to come over to the Europe – Italy precisely, where your wife and family used to reside. I gave a few advice and you later landed at Italy from where you and your family moved to Netherlands.
- I visited Netherlands twice on my holidays and during one of my visits, I had the opportunity of staying with them for two nights. They looked after me and while I was going back to England, the wife made me a sandwich to go with.
- As fate may have it, Nwokea phone me to say he was planning to come over to London, to live. He later arrived in London and stayed with me while I made arrangements for him to stay with one of our brothers for a short period of time until he organised himself. He was a regular visitor at the University of East London where I teach and we went to seminars and other few places of interests.
- Nwokea had a good time in London, he was a bundle of laughs and jokes who passionately enjoyed social events with a few pints. He was big and enjoyed big, a soft-spoken idol, a bundle of joy to be with, would never hurt a fly / anybody and suddenly he was gone.
- Nwokea, you have left a very big hole in the hearts of the very people you earnestly loved: your family – wife and children, your brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, friends and foes. Nwokea, why have you done this irreparable injustice to all these people.
- Nwokea, although, you have gone, your legacy, laughter, good-natured, and friendliness lingers on thus, will be remembered always. The people you left will miss your physical being but not you as a member of the family of Nzekwesi in Achalla.
- We accept that death is an irreparably an invisible journey to an invisible destination, so we pray GOD ALMIGHTY to receive your precious soul.
NWOKEA, jee nke – oma, Chukwu nonyelu gi, ma narakwa mkpuru obi gi na ndokwa.
Dr Aaron A.R Nwabude
London, England.
