It was a sombre occasion,but electrified the rather serene community of Ekpuk Nto Erin, Uruk Uso Utoro, Abak Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State, when the remains of respected 85-year-old community leader, Deaconess Arit Ezekiel Udo, was committed to earth.
Fondly called ‘Mama’ in and around the community, she was the mother of Tpl Akanimo Udoh, Acting Director, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)’s Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), according to a press statement on Thursday, April 3, by Head of Information, DOAS, Ngozi Ufomba.
It stated that tears flowed freely from residents of the community and mourners especially as speaker after speaker highlighted the deceased octogenarian’s generosity, candour, Godly disposition and accommodating qualities.
On hand to witness the interment was a glittering array of dignitaries from across the country, including Head of Service (HoS), FCTA, Mrs Grace Adayilo, who was represented by her Special Assistant (SA), Mr Albert A. Nnamani; Village Head of Uruk Uso, Chief Edim Frank Udoh; as well as leading members of Nigeria’s Outdoor Advertisement industry.
Very visible among the latter were Managing Director (MD), Alliance Marketing Media Ltd., High Chief (Dr.) TOE Ekechi; Vice President, Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria, Omok Abuene; Chief Lawrence Inemohlan Monigs of Emerald Limited; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jonnie Media, Dr. Joel Dipo; MD, AGL Media, Sir Oyediran Abiodun; MD, Plural Media, Mr Uduak Bassey; and MD, Alphamega Communication Ltd., Mr Archu Ajudua.
There were also MD, Rochester Motors and Media, Eddy Macaulay; CEO, Neighborhood Outdoor Ltd., Mr Femi Olaiya; and GDF Media’s Erebe Christian.
Also, staff members of DOAS graced the funeral.
The final rites of passage for the deceased kicked off with a funeral service at her compound.
The officiating minister, who is Abak Area Supervisor of Assemblies of God Church, Pastor Godfrey Lazarus, admonished the congregation to live a decent life while still breathing.
Pastor Lazarus implored everyone to repent from sins and do the will of God Almighty, stressing that this is vital so that when death calls, they will be remembered by their good works.
Turning to the life and times of the deceased, the priest said Mama was “very respectful, law abiding and also a counselor who advised young peoples to live a good life while on earth.”
He thanked the children of the deceased for taking good care of their mother when she was alive.
Tributes galore
Some children of the deceased who spoke to the press eulogized her, saying her demise had left an indelible footprint in their lives.
For instance, eldest daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Etoro Nkanta, described her late mother as a good woman of God and one imbued with great wisdom.
She described her mother as a generous woman who ensured that people around her were always happy.
Mrs. Nkanta said she will really miss her mother’s “warm welcome anytime I came to the village to see her, and her delicious food.”
Also speaking, daughter-in-law of the deceased and wife of the Acting Director, DOAS, Mrs. Eno A. Ezekiel Udoh, described Mama as “a prayerful woman and also a very patient woman who showed love to all the members of the family.”
She prayed God Almighty to accept her soul to rest in perfect peace.
Also paying tribute to her, Mr Nnamani, SA to Head of Service, FCTA, thanked God Almighty that at 85, the deceased left footprints.
He added: “Death is an inevitable thing; time to be born and time to die. We thank God she lived a fulfilled life before she passed on to her Creator.”
He also prayed God to grant her soul eternal rest.
From the robust outdoor advertisement family came an outpouring of tributes.
High Chief (Dr.) Ekechi, a friend of the family, described Tpl Udoh as a wonderful man to be reckoned with.
He said: “I have known Tpl Udoh for over 20 years now and his relationship with me has turned out to be like a brother now.”
High Chief Ekechi said he came to console the Director and to bid his late mother the final farewell, praying that the good Lord will grant her eternal rest in His bosom.
High Chief Ekechi used the opportunity to salute Governor Umo Eno and the people of Akwa Ibom State for all the things he saw during the visit to the oil-rich South-South state for the burial ceremony.
He said: “Akwa Ibom State is very clean, calm, organized and they show love to their visitors.”
Also speaking, Mr. Monigs described the DOAS boss as “a very gentle, kind, disciplined and intelligent director who is always ready to solve your problem at any given time without minding where you are coming from. He is not tribalized at all.”
According to Monigs, he came to condole with Tpl Udoh on his mother’s demise. He then prayed that the good Lord will grant the deceased eternal rest in the bosom of God Almighty.
He added that it is because of the director’s character that personalities from far and near turned out in their numbers to say farewell to his mother.
Speaking too, the chief mourner, Tpl Udoh described his late mother as a caring, prayerful and loving mother, adding that she brought her children up in a disciplined way, teaching them moral values that will sustain them throughout their lives.
He said: “Mama, you will be surely missed but we are consoled because another angel watches over us from heaven. Rest on, Mama.”
The Director thanked all those that came from afar to pay their last respect to his mother and enjoined God Almighty to bless and grant them journey mercies to their various destinations.
Born on February 5, 1940 into the family of Hezekiah Akpan Nkanta in Ekpuk Nto Essien, Ikot Oku Ubara Village, Ediene Clan of Abak LGA, the late deaconess was variously described by community residents as a very reliable and hardworking housewife, a businesswoman and local contractor in Abak LGA,in her lifetime.
Her marriage was blessed with seven children, two daughters-in-laws, 27 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
