Celebrating Odionwere B.O. Eboigbe – Even In Death, He Lives

The headline, ‘Celebrating Odionwere B.O. Eboigbe – Even In Death, He Lives’, is not an error. Yes; our father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend has gone to the great beyond, but he continues to live in the hearts of all of us who knew him or heard of him and for several reasons.

Born on 17^th October 1930 in Orhua Town in Irhue Clan, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, my Uncle, Pa Boniface Omoregie Eboigbe can be said to have lived a full life before he died on Tuesday 18^th January 2022. Nonagenarians are fast becoming rare in our land because of the very poor standard of living which has reduced the national life expectancy.

When Pa Boniface Eboigbe, a pastor, was to be installed as Odionwere of our quarter, Ubanran, on Tuesday May 18, 2021 and then as, according to available records, the 28^th Odionwere of the full Orhua Town on Thursday June 3, 2021, I had planned to publish a fitting tribute to celebrate him and his contributions to the pride of The Eboigbe family, on attaining the enviable position, which he seemed quite happy with. I tried to recollect our relationship, my knowledge of the type of person he had been to me and to others as well as the several unrecorded discussions we have had, both physically and over the telephone.

However, all the things I was to write about him last year, I did not put pen to paper. Now, it is in his death that I am attempting to celebrate him. I do not think I have been as sad as this with someone’s death in a long while. He kept asking me when I will come to Benin so he can arrange an Eboigbe Family reunion to let everyone know each other. Now, unfortunately, he cannot. And I have been very, very unhappy that I did not help him actualize that project.

We all know that God has a plan for everyone and it is okay to say my uncle lived a long life – achieving way above the span of our life which the Psalmist gave as three score years plus ten. He even went past the 80 for those who are strong and also shot past 90 for those who are said to be stubborn to hold on to life in this sinful world. But many of us wished he had lived longer because he was such a strong person with a big and lively heart.

I still keep hearing his voice over the phone, as he hails me: “Ogie, Son of the living God. Do do ooo!” He usually initiates the phone calls. If you send him just N5,000, he will call and pray for you for so long over the phone that even you will be feeling bad that the credit he is using may consume the little money you sent.

I was a young boy of 9 in 1963 when I was ‘detailed’ by my father, his elder brother, late Pa Dennis Uwadiae Eboigbe, to live with Brother Boniface, who had just completed his teacher training course at the Teachers Training College, Abudu in today’s Edo State. My father and indeed the family felt I was too rascally and stubborn and it was only ‘Teacher’ that could ensure I grew up a disciplined boy. My mother, late Iye Odeh Aghedo and some other women protested my ‘deployment’ because they felt Bro. Boniface was too strict and he was an ‘Urhiegun’, one who does not eat pounded yam and who ate beans all the time, and they maintained that I could not cope. In truth, I hated beans those early days because it always gave me diarrhea. Their protest did not work, however, and ‘Teacher’ taught me to cook and eat beans and also imparted his ‘Urhiegunism’ to me, because I then did not like to eat pounded yam anymore!

We were first posted to St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) School, Ugonoba where I was baptized into the Catholic Church the same year by late Rev. Fr. Vincent Obudu. ‘Teacher’ was later posted to the primary school at Ugoneki but we continued to reside at Ugonoba and he would ride daily by bicycle to his new post. We were later transferred to Benin Divisional Council, BDC School, Obadan, where I finished in Primary 6 and sat for the Common Entrance Examination in 1966.  Of course I enjoyed my role and place as ‘Teacher’s Boy’ which came with some perks from the villagers, as well as his fellow teachers and my fellow pupils.

Earlier in 1966 before I left him in Obadan, our Brother Boniface (We did not call anybody ‘Uncle’ those days in Benin – a senior relative was ‘Brother’) got married to his wife, Roseline, at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Mission Road, Benin City on 22^nd January of that year and it was my proud duty to play the role of page boy and ring bearer on the auspicious occasion – the first formal wedding I ever attended.

Popularly called ‘BO’ by his brothers, friends, colleagues and relatives, his dedication, discipline and focus were legendary and he had little time or sympathy for laziness and pranks. As the most educated of all his siblings, (Only his younger sister Felicia Imayuse is alive today out of the 7) he was much regarded, providing his experience and advice for the good of family, friends and others, especially in his later years. As a detribalized Nigerian, he had friends from far and wide and although apolitical, he was not too pleased with the way senior citizens did not receive befitting respect and rewards from governments for their service to the nation, as things turned south these last years.

He had started writing his autobiography and had already hand-written three notebooks when he passed on. However, being a consummate writer as some teachers of his generation seemed to be, Pa BO has written something that we hope to publish someday, so that the children and the whole humanity will follow the path he trod, even if it is just by reading and enjoying his stories and also learning from his experience. It is spiced with lots of internal and hearty free-flowing prose. What a better way to tell his life’s story – having people hear it directly from the horse’s mouth! Although he had not gone very far, whatever he wrote is enough for his children to offer to family, friends and well-wishers about the early life and times of their late father. Pa BO’s story, as told by him and in his old words, starts right from the beginning, by tracing his birth, family relationships, including parents, grandparents and siblings, early education, God and humanity. As expected of someone like him, he has given us a farewell gift to remember him by.

As we mourn the passing to eternal glory of our dear Father, Brother, Uncle and friend, Pastor Boniface Omoregie Eboigbe, the ‘Main Man’ and head of The Eboigbe Family and the Odionwere of Orhua, we fondly remember a man who was gentle to a fault, but who did not fail to stand up to be counted for good and for the truth.

Good night, Our Odionwere! Uncle BO!! May your soul rest in peace. Amen!

 Epa Ogie Eboigbe, veteran journalist, broadcaster and public affairs specialist, writes on, and analyses current and historical issues with a ‘wise pen’.