Receiving that phone call recently of the passing on to glory of Brother Chimezie Agwu was a painful one. From time to time, he sent me some articles to publish on my column and maintained a cordial relationship with me.
A good way to honour him is to have his family members share special tributes to him on my column. Read and be inspired by his life, just as I am.
Mrs Chinyere Chimezie (Wife)
My late husband married me when I was in my teens and brought me to Lagos. He taught me many things my parents did not teach me. He taught me how to relate well with people, how to be patient with people and how to love.
He always corrected my mistakes with love, always buying things for me and spoiling me. The way he called me “Darling”, often made many other people to start calling me “Darling” in church, hospitals, and the place of my business.
He was always reminding the entire family of everyone’s birthday. We would call to sing for them after our morning devotion, wish them well and pray for them.
My sweet darling, I appreciate you for how you made our children united and how they understand one another as well as our in-laws. Teaching our children, the fear of God, you initiated the morning devotion in our family which they have all adopted and continued in their respective homes. I am so proud of you for this. It made me feel safe and secure. Remembering how you locked up everywhere at night-time made all of us feel safe.
I can’t even mention all the good he did. He was always correcting my English, both written and spoken. He guided and helped the children with their education. He had such a great impact in every community where we resided. A very peaceful man, and everyone loved him. For the 54 years of our marriage, no one ever came to settle disputes for us. A true gem who I cannot stop thinking about.
Words cannot express how much I miss him. Only God will help me bear this great loss.
Ugoeze Oluchi Osuji (Daughter)
I doubt the words to define my father’s exit, so I’ll stick to describing him. My father was my provider, confidant, friend, and hero. I cannot believe we are writing the epilogue to the great book of his life and that the chapters he wrote have come to an end.
As the first born, I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the extraordinary life and legacy of my father, M.C. Agwu. Today, I write not in sorrow, but in profound gratitude to celebrate a man who shaped my world in the most beautiful ways imaginable. My father was more than just a parent. His impact on my life and the lives of many others was immeasurable.
My father cherished me. I remember one defining moment in my life. I was in Junior Secondary School then, and I came home with a literature assignment to watch a show, Lamb-Tales from Shakespeare, and leave a review. I came home from school ready to give my assignment my all. Just as I got comfortable, PHCN did what they knew best and cut off electricity. I was really upset and began to cry. My father came home to look for some documents and found me crying. He ignored me until he could no longer take it. He told me to cry some more, maybe then we could both find solutions to our problems.
Oblivious to the sarcasm, I cried so much more. Confused by my tears, he asked me why I was crying. I explained the situation, and he assured me he was going to explain everything about Shakespeare to me as soon as he was done. He explained it to me in such a way that I was fascinated and became the top student in my class for literature. He exposed me to the beauty of literature.
This event inspired my love for Shakespeare and that of my children too. My father has left a legacy. He was a legend and a pacesetter. I will always remember my father for his intelligence, bravery, tenacity, use of words, jokes, and love.
Though you have left this physical realm, your spirit lives on in the countless memories we shared, and the values instilled in us. Your legacy is alive in the stories we tell and traditions we uphold.
Thank you, Dad, for the incredible gift of your presence in my life. May you rest in eternal peace knowing that your love and legacy lives on in all of us. With all my love and gratitude.
Odogwu Chukwuemeka Chimezie (Son) TeamSwag
I am so heartbroken and feel lost. It feels like a part of me left suddenly. Words cannot really express how I feel. My father was my biggest hero, and my greatest role model. I could call him at any time, and he would always be in good spirits with attentive ears to whatever I wanted to say.
He would give a simple way of looking at the matter first, before offering his take. He never hesitated in being honest about any matter with so many quotes, from the Bible to books by great writers. I miss him deeply. His sense of humour was very high. I miss him so much. Life is different without him, but I am grateful I got to call him my dad.
To My Admirable Grandad – Ugwumsinachi Osuji (Granddaughter)
Grandpa was a very great man, and with the time we spent together, I learnt a lot from him and admired him. He was disciplined. I remember there was a time Grandpa was sick and stayed in my father’s house for a while. He had three bottles of 7-Up in case his blood sugar was low. If it were me, I would have drunk it in two or three days, but he only took a sip when his blood sugar was sincerely low.
Grandpa also encouraged me a lot, like when I told him I wanted to be an architect. He told me that I was a brilliant girl and would be successful. He even told me stories based on architecture. His neatness cannot be described with words. Everything was always in place. He was a man of principles.
During the time he stayed with us he would not fail to pray before every meal. He would pray not only for himself, but for the destitute and the preparer of the meal.
He was a man who would identify problems, speak up about them and proffer solutions. Indeed, my grandfather was a great man, and I would imbibe his amazing qualities in both schoolwork and my future career.
For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0909 041 9057; [email protected]