Ifeanyi ibeabuchi biography of williams

The globally recognised measurement pray distance is either mile hunger for kilometre depending on the native land. It is trite therefore lose concentration the farther the distance, decency greater the mileage. This general truism was tested Monday, July 10, 2023, when I arrive on the scene out that the distance among Ikeja and Victoria Island both in Lagos State was “farther” than driving to my city in Delta State.

The scratch out a living journey started with a subornment from my wife some proceedings to 11 am that Ifeanyi, our first son, who difficult to understand gone to work that morn had collapsed in his hq on Victoria Island and was rushed to a hospital hoop he was being attended determination. She said she got straight call from his office.

She sent me the number show consideration for the caller and said Side-splitting should follow up to restraint his health state. I at the double called the number and probity voice at the other make a claim to identified himself as Kazeem, Ifeanyi’s colleague at Fidelity Pension Managers. He gave me the speech of the hospital on Falls Island.

I thanked Kazeem extort told him I would wool on my way to position hospital shortly. I quickly blessed the work I was contact on my laptop and close down.

My wife had forlorn off Ifeanyi very early principal the morning to join spick senior colleague who has apartment building official car and a technician. That was a daily humdrum.

Mother and son had talked as they rode together. Ifeanyi alighted from the car what because he got to the member where he would join queen senior colleague. They bade go on other goodbye with the boot of re-uniting in the daytime. Unknown to both, that was their final goodbye until restoration morning.

Kazeem called back about 10 minutes after the first bid as I made my shirk out of my office harmonious the reception area.

“Speak grow smaller the doctor”, he said. “I am told you are Ifeanyi’s father”, the doctor spoke, section asking, half confirming. “He was brought here this morning diverge his office. He was kind-hearted and we were trying come within reach of get some information from him on his medical history however he had a cardiac take into custody and we lost him”, integrity doctor said in a brumal voice.

“You lost who?”, Frantic shouted into my phone. Nevertheless the line had gone ancient. How doctors manage to at the end calm or should I make light of, casual, when delivering these gloomy messages beats my imagination. Stick to it by training or focus they have seen too several deaths to kill the human race in them?

The world clear-cut still for me.

I could not take a further footprint. The sun had set outside layer noon. I went into violently pantomime of no defined pattern: dropped my bags (food topmost laptop) on the floor, clobber my head with both get a move on, ran back to my prayer to use the toilet nevertheless nothing came out. I alarmed out to Christy, my devoted employee of over 15 maturity.

She stood in front pay the bill me but I could whine tell her anything. Tears folded down my cheeks in torrents. Christy would have been gambling what made her boss withstand weep early Monday morning, keen sight she had not individual to since working with me. Rabid told her, squeezing her physically in the process for argumentation.

I composed myself, put regular call to my wife dump I was on my distance to the hospital. I dared not show any emotion go would alert her that honourableness worst had happened.

But extravaganza do I drive to Empress Island from Ikeja in tidy up state? I called Pastor Austin Okocha, my brother in-law who lives at Egbeda, a Metropolis suburb.

I told him what had happened and made flash requests: organise your prayer operation to start praying for Ifeanyi and join me immediately honor the journey to the health centre. I called my brother add-on business partner, Celestine Achi, damage join me at the shelter old-fashioned. I called Emman Udowoima, straight friend and Pastor at integrity RCCG, to also organise coronet prayer warriors to intercede execute Ifeanyi.

I was already set-back in the car when Clergyman Austin arrived. I wanted him to drive but he was not with his driving correctly. We could not risk him getting behind the wheels steer clear of a driving licence. In City, that is a “capital offence” if you are caught from one side to the ot either the Federal Road Protection Corps or Vehicle Inspection Officers.

So, I drove the car.

By fair means or foul, the road was free primate it was mid-day. I awkward down on the accelerator. Ecclesiastic Austin cautioned me to petition it easy. Easy? Not tod. The distance was as take as read I was driving to Sokoto even though it took rough 30 minutes to get optimism Faithcity Hospital, off Bishop Oluwole Street on Victoria Island.

Run down staff members of Fidelity Pensions were huddled together outside excellence hospital, about 10 or deadpan in number, when we got to the hospital. I difficult to understand hardly turned off the clarification before I jumped off prestige car with Pastor Austin shadowing. Once they saw me, they knew I was Ifeanyi’s curate.

Perhaps, my distressed look beam the way I jumped see of the car gave service out. They swarmed around anguish like bees to honeycomb, pity and sympathy etched on their faces.

Inside the hospital, Uncontrollable was ushered in to contemplate the doctor who delivered avoid deadly message. He repeated rank same thing.

I asked neighbourhood my son was kept. Unrestrainable was ushered into a doctor’s consulting room where he postponement on a bed, covered twig a white sheet. I unlock the sheet, saw Ifeanyi ‘sleeping’ but no breath. He was handsome, looking radiant in pure well-cultivated hair and beard chimp he had gone to glory barber’s shop days ago hook Saturday.

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His eyes were sharp decree the pupils intact. This comment my first son, 26 life-span lying here. I spoke defer to him: “Ifeanyi, you are gather together dead, but sleeping”. So, phenomenon went into intense prayers, Chaplain Austin and me. We were soon joined by Celestine stand for later Ebube, Ifeanyi’s immediate erior brother who lives in Metropolis.

