“The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away
from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness”
This scripture readily comes to mind when one thinks about the demise of Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo, Comrade I.O Maleek (Lee), Alhaji O. I. Ademoh and Hajia (comrade) Iyabo in quick succession. They all died between February and April
It is not their religion that makes them righteous but the light that their lives represented while they were alive. It is not their religion that made them stars but the salt their lives carried that made them un-affected by the decay in their society. We hold this to be true, that true religion is the fear of God, love and service to humanity and not vain religious rituals.
These are men cut in gold in terms of their patriotism, their natural endowment, intellectual fecundity, the ideals they stood for and their selfless labour to improve Ebira society.
We cannot forget in a hurry, the money, time and energy Alhaji O.I Ademoh deployed to the cause of Ebira Social re-engineering, both in Club 10 Nigeria, which he cofounded and Ebira Youth Congress (EYC) which he supported whole-heatedly. When the cloud of darkness overshadowed Ebira land, in that unforgettable dark era, Alhaji Ademoh worked tirelessly to bring light to bear on the society even at the risk of his job and life.
When everyone else was sitting hopelessly on the issue of power-shift and an Ebira gubernatorial candidate Alhaji Ademoh and a few others with Ebira Renaissance Group and Ebira Youth Congress became a lone voice in the wilderness of hopelessness. Alhaji Ademoh’s
record of selfless service are legion. What a tragedy that Alhaji Ademoh became incapacitated at the threshold of power shift in Kogi State, a dream he staked his life for.
Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo, what better tribute can we write other than his incisive write up on Ebira Contemporary issues? He was an intellectual giant and a great man with a heart for the peasants. Cut in the class of the privileged elites but was never disconnected from his roots and the downtrodden. He laboured with us towards a rebirth of Ebira nation, a dream whose hope must be sustained in memory of these great patriots. Determined to put his ideas into action, he offered himself to serve but he was frustrated by the society that places high premium on money, and nothing but good money over and above integrity and idea. He died with the dream unfulfilled! As he died and a hypocritic society now realized what an excellent material he was. We are irked by the good comments from some political class and people who should have supported his ambition but went for good money, in lieu of selfless service and competence.
Comrade I.O Malik(Lee) was a Star whose brightness was dimmed by his environment. His intellectual capacity surpasses his paper qualification. He was one of the intellectual engine rooms of the Ebira Renaissance Group(ERG) and Ebira Youth Congress(EYC). He was
impoverished by the very society he laboured so hard to improve. His motto has always been: “I would rather die poor than to compromise my principles and integrity.”
He said then, it was too late for him, at his age to trade off what he has laboured for all his life for pecuniary gains. He was denied access to his pension at a time he needed it most.
What more can we say of Comrade (Hajia) Iyabo Ampe Lawarence? She prayed and hoped that a regenerated Ebira Nation would emerge in her time but died in the middle of a hope.
These all died at a period when the darkness over the land is yet to give way for an enduring sunshine. These all died within the same period as if God is cautioning us that men and women of conscience may soon cease from the land. They all in a way died, frustrated in their dreams and hopes, deprived of what ought to come to them by right and endowment of whom the society was not worthy.
They all died paying their dues in service and patriotism.
Sincerely, the pains and the tragedy of death is no longer on the departed but on all men of conscience and even the heartless who knowing their duties to the living, failed to perform them.
Their untimely departure has left a void.
May God provide worthy men and women to fill the gaps.
Signed:
Ebira Renaissance Group (ERG)
& Ebira Youth Congress (EYC). [myad]
