Still wondering what could have been done differently, and what other options could have been taken. Continue to rest dear brother

Curvee! I just heard the news this morning after calling your phone.
I remember our last discussion, your optimism and encouragement.
Rest well brother, God knows best. I know you are in a good place.
Till we meet again, your laughter will always be with us and may TGAOTU embrace you in His ever welcoming home.

Sweetheart!! Happy posthumous birthday....,.
But you know this was not the plan?

Yes I know you said you were tired , but it should have been like this!!

I have always told you that I am not as strong as you think, rather you are the strength in me.

It's not about hearing you, talking to me, feeling you......

Well! I know you are good, I can hear your laughter and I know you are missing us too and God just loves you most! Just keep on with the communication and I LOVE YOU TOO. Little madam misses you badly I don't know how to control her thinking every tall man is dad!... Just talk to her cos I notice you people commuicate .

Hugs and kisses!!!

Today made it exactly 3 months you passed. We your siblings made a new whatsapp group, we couldnt continue with the old one that you were in. So we made a new one and called it 'Just us'. You left so its Just us now............tearss.
Oh Joe, I just came here to say hello. I still text you, now and again. How are you up there? How is Uche, De Njiko, Aunty Madi and the others that went before you, Okechi, Jnr,etc. At the fullness of time, we will meet again. Sleep well my brother, sleep well

Still not ready to say goodbye Uncle Curvee….
Still hearing your voice in my head….
You fought a good fight….
Till we meet again

Curvee !!
 A very tough one for us. You will be greatly missed. Journey on brother!

The Curvester, D'General...it was a very unwelcome surprise on hearing of your passing on....I weep for all dat could have been....

From the days of NSK to Dolphin to Abj, even though it was hard connecting physically but there was always time to drop a note...

Rest in Peace

May the Divine light up the way for your smooth ascent, dear brother...Still pained l did not reach out to you in your darkest moments...

Farewell, good brother...

Joe, your passing came as big shock to me! I was disoriented all through that day! I couldn’t believe it until my brother confirmed it! You were a rare gem! Very genuine! You will be greatly missed! May the Almighty comfort your dear ones, and give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss! Rest in peace bro!

Curve nwokem,

Rest in peace brother, jee nke ọma.
We will treasure every moment you spent with us, your openness, humour and sincerity will never be forgotten. You had your say, you played your part.

Ka ọ dị bagodu...

"It's alright." - JoeJoe
____________

I have struggled these past weeks to get out from under the gray cloak that wrapped itself tightly around me when I heard my brother and friend had passed. To be honest, I am still struggling partly because two lamps that I have always thought of in the present have been extinguished.

Three days before, we spoke for nearly two hours on Tuesday evening - joking, laughing, reminiscing, planning ahead and strangely, reflecting on God's mercy, grace and favour in our lives. As always with Joe, it was an intimate conversation because his openness and vulnerability disarmed you. Joe had no walls, no guards, no moats to protect his big heart from hurt; he had no guile, no pretentiousness, no sophistry, no forked tongue to guard his ego; he had no qualms, no reservations, no subtlety to blunt his forthrightness. My brother was who he was without apologies, or even the awareness of needing any in the first place.

Joe had a transparent big love without the burden of self-consciousness to want to disguise it. He loved his mother, his siblings, his wife and children, his aunts, uncles and cousins, his nephews and nieces, his friends and their families. He was everyone's guy, the one who would if he could no matter what mountain needed to be climbed or river to be crossed.

I watched him grow as the little brother who didn't seem to know how to lie, to the man who shouldered his burdens and asked others to pass theirs to him also. I walked alongside him as a student in Nsukka and later through his first jobs and eventually, onto the career path in the power sector where his natural brilliance shown like never before. Together we wandered off into ventures from farming bananas to exploring food retail, to green energy and even at some point, armour plated vehicles. We dreamt of big and small things, we argued endlessly and built a bond that needed no affirmation.

He fought his own fights and felt obliged in fairness to do so for others. Joe was always the one to step up and forward especially when what lay ahead was uncertain and threatening. Some would say he had a foolish courage but I think he was just binary in the way that the galant and chivalrous are in acting on the basis of right and wrong without the artifice of the more nuanced. If he had lived in King Arthur's time, Joe would have undeniably been a knight.

I loved my brother, Joe and I know he loved me without reservation. I wasn't always right by him but he had that special and rare grace to embrace me anyway. He loved my family in the same way and Uncle Joe was their guy too.

