Your era ended in the early hours of 24th August 1984 after 57years on earth. You struggled to live, but your illness was intense and God called you home. You left without a word to our mother on the way forward. As a visionary and focused wife, she took over from where you stopped and never allowed us to suffer or lack anything good. She completed
the house you were building that led to your untimely death, saw us through school and made sure there was food on our table.
Your dream for your "five girls" and two boys which was access to quality education eventually came true as you now have five very educated women as daughters with your second daughter, Uche, a successful Lawyer that also has her first son and your second grandchild, Ikenna as a Lawyer. It might also interest you to know that you have seventeen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Is your back not better, Papa? You had little education, having stopped at Standard 3, but you were very exposed and knew the value of quality education. Thank you so much for all that you invested in us. We can never thank you enough. God bless your soul!
How can I talk about my personal relationship with you, my Super Hero father? Where do I even start? I will just start from somewhere because as a great Historian that you were you taught me so much that that time will not permit me to put down here. My childhood story will be incomplete without mentioning of your constantly reminding me of how I kept staying outside the house whenever I was sick which was on a regular basis waiting for you to come back just to carry me into the house and give me my drugs. How can I forget the story of how Ibagwa-Nkwo where we were living at the time fell to the Nigerian side during the Biafran war and you lost everything because I was sick and was taken to the hospital? What about how your brother, Sir Augustine Mgbemena also of blessed memory drove down to Ibagwa from Ifite-Ukpo where he was the Principal of St Mary's High School to evacuate my sisters to Ifite-Ukpo since I did not have a brother at the time? What about how you changed my name from Nwakaego which was given to me at birth in your absence to Ngozichukwuka because of your unshakable faith in God and what He can do? Wow! I can go on and on without really getting tired of talking about you because you were simply an AMAZING FATHER! I am very proud of YOU, my father like no other!
Did I forget to say that you trusted me to a fault? I am very happy I did not disappoint you, after all! You never doubted me for one day to the extent that you gave me so much freedom to express myself and explore my world. You allowed me to travel to Port Harcourt to visit my friend without minding that I had not been there before because you knew I was going to come back just the I told you I would come back. What about my choice of studying Mass Communication against all odds? You trusted me enough to allow me take my destiny into my hands and study Mass Communication which very educated relation of yours told you I should not study because "Women Journalists" do not get married. You never believed him, rather you prayed for me and wished me well. Great of you Dad! Ironically, two years into my study period, your death came like a thunder bolt! You know what? With my feeble hands, I wrote your OBITUARY announcement to show them that I did not waste the money you paid for me as school fees before your death. I am happy to let you know that I now have a Masters Degree in Communication, now in the last part of my Doctorate Degree programme also in Communication and Professional Diploma in Education. What more can I say to an AMAZING father, caring husband and a generous brother to his siblings? Thank You! Thank You!! And Thank You My Super Hero Father! God bless your soul! Continue to rest in the the bossom of the Lord where you have been these past 32 long years. With much love from your third girl and third child, NGOZICHUKWU❤❤❤❤❤
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