His Royal Highness Christian Otobotekere
Prof Roland, Dr Irene, Mr Osagie, Miss Victory, and Miss Isabella Uhunmwangho. Tribute
A GREAT FATHER. AN ACCOUNTANT AND A POET-KING
Oh! My Daddy! My Daddy! My great Daddy. You were both a father and a mother. A few years ago, the thought came to me that my Daddy could not die. I said yes, my Daddy cannot die. Indeed, Daddy is too good to pass. Then I held my peace.
Reality struck, and I got a phone call that we had lost Daddy. My heart was ruffled; which Daddy? My great, loving, and caring Daddy had gone. My family and I visited you in Abuja; little did we know that it would be the last Christmas we would spend with you.
My memories of you are always sweet and pleasant. The visits with you to the boat club, the sailings to bar beach and Isaka, Sunday outings after church, precisely, Christ Church, the Saturday guava hunting and the four o’clock business, among others. Your time at our home a year ago has also been memorable, especially at the Pleasure Park and Golf Course.
The Shell BP residential environment we grew up in because of your hard work made us mentally strong. I remember our outings at the Golf Club/Golf Course in Shell. The weekly Friday children’s cinema at the Shell Club and the swimming lessons/competitions at the Shell Club Swimming Pool.
You were among the first blacks to work in the then-Shell BP. Your honesty and attention to detail gained you honour, promotion and admiration among your peers in Shell. Your children were included. Some of your Sons-In-law call your daughters *”Shell girls”*
Your dedication and determination for success made you very rich. You were rich in virtue, conduct, relationship, parenting, and godly discipline. You had a rich Christian heritage; hence you were named Christian. Your grandfather, our great-grandfather, brought Christianity to the Tombia community. You also had some personal prophetic encounters about the development of Tombia.
Daddy, you had a wealthy mindset, for everyone around you become your brothers, sisters and children despite race or tribe. Hence you taught us to “Live two lives”, one for our neighbours and one for ourselves, being one of the titles of your books. Thus, you were the epitome of peace and unity.
We had a taste of royalty because you were a King. You were a great philanthropist. You were an educationist and impacted many young lives through your Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools. You were a talented Poet though an Economist by training and an Accountant by profession.
To use accounting terminologies to describe your lifestyle, we say that You always had a surplus budget, a positive balance in your statement of financial performance, and a net surplus in your statement of financial position. You reported outstanding profits because you lived a life of contentment.
You are living, for God is not the God of the dead but of the living. You lived a God-fearing life on Earth. You have only transited to a higher form of life in the heavens.
Daddy, indeed, you had a heart of gold.
Thank you for leaving such a legacy and heritage for us.
Adieu, Daddy, we miss you, but you will always live in our hearts until we meet again on the morning of the resurrection.
Prof Roland, Dr Irene, Mr Osagie, Miss Victory, and Miss Isabella Uhunmwangho
Daddy with Dr Mrs Irene Uhunmwangho and children – Osagie and Victory with Daddy at Tombia, August 2022.