A Tribute to My Dad!
How do you begin to describe a Spiritual Colossus in a few minutes?
Dad you were a Prayer War Lord and a General in God’s Army.
You were formerly known as Isaac Chidike Otuonye until you received a clear instruction from the Lord to change your name from Isaac Chidike Otuonye to Isaac Uwaoma Chidike.
You tried to persuade me and convince me on four occasions to follow suit indicating that it was the best for the entire family.
And that if I decide to follow in your footstep, my siblings and their families will follow suite.
My response to you was that I was not convinced nor convicted of the name change yet.
We had our differences like every other father and son relationship;
But you were my friend and mentor and coach, I would never had asked for a better Father.
You were a tough disciplinarian in whom there was no guile. What you see is what you get. How do I start to describe you?
You trained yourself through the university while working as a clerk in the then Panalpina Limited.
You told me memorable stories of your work and school experience. You graduated from UNILAG and was called to the Nigerian Bar.
You epitomised the struggle from a humble background and the zeal to succeed.
And not just to succeed but to get to the top and that with God nothing was impossible.
A prayer warrior. Anytime I embark on any journey and I mention to you I was travelling out of town; your first statement would be “Ok let us pray”. And you will go,” Father in the name of Jesus”…
And in the end, you will say “you are blessed”. I will surely miss those prayers.
A man of faith. I recall growing up and my younger brother Uba was supposed to go back to school and there was no money for him to go back the next day.
It was quite depressing because he had just gained admission into Kings College Lagos.
You prayed all night as if your life depended on it.
As early as 8.30am a call came in requesting you to meet with a client on that Saturday Morning.
Apparently, your prayers had moved someone who was in need of an accommodation and wanted to pay urgently.
And the Landlord having not met you before requested for the services of a Lawyer before accepting the rent, called his friend who referred you to him.
You were paid for your services immediately and my brother went back to school that same day.
As a young lad, God instructed me to learn that lesson of faith from you that day.
And there are so many other experiences personal to me about your faith which time will not permit me to mention.
A man of peace. Everywhere you go, you take it upon yourself to reconcile differences.
Stressing always the need to live in peace and harmony, both as couples, brothers or colleagues.
Your mantra was without peace there will be no progress.
You so loved God. Before you joined us in Word Assembly Light House, after moving from Festac to Abraham Adesanya in Ajah;
(I actually wanted you guys to be close to us here, so we can take good care of you).
You planted a Church in Festac Town and one in your Village.
The Church were the Chosen Church of God is situate in your village is on your land. What could you not do for God?
That was why, when you moved over this way I was not surprised when you told me that you and your wife, (my mum) will worship with us at Word Assembly Light House.
You immediately submitted to me and I became your Pastor. What a rare privilege few sons have to Pastor their Father.
I taught you, I prayed for you and I counselled you as your Pastor.
From the day I was ordained in 2016 you ceased to call me by the name you gave me.
You, thereafter, addressed me as “my Pastor” both in public and in private even when you call me on the phone.
And by the way, that ordination day was the most exciting day of your life, you gave me a Bible as an ordination gift.
You told me that day, that the covenant you made with God years ago has started to manifest.
Your covenant with God was that all your Children and Grandchildren and their spouses, will be Pastors.
And you told me that it was God’s responsibility to bring it to pass.
You fought like the fighter you were, I never knew you were not going to make it through this illness that was so brief. But God knows the best.
You wished to stay alive for the sake of your grand Children. You loved them so much.
Dubem, Kamsy and Amanda miss you a lot. Kamsy took it upon herself to feed you while you were in the hospital.
Dubem had already rekindled the agreement you guys had before you passed to Glory. Amanda has not stopped writing you a poem.
Adaeze and Chisom still find it difficult to understand. Zara still relives your memory; she saw you in the moon and the stars.
Chimdi still asks every day, where is Grandpa? And Adanna, am sure she will hear so much of you when she grows up.
You had such a special bond and love for all you daughters in law. Ngozi, Tina, Kemi and Patience.
You took them in as your very own daughters. All of them. James became one of your sons. Everyone was treated equally.
You prayed for each one of them, every morning, mentioning them by name. incredible!
Virtually all you relations, nephews and nieces, passed through your house in Festac and received one form of training or the other.
You are a man with a large heart.
Your Children, Chibueze, Nnamdi, Uba, Onyi and I, miss you so much.
We were all with you until you drew your last breath. Although traumatic, we are all proud that we were with you till the very end.
Onyi asked me a question immediately you passed, with tears in her eyes she said, “Who will now call me Adaure”.
That was what Dad called her. There and then I made here a promise, that from that day going forward, I was going to call her “Adaure”.
Mum still cannot believe you are gone, because she was there in my house when I took you to the hospital.
She was still waiting for your return only to be told you had passed on to Glory.
The only thing she said was, “So this is how you decided to leave me”. We would do our best to take care of her.
Dad, you were always willing to sacrifice all, even at your own detriment.
You come like they make them, a very rare breed. Uncommon specie!
That was why when you joined us in Light House and submitted to me as you Pastor;
Your earnest desire was that the Church building would be dedicated in your lifetime. But God knows the best.
You gave us, the water tank, the Scaffolding and the water pump for the Church at Word Assembly Light House. The Church miss you.
We promise you we will complete the Church building which you were part of, to the Glory of God.
You taught the Men, you taught the Church, you taught in WATS.
You listened carefully and took notes on the teachings on Think Differently.
And you told me that the teachings brought out so many hidden things in you that you never knew you had.
And I told you to pour it all out before you go, which you did.
The results are two beautiful books which you have written.
You were eager to learn and was excited when I mentioned that you were going to enrol with INT for the Oak Seed programme in 2021.
That never happened. I am sure there are better schools over there.
I thank God as your Pastor; I obeyed the instructions of the Lord and I gave you your last Communion a day before you went to be with the Lord.
As for the name change you requested for, four days before you passed to Glory, I received my own conviction from the Holy Spirit Himself.
From today and going forward, I wish to be known and addressed as Ugochukwu Isaac-Chidike. “Isaac-Chidike” being a compound name.
Your first name and your new last name.
From today, this is now the new surname of my family going forward.
All other documents remain valid. I also enjoin my brothers to follow suite, in line with his wishes.
I thank God that Daddy is in heaven right now and that he has been made whole. Hallelujah!
Nnam oma! Ijeoma! Until we meet to part no more. Amen.
