Consoling Uche Nworah On His Father’s 3rd Death Anniversary (OPINION) By Isaac Asabor
There is no denying the fact that a father is a strong pole in the family and that his death in the family has always been a very traumatic experience for children left behind, particularly the ones he had a very strong bond with. In this context, the fact cannot be mistaken since Nze Edwin Okonkwo Nworah (Nkaonadi), the father of Chief (Dr.) Uche Nworah, the immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, died in 2020 at the age of eighty-five and was buried at his country home, Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area, that Ezeudo, as Uche is popularly and fondly called, has always been remembering him. He has never hidden the fact that his father’s death was a huge loss to him, his mother, his siblings, and other members of the family, including members of the extended family. In fact, since the death of his father whom he fondly called Nkaonadi, his emotional reminiscences of him have shown that he was a guardian, provider, and a very important figure in the family.
The foregoing observation cannot be farfetched as he has for the umpteenth time, even prior to the demise of his father been celebrating him on social media pages. Sometimes, he will post funny pictures about dialogues or banters he had with him. That tells you how fond they were to each other. Given the foregoing, let it be that the example previously and posthumously displayed about his father is worthy of emulation to all of us, not just on Father’s Day which is celebrated once a year.
As one of his followers, I consciously and deliberately visited him on his social media pages, and as rightly anticipated, he posted a message that reads thus on his Facebook page: “Our father Nkaonadi Di Aso passed on this day exactly three years ago. We remember him today and always.
“These were his charges to the family shortly before he passed on. Like good men of the old who lived good lives, he knew his time had come and did what Ndigbo call ‘ike uno’ (putting one’s house in order and issuing last wishes).
May Nkaonadi Di Aso’s soul continue to rest in peace, Amen”.
While empathizing with him in this context, it is not out of place to say that losing a father is highly a terrible occurrence. Nothing can ameliorate the agony of the loss of a father. Nobody can ever play the role of a dead father. This missing link is void to be felt forever.
Given the foregoing, it is expedient to urge everyone (including this writer) that once in a while, it is important we remember our dead fathers. The reason for this advice cannot be farfetched as with a remembrance message for our late fathers, we will freely enjoy and express the sweet memory of him, even as it is salutary we take care of them when they are alive.
In fact, putting oneself in Ezeudo’s shoes, it is difficult to explain how one feels and talk less about what to say after the loss of a father. The pains can be very unimaginable especially when there was a very strong bond with the departed father, as witnessed in the case of Nworah.
Against the backdrop of the fact that the bond between a father and a son is special and difficult to quantify, it goes without saying that losing a father is one of the most painful experiences one can go through, and with this reality on the subconscious of this writer, it is expedient to offer a posthumous commiseration in this context and say, “Ezeudo, I know that this is an extremely difficult time for you. I want you to know that you are in my thoughts and my well-wishes. I cannot imagine how you have been feeling about his absence since 2020 but know that he is resting in peace, and in the bosom of the LORD. Please accept my utter heartfelt condolences on your father’s death anniversary.”
