By Jude Atupulazi
As I wrote this, it was with a heavy heart indeed. It sounded absurd to me to use the past tense on two of my friends. One wasn’t very well known except in his area and the other was a national and international figure.
I didn’t know which death pained me the more. But inherent in both deaths remains an integral message which is that death is a fate EVERYONE must face. It is just a matter of when, where and how.
I’m talking about the deaths of Mr Ignatius Achalugo, a Biafran war veteran; and Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a man who was many things to many people. As I said, it is difficult; even crazy, for me to refer to them as among the dead. But there’s nothing I can do. Let me start with the lesser known Mr Achalugo.
Ignatius Achalugo (Uhuru)
This was a good friend who put his life on the line like many others to fight for his fatherland during the unfortunate Nigeria-Biafra War (between 1967 and 1970).
He had a close shave with death during the war when he sustained a grievous injury in the battle field and had to crawl in the bush for miles before he luckily ran into friendly troops who picked him and took him to hospital. He would go on to live for another 56 years.
But his life’s story will not be complete without mention of the pains he went through in his last days; pains which clearly portrayed the hypocrisy of our society.
Achalugo, popularly called Uhuru, was a skilled work man who was adept at making floor tiles. He later became a politician and one of the founding members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. He would also later become the ward Chairman of the party in Nimo Ward 4.
He was a man who gave total commitment to the party and at a time it appeared as if he did no other business than party matters. He lived, slept, dreamed and woke up thinking of APGA. As a reward for his efforts, he became the Chairman of Chairmen in Njikoka LGA of Anambra State. This was during the Peter Obi Era. He had his faults (who doesn’t?) But no one could deny his commitment and dedication.
As the years rolled by, the leadership of APGA changed hands and his era ended. He remained in politics nevertheless, even though at a time he worked for other parties to make ends meet.
But in his last days, he returned to APGA. In fact, during the sickness that consumed him, he made his last public outing at an APGA event in his ward during the visit of the House of Assembly member representing Njikoka Constituency 2.
But by that time he was battling with prostate issues. He was a poor man and had nobody to help him. Efforts were made by me to post his picture in his sick bed to one of his community whatsapp forums with a view to soliciting help from people of goodwill. Not much help came. In fact, I only knew of an anonymous donor who gave a hundred thousand Naira (God bless him).
Uhuru lived from hand to mouth. At a point when his case was becoming critical, I sent messages to some leaders of APGA, soliciting their help for their former Chairman of Chairmen. I even published my disappointment here after no respite came.
I then solicited the help of some of my friends outside and four of them responded, including an NGO. I thank them immensely. But it was like trying to empty an ocean with a tea spoon. It was clear when I last visited him on July 15 that he had one foot on the land of no return. He died 12 days after.
Now he’s dead, it is my bet that all manner of people will attend his funeral to shed crocodile tears when some of them were in a position to really be of help. But then, that is the way of our world. It pained me that Uhuru saw his death coming.
He knew money could have bought him more time. But, alas, no money came. Perhaps, if he was a celebrity, his lot would have been better as many would have fallen over themselves to be seen to be caring. He must have died with his heart bleeding. Poor soul. He slipped out of this world on the morning of Friday 26 July. May his wounded soul rest in peace.
Ifeanyi Ubah
Here is a case of sharp contrast from that of Uhuru. Ifeanyi Ubah was well known and was a top politician, rising to become a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He had also variously contested for the governorship of his home state of Anambra.
Ubah was a hyper active fellow. He could hold meetings with different groups for 20 hours in a day and sleep for only four hours. In fact, in the weekend before his demise, he had slept only for one hour before leaving to tour some local governments. I wondered often about how and where he drew his strength from. I also feared for his health.
I came to know him closely only recently and I must confess that the Ubah I knew from close quarters was different from the Ubah I had known from a distance. He was passionate about his beliefs and would go to great lengths to make them a reality.
When last I visited him with some friends we were wowed by the things we saw in his place and the plans he had for many people. Ubah had many people depending on him for survival and it is those people I feel for at this time because their lives will likely develop a hole too deep to fill by anyone.
If you describe Ubah as boastful, you won’t be far too wrong, but beneath that façade lay a soft and generous heart. His death came like a bombshell. It was never expected; not even by those who shared the last moments with him before he travelled to London in the same week he died.
As I wrote this piece, there were a few different versions of how he died. One had it that he underwent a surgery and died. Another had it that he attended his son’s graduation and slumped later. Yet another version had it that he died in his hotel room in London. As you read this, the true version may have emerged but none of them can raise him back from the land of the dead.
Ubah had too many projects ongoing, including the Dome he was building and the Catholic Church he was also building in Nnewi. The stadium he was planning to revamp was also there. He had many people under his scholarship too. All these things and people will now suffer. He was like an iroko that housed many birds. When it fell, all the birds became homeless.
Indeed, if money could save Ubah, it would have done so; quite unlike my other friend, Uhuru. Ubah could be with you in the morning in Nigeria and by nightfall be in a foreign country. That showed how much money he had and how active too. But that grim reaper, death, makes no distinction between the mighty and the poor. It strikes whenever it wants, where and how it wants. To this we are powerless as mortals.
Being a politician with ambition, it is possible that many of his opponents may be secretly gloating over his demise, seeing it as one threat gone. But that will amount to the greatest stupidity as what happened to Ubah could have happened to anyone and can happen to anyone.
Ubah was a friend and his death had cast a heavy shadow on my spirits last Saturday and blighted my birthday mood. (I celebrated my birthday last Saturday, July 27). It was a period I lost two friends who meant many things to me.
Ubah left with many dreams unfulfilled and I pray that those he left behind, especially his immediate family, workers and associates, can help the much they can. The iroko has fallen and the birds have scattered but I pray they won’t scatter far off. There are still jobs to be done.
May the good lord accept the soul of Ifeanyi Ubah, the Street General.
Message
Two of my people may have died but their deaths have left one message: this life is like a candle blowing in the wind. Its light can be extinguished in a split second. All of us are living precariously like the candle light. Our light may go out at any moment. This is what priests tell us at every funeral but we don’t seem to take the message seriously.
We watch and hear people die but we often wave it away because it doesn’t concern us; because those people are not close. But once we experience the death of a family member or friend, the message sinks home.
Yes, my two friends have just died, but let’s look at the greater message.
