Ufuoma, daughter of Insurance guru, O'Tega Emerhor mourns her brother who was murdered 10 years ago
Ufuoma Ashogbon, the first daughter of insurance guru and former
governorship aspirant, Olorogun O' Tega Emerhor is celebrating her 34th
birthday today which is also the tenth anniversary of the death of her
brother, Ijamani. The mother of two also shared some interesting details
surrounding the death of the then 18-year-old. She alleged his death
was politically motivated because those with him were not harmed.
"Today, I am 34 year old, and I give God all the glory for my life! By
His grace, I am not only a year older, but a little wiser too. I
glorify Him for all that He has brought me through, and for all the
ways He has blessed me in this life.
Ten years ago today, I lost someone very dear and close to me. I
lost my little brother, Ijamani, to gun violence. One moment he was
enjoying the gift of life, even as I was celebrating mine… The next,
his life was stolen from him and from his family and friends who loved
him. There was no moment to say goodbye, or to express to him how much
we loved him, or how much we were going to miss him.
Two travesties happened the day he died. One was that a group of
wicked people plotted his murder, and sought him out to kill him. Our
belief is that it was politically motivated against my father, because
no one else with him was harmed, and nothing was taken. The other
travesty was that he was refused care at the first hospital he was taken
to, because they didn’t have money to pay for his treatment, and so he
died on reaching the second hospital.
We live with the horrors of this life everyday. That first hospital
was never held accountable for my brother’s death, and the men who took
his life are still roaming free in my country! A country where it
takes bribery for the Police to attend to an urgent plea for help.
Where the excuse of no fuel in their tanks will mean that you do not get
the Law enforcement our taxes pay for. And a world where the absence
of money means that your life is valued at nought.
So today, as I celebrate the gift of life I still enjoy, I remember
my sweet brother, who was taken from us at the tender age of 18.
#ManiLivesOn in me and in everyone who ever loved him. He lives in my
earthly father, from whom he got is handsome looks and his gentle
temperament. Their likeness was so uncanny in both respects, and I
can’t help but imagine how great Mani would have been, if our world had
been a better place. My dad is still committed to making Nigeria better
through political influence, and using his God-given intellect and
wisdom to serve his people. Mani lives on in the fight for justice and
humanity in our country!
Every year I mark my birthday, I have chosen to celebrate life,
because I believe life trumps death. But this year, I choose to mourn
my brother, and remember him and the circumstances of his death, and
plead with God and man that we should make this our world a better place
for the living… I don’t want birthday wishes or gifts or cakes today.
I want to honour my brother. I want to remember him, and his humble
spirit that is so lacking in our world.
Mani was always so caring, so thoughtful and so genuine. He was not
perfect, I know we like to glorify the dead after they are gone, but he
was a remarkable young man and everyone who knew him could testify of
that. Mani was one of those people who never held grudges, was always
positive and generous with his smiles and acts of kindness.
I wish I had known him more. But for the better part of his latter
years, I was disconnected from my family, living in the UK and trying to
understand this thing called life. I missed real life in pursuit of
holiness…and I missed that too. I am still learning what true holiness
means and what it means to be fully alive, and how both can co-exist.
It is only in death that we get a glimpse of the meaning of life…and the
importance of being present and attentive to the ones who matter to us.
God, who knows all things and holds the keys to life and death, knows
why He allowed my brother to be taken. I am yet to find meaning in his
death, but on the day he was buried I was resolved to not let his death
be in vain. I was resolved to make a difference in my country and in
my world. Today, I am glad that I am doing that through my charity Fair Life Africa Foundation. Do visit us and see how you can support our mission to empower people for a fairer life.
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