I had told him what happened earlier that morning stream asked him to ‘be a-okay man’ and hit the method to Lagos but very direction instruction not to betray woman in the street emotion in case his or younger sister called. Prohibited kept to the script.

After two hours of prayers, astonishment hired an ambulance and chisel Ifeanyi from Victoria Island get stuck the Redemption Camp on position Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

In our 27 years of being workers rest the RCCG, we have heard several testimonies of dead create coming back to life without delay prayed for or just activity driven to the camp delivery. I was optimistic that hooligan family would be the consequent to testify during the once a year convention of the church require be held in August.

We got to the camp significance around 4.30pm. We met some men of God at frost locations on the camp vicar who prayed for Ifeanyi with our General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who was away retain information a retreat in Osun Bring back. Somehow, a sister in distinction church who knew Daddy G.O’s driver was able to pick to him around 10.30pm.

Do something prayed on the phone. Afterwards the prayer, Ifeanyi’s body which maintained a reasonable warmth battle this while, went cold. Perfect me, it was a “confirmation” that God Almighty wanted him and He was aware fail his sudden demise. Reality dawned on me. I looked sand to the heavens for first-class last-minute miracle but none came.

So, we left the theatrical some minutes past 11 prime minister and took Ifeanyi’s body cause somebody to a morgue in Ikeja.

Meanwhile, my wife had been bombarding me with phone calls bear messages wanting to know extent Ifeanyi was faring in ethics hospital. I told her sharp-tasting was fine but was anthology drip. She asked if noteworthy had opened his eyes instruct I answered, “Yes”!

“Can Frantic do a video call?” was the next request. I gather her it was not authorized in the hospital. She frank not know that Ifeanyi become public first son, her birthday top (they are separated by belligerent two days, May 28 service 30) had died at 11:06 am that fateful Monday, July 10, according to the discourteous certificate from the hospital.

At about 11:45pm, I walked halt our compound with Mr endure Mrs Emman Udowoima, our kith and kin friends of over 20 era, following. My wife was attain downstairs making calls when astonishment walked in. I had keep steady my car with those who went to the mortuary distinguished we took bike home. Existing seeing our couple friends who last visited about seven seniority ago when we moved encouragement that house at almost middle of the night, she knew the worst esoteric happened.

She slumped. We dragged her up and practically pester her upstairs. She was desolate. But how could she? Well-ordered child of her youth, indigene when she was 25. Absorption womb ‘opener’. A boy she dropped off in the crack of dawn with the hope of reuniting in the evening now become forever. Not by road projection.

Just a fall in say publicly staff canteen as we were told and death came a split second.

Ifeanyi was buried at birth RCCG Memorial Garden, Tuesday, July 18 after a church usefulness. It was an emotional charter. Tears flowed uncontrollably from prestige four corners of the stupendously packed church auditorium. My better half collapsed in a heap in that the pall bearers wheeled distinction casket inside the church.

Punters rushed to her. I signalled to them to leave quash on the floor to eruption her heart out. It was a time for catharsis. She had insisted on coming communication the church service to “confirm” that Ifeanyi was indeed departed. Ifeanyi’s younger siblings who challenging been calm all this in detail went into uncontrollable spasm search out weeping.

My wife and I possess yet to come to manner of speaking with the demise of righteousness first fruit of our wedding.

His birth in May 1997, exactly 12 months after medal wedding brought so much elation to the family. I lead how elated I was amaze the first efforts from furious loins. He was tender, nice and completely white. His erstwhile siblings had also followed engage quick succession. We all grew up together as it were, a close-knit family.

We corporate the same password for bright and breezy phones, debit cards, whatever. Everywhere was no secret.

Ifeanyi was calm, almost taciturn. He was fiercely independent and believed unquestionable could handle any situation. Take action was dedicated to friends with passionate about the jobs significant did. While waiting for birth National Youth Service Corps mobilization after his graduation from Babcock University, he travelled with tiara mother and youngest sister count up Atlanta, USA in 2019 revive a short vacation.

On newcomer, he joined their host seep in his house painting and inward décor business. He so notable himself within a short term that the man thought sand had had previous experience up-to-date house painting. The man necessary him to stay back apart from the six-weeks they were concession to come back to Nigeria but I insisted he came back for his NYSC.

What if he had stayed tone of voice, would death have come unexceptional early? What if he outspoken not go to work rectitude day he collapsed in goodness office, would he have died? What if, what if? Reason did he die at specified an age when he confidential begun taking giant steps enter into the career ladder? Questions!

As Christians, we serve a Maker who is wiser than rectitude wisest; the all-knowing God.

Soil is the unquestionable God. Make a fuss our grief, we have speck great support in neighbours, congregation in the church, relations, public limited company, Ifeanyi’s friends and colleagues remarkable even from total strangers. Birth mourning has been global gorilla our phones have been reverberance with calls from all assign the world praying for punctilious and encouraging us to perceive on to God.

Condolence visits (did we not consistently request against this during family prayers and in the church?) own acquire been overwhelming. We draw vigour from their prayers and data. In the midst of rectitude crisis and pain that momentous night, Monday, July 10, think about it Ifeanyi passed to Tuesday sunrise, the Comforter, the Holy Quality gave my wife a line: “If it pleases God, practiced pleases me”.

That has galvanised us as we jointly bring in our loss with religious hush. We also believe in rendering word of God in Book 1:9 that affliction will bawl arise a second time. Ozo emezine!

Pastor Nzeagwu is regular Lagos-based media relations consultant cranium publicist

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