"It's alright", he would say whenever  a point he initially disagreed with became clear. Two simple words that powerfully express a graciousness that is so rare because they can only be said with sincerity by a heart that is not hardened by life's vicissitudes, or weighed down by a vanity that consumes. I will hold on to those words, my brother, my friend and trust God that it is indeed alright to go on. Thank you for everything and may God receive you in the spirit in which you gave us all a part of you. 

Curvee My Brother and Friend,
Still a shock to write about you in these words. Even harder since we only reconnected after several years. Journey well my brother and may God grant you a peaceful rest in his bosom. SO

JoeJoe! Your news arrived as a shock to me today,19 April 2023. You were the 'big brother' those days at UNN, making sure I pursued my studies. I thanked you then, and again now, as I write a final 'goodbye'. Rest in peace, Joe. Amen.

Uncle Joe as fondly called. Am short of words writing this tribute, but I know you are happier wherever you are now. May God almighty receive your gentle soul. Amen. Adieu big bros.

Goodnight Uncle Joe. You were more than a mentor to me. I am grateful for all your advice and how you were always there for me whenever I needed you. Its definitely too soon for you to go. The world still needed you. You still had a lot to give. I pray for heaven to receive you and comfort the little ones you are leaving behind. Goodnight Uncle Joe

Jo-Jo, I have found it a very difficult task to write a tribute since you passed away. You were a rare gem, an exceptionally intelligent fellow. So many memories of you keep flashing through my mind. I recall vividly my standing behind you as sponsor while you signed the marriage register during your wedding in Sapele. You never visited Delta State without putting a call across to me and I always looked forward to seeing you. I used to cherish your sound and intelligent discussion.
As you prepare for your journey into the world beyond, may the Angels and Saints of God guide you; may God bring you into His blossom; may God bless and guide those beautiful children you left behind.
May your soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in ✌️️️️. Bye bye Jo-Jo. Bye bye Curvy!
Kojak

To the world you were an astute engineer, a proficient professional, an unmistakable intellectual, a debonair gentleman who showed genuine love to those near and dear to him, and above all, a darling father.

To us, your brothers, you remain a weather-beaten and truly tested scarlet who fully lives out our sacred creed and epitomizes our core values. Therefore, we know you continue to sail in the upper deck.

SDF (MOSB, SWGP) sally ad infinitum with the FTs!

From all your brothers on board ABAN

Curvee! My big bro! You were never one for the mushy things in life but here I am today to give you a dose of it.

Kai! I'm still processing the news. You were one of the biggest frauds ever. Did you know that? Well I'm glad I had the chance to tell you that much when work brought you to my end of Naija.

In school you were happy to keep that air of I don't care about nothing & nobody, but you cared so much & couldn't hide it to save your life.
I remember after school, my head was in a wrong place & I had hit an all time low.

Of all people you were there with kind words, not just words, your time & effort. When ever I have to share what giving means to people. I give that story. Yeah! A couple of other people did come through on the day but big bro...
Let's just say, I was touched beyond words to have you lend your voice & time. I remain in awe till this day & I pray I'll do you right someday, some how.

You'll forever be in my thoughts Curvee. Rest in peace big bro, rest in peace. ♥️

Dear, curvee, I am still in shock over your demise. Rest in peace my Broda.

Dear Joejoe - it's hard to put words to the feeling that the news of your death birthed in me. Our last conversation, the day before you died, despite your ill health, was a call from you to give me counsel ahead of my trip to Ezi to discuss my mother's funeral.

It was always hard to reconcile my memory of the little boy trailing in our footsteps, your older cousins, to the man I returned from the US to admire and respect. I never got to tell you how much, with your large voice and larger-than-life personality, you reminded me of our beloved Uncle Paul and the image I carried in my mind of our grandfather, Papa. I never got to tell you how much I was looking forward to watching you blaze across the night skies of our lives, believing deep in my heart that your best days were in front of you. 

You loved all of us that you called family, matter-of-factly. Its simplicity and purity was a rock of solidity in the swirling storms of our Ejidoh family. I will miss that. Just as I will miss our conversations and the pride I felt whenever I introduced you as my cousin.

I pray that you've gone to a better place. I pray that your memory and love will guide our actions as a family in the future. I pray that you will find our actions, as we watch over the family and children you've left behind, worthy of the love you showed us during your lifetime. 

Joe,
This was not the plan. We accept everything as God's will, thanking God that you prepared yourself to meet Him.

I know your one wish would be for your children to be alright. Don't worry they will be just fine and I'll keep you updated my brother.

You will be missed, your kind is rare. You lived life in spite of, irrespective of, and despite the odds.

