AN EULOGY PRESENTED BY THE LEADERSHIP OF IMO SATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (IMSUAA) ON THE BURIAL OF LATE KELECHI JULIAN OPARAH(NDA KELE) THIS DAY 2ND OF SEPTEMBER, 2020
Dear Great Imo Stars and fellow mourners,
We are at this time gathered for one of those solemn purposes imposed on us by the common lot of our nature; we are gathered to mark the vestiges and recount the triumphs of death ever have been, and ever will be, the mournful business of mortals. Of course, in consequence of that eternal, universal destiny, from where man in vain pleads exemption, we now deplore a loss, too painful, too recent to need the powers of recollection, and too deeply penciled on the tablets in our bosoms, to have its colourings heightened by the dashes of imagination. Ambassador Kelechi Julian Opara (Nda Kele), our distinguished Alumni relationship Ambassador; our colleague and our brother, our dependable morning friend, and our evening companion, where is he?
We are all here
because somewhere somehow, we have all been touched by this unique and special
gift of God to mankind. He impacted positively on humanity within the
relatively short time he spent on earth. May be, he may have finished his
assignment on the planet earth to the Glory of God his creator.
NDA KELE sits
not within these gathering; his countenance cheers not the speaker. He is seen
or heard no more in our Alumni platforms! We approached his facebook page, but
no voice bids us welcome! Desolate, it is a sad remembrance of our loss. Where
then shall we seek for him? In the bank halls politely and friendly attending
to his numerous customers! Shall we find
him exchanging pleasantries with friends and colleagues during our Alumni
conventions and meetings? Alas! His mentees, friends and colleagues are no more
to feel the warmth of his hand! He has gone, and we see him not again! All of him
that was mortal now lies in this coffin ready for the yonder cemetery.
‘He seeks the land that no disturbance known
Where the faint slumber, and the tired repose;
Where none at partial fortune can repine, for slave and master on one couch recline;
Where heroes’ vanity and monarchs’ pride are humble as the beggar at their side;
Where death impartial spreads a gloom profound, and right, and peace and silence reign around.’
This day
today, obviously is a hard one for us all in IMSUAA. It is so much easier to
mourn in silence- it takes away the worry of not being able to get your words
out, or even just simply getting the right words out. But silence or not, one
thing which we sure we all appreciate today, is being here all together,
sharing in each other’s silence, sharing in each other’s moments of thought for
our fallen Nda Kele, who we all loved as our Relationship Ambassador, a
peaceful man, our colleague, our brother and our dependable friend and ally.
We will all have our own personal and special memories, of the mark he left in
our hearts, in our lives and it is very hard for us today to be here, hearing our
own thoughts out loud, trying our best to focus on the happiest times Late Nda
Kele brought us, rather than the fact that he is no longer here with us today.
We may be certain of two things though. He would have wanted us all to
be here today with our happiest thoughts of our times spent together and
secondly….he is still here with us, very strongly in spirit.
Late Kelechi Julian Oparah was such a strong person, from character,
personality and presence. He was a highly valued and respected member
of our great Alumni Association and the effects of his death are already being
felt here by all of us, especially in this challenging time in the life of the
Alumni Association. He was a great IMO STAR and a friend who understood the
meaning of the word ‘friend’. He was a committed member of the association and worked extremely hard to
ensure to her growth and development. No wonder the Global leadership of the
IMSUAA honoured and decorated him as one of the ALUMNI RELATIONSHIP AMASSADORS.
We are humbled by his high sense of duty, humility and commitment to our alumni
activities. His wealth of experience are worthy of emulation.
His forthrightness, kindness and compassion to everyone are very exceptional. He will be greatly missed and every one of us is saddened by his sudden death.
Make no mistakes! It is not our business elaborately to eulogize, nor our wish to emblazon the memory of the dead with the glare of applause. To those who knew our departed friend, panegyrics were insipid; to those who knew him not, it might appear vain. Suffice it to say, that his acquaintances recognized, in his person, the devout Christian and scholar; in the commerce of life, free and affable; in the walks of literature, inquisitive and sagacious; in the truths of religion, firm and inflexible looking forward to the high and exalted merit of serving his country and his God.
Our friend, therefore, has only trodden the path that all must pursue. he has entered the innermost of the temple of eternity, and left us treading in the vestibule. With the reflection, then, that we soon must follow him, let us resign him into the hands of his Maker. But let us not bury his good examples with his body. May his virtues ever live in our daily activities, as his memory ever must in our minds.
Finally, for his wife and her children, be consoled by the fact that:
Death
is not the end,
the love you shared with one another goes on
and you will find the evidence
long after he has gone.
The flowers that you both planted
will blossom without end,
you’ll find them in their beauty
as to their needs you tend.
The books you read together,
the laughter in the pages,
will continue to give pleasure
to you throughout the ages.
So do not mourn his passing
you are not left alone,
you’ll always find him waiting
in the places you both have known.
The bond that grew between you
will not abate with time,
it will go on for always,
he’s yours and you’re his own
Bid him farewell for now!
We love and
miss you Dear Nda Kele, past, present and future.
we pray that our loving and ever merciful God Almighty forgive all your
shortcomings while on earth and grant you peaceful repose in His bosom, Amen.
Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano Anayo C. Uhiara, PhD
National President National Secretary