December 12, 2021
I sat with Sam in Abuja after the ACPN conference of 2020. December 5, he called that he was sending his driver to pick me at my hotel in Lugbe area. I declined because of the distance and offered to come by Uber. I picked an Ambassador friend of mine from Kado estate, who knows the Mabushi ministerial very well. Sam had his architect friend waiting for us. The quartet were all ex-Ife as I found out. We spoke about a project on his mind: getting a herbal remedy that works, with evidence, for the shelf. He would pick the initial bill. We later went to Ajoke Muhammed place in Maitama to hang out. Myself and the ambassador took red wine, our architect friend took a bottle of beer and Sam took water as usual. We said bye bye that later became goodbye♂️. I was soaked in the project on my return to Ife and had to turn off the TV to remove distraction. I received a call from Abuja inviting me to turn my TV on. I pleaded that I was too busy for TV. When I did, I was shocked and I am not too sure I am not still shocked. He died on December 11, 5 days after our rendezvous. Our architect friend was with him and the family until the end. He confirmed it is Covid. Sam took all the precautions in the world, but the Lagos trip on Monday 7th December most likely did him. He attended the election of officers of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, where he was elected as an unofficial(exofficio?) member. He returned to Abuja with the crisis that made his family and friends sad till date. I will miss Sam Nda Isaiah.