You just rest, you really need it, it's been a long bumpy ride!

My friend and brother. I still can't believe you are gone.
Sometimes I feel I could have done something different or intensified efforts to avert the situation but God knows best.
Keep resting in God's Bossom.

Thr great Curvee as you are fondly remembered by all ...your death is still a shocker, this is 1 very bitter pill to swallow hmmmm.....missed but never forgotten...

Curvee,

May the Almighty grant you eternal rest

JK

Iteh...na wa o, just like that? Here now gone in a flash...paddy mi, words fail me. You are an honorable man and you are sorely missed. Sail on rugged broda till we meet to part no more...

Dear Curvee,

The news of your passing was shocking and brought immense sadness to me. You were indeed a great guy and you will be sorely missed by those of us you left behind.
May your gentle soul rest in peace.

The Curvee,
It's lights out for you on your earthly sojourn. You took me under your wings like your younger brother. When I hit rock bottom, you were there for me. Your wise counsels, wisdom filled discussions, simple solutions and word play will always be cherished. You are a good man.
This all pains man...it pains.

Rest on peacefully brother.

CURVEE, you made a mark on the footprints on the sands of time which cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
May the angels of God lead you to Paradise, the new Jerusalem.

Joe your death was a blow, death where is thy sting? I feel pained because we had alot you desired which was never to be, am sure you are in a better place now, rest in peace till we meet to depart no more my friend and brother Joe. goodnight

Curvee Nwokem!!! When we spoke sometime in February, little did I know that will be my last conversation with you! You will be terribly missed! The world has lost a charming and great soul! May your lovely soul rest in perfect peace, Amen

CURVEE THE MAN

Where do I start from? Our intimacy started about 25 years ago in your Alvin Lovin residence at the University town Nsukka.
You were a wonderful brother, caring, always there for people, goes out of your way to satisfy people. You believed in hard-working, prayer and perseverance.
CURVEE, you impacted immensely in my life of which I owed you a debt of appreciation, infact words cannot express. Even at the moment of your sickness, you were always there with your listening ear and helping hand.
However, I believe you are in a better place now because you deserved it.
Eternal rest grant you and let perpetual light shine on you.
Adieu,
Joseph Anthony Chiedu Ashibuogwu.
IJEOMA!

Joe your passing is so so painful. Truly it is not how long but how well. You left your mark as a consumate, brilliant, cerebral and dynamic engineer in the power sector. We are comforted that you're in a better place and the Lord will comfort your loved ones. Rest in peace bro

A brother like no other! Amiable,down to earth and simple as can be! Your inspiration and depth is incomparable. A minute meeting with you is like ages of wisdom, witt and knowledge impacted, that Very CHERISHED expected minutes and moments with you will be greatly missed. Rest on Nwa Awoo!

You have accomplished many good things in life. You worked hard and always followed the path of honesty. You sleep well, my friend. The path you have laid down is one thing worth emulating.

I WAS JUST AS HOPEFUL THAT YOU WERE DOING SO WELL...AND THEN I STARTED PROCRASTINATING ON MY VISITING YOU SOON...NOW SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH ME AND PROCRASTINATING!!!
HOW CAN I DEAL WITH THIS GREAT LOSS OF A GOOD & VERY INTELLIGENT BROTHER IN LAW?

I HAD A LOT OF THING'S TO SHARE WITH YOU...LOADS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT...
I'M BARELY BURYING MY DADDY...NOW THIS!!!
MY HEART IS TORN ASSUNDER...
I WANTED YOU TO HELP ME GET CERTAIN ASPECTS OF MY LIFE RIGHT...

I CRY WITHIN...SADDENED BY YOUR ABRUPT DEMISE WITHOUT WARNING...
I FEEL SO WRETCHED!!!

THANK GOD ALMIGHTY FOR A PROMISED RESURRECTION...

REST IN PEACE BROTHER IN LAW!!!

He was a good neighbor, l knew him lately but with little time we talked and discussed he was a free and non secretive man , free minded with Thurnder and Lion voice, from our discussion l learnt on how many parents missed on who take over them and l pick that from him.
He was a mentor full of knowledge....
May God forgive ur sins, and be with the family you left , may God give us the grace to bear it and not to compromise till we see HIS face glory
Humbly from your next neighbor Kilanko Adeola(DEOSAXLA)

Uncle joe, you will forever remain in my heart, it’s so painful how we couldn’t spend more time together, you were such a kind and caring man, I love you forever

Met Joseph a few times through my darling sister, Lami. I fondly called him oga Joe. I enjoyed every minute spent together as he would give me solid advice pertaining to my business and making me feel at ease with my life problems, not minding his. I’d looked forward to spending even more time with him.
He was such a humble soul. I can’t believe he’s passed on and I’m devastated by the news. May he find eternal rest and may those he left behind be comforted. Rest well oga Joe!

Could not believe that it is true, days have gone by waiting to hear that the story was not true but yet today the reality is steering on my face. To my brother what are some of the feelings that one might feel when a brother passes away? When someone that is special to us is gone it can be difficult to continue living life. Things that were special to you may begin to seem pointless when you don't have that special person to share it with. All of the things that you did together are reminders of the loss that you have suffered. Do yourself a favor and take the time to mourn your loss. As you go through the five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, memories of the good times you spent together may bring a smile to your face instead of a painful grimace. Adieu Brother till we meet to part no more.

Some things really do not make sense. It's not like we were born to live forever, but if we are gonna die, there has to be some sequence and style to it. Chiedu, My brother and Friend, your death hits differently. May God keep you smiling as ever.

I want to hear that we were all wrong at last. That Curvy is actually alive. How you a lovely and lively soul like you be lying lifelessly in the mogue? You left an indelible imprint in me. I have sent a couple of messages to you since 17th March expecting you could respond in your usual manner but still nothing is coming from your end. You wanted to live but God has a different agenda for you. May the angels usher you into paradise, the new Jerusalem where there's no pain or sorrow. Go well the quintessential and amiable Engineer Joe. You touched lives in your brief but impactful life.
I will miss you for a long time!
Frank Emechete

Honestly am dumbfounded, still I am! I don't even know what to write, my head is blocked...I have lost my psychic energy to do anything as a result of your WITHOUT WARNING exit. Why is God always and quickly take good people away from us and leave us to start afresh again....I guess He has so many questions to answer for us, especially myself... because I still don't understand why He had to take Joe away from us now....someone should just tell me why, please...

May you rest well Nwokeoma Curvee, Ezigbommadu.....Joe Chiedu Ashibogwu Ejidoh.
Ka Anyi Dibekwa!

Ebube and Isabella Obi

Engr. Joseph, its sad to pen down this note of tribute to say Farewell. You were a unique and principled person, a professional to the core and forthright in your dealings. You were a man of faith as my last chat with you, you affirmed that all will be well when you got better. God knows why he has called you at this time. I pray for the repose of your good soul Amen and for consolation for your family and loved onse. Eternal rest be granted you and Perpetual light shine upon you Amen

Wow, this is a rude shock to me! Just got this notice today. What a sad news to greet me. I haven't seen Joe for over four or five years. The last time we saw was when I last visited Abuja for business meetings. Since we first met in 2014/15 as a business consultant to my company, Joe has always been a good friend; always positive in every situation. A never-say-never sort of guy. Very hospitable and kind. Joe will go out of his way to see you are taken care of.
Though we haven't been in touch in recent times, but your memory is so fresh in my mind.
I will miss Joe Ejidoh!

A brother. A gentle colossus. Touching and improving numerous lives every single day. Again, heaven has recalled an angel. To live in the hearts of those who love you is not to die. May GOD grant your gentle soul eternal rest in HIS bosom... Amen!!

Witnessing the candle light blow away was one of a memory I never wished happened. Saw you struggling as I came visiting you at the hospital on that Black Friday the 17th of March,2023. Tears filled my eyes. You were a great brother and u knew how to attend to everyone at every point. No dull moments. I wonder who will call me “chief” as you fondly did in your own unique way. May you (Jojo) continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord.

Ejido,
Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheaf…
Very little time to even say goodbye …hmmm
I loved and cherished our professional arguments … so much to learn from them
It’s. sad to think you have taken your flight, so early in the day but who are we to question our Maker ….
Soon, we shall meet to know why!
Rest on Brother

It's really unbelievable but reality, if we could turn back the hands of time but even with many hands is difficult, God had his purpose of allowing it happen , to man is untimely but to God, it his design, I (we) miss ur undiscrible love with passion of humanity,
Rest on bro

Curvee! I spoke with you 2 days before your final departure. You promised to call back later in the day. You could not. While thinking of calling you, I got the shocking news of your departure to the grate beyound. You will be dearly missed, rest on my dear friend.

My good friend Joseph! We planned, we strategies we deliberated, did so many things together looking into the future. COVID came destabilized all. You fought a good fight you deserve to live. But who are we to question God. Tears flows freely each since you departed. You will forever be missed. Have a place of rest in the bosom of our Lord