EMEKA OPARAH
Since his passing a couple of days ago, there’s been an outbreak of tributes lamenting his sudden death, reminiscing about his life and times and celebrating his legacy of excellence, service and friendship.
I met Mr. Oladipo a couple of times, but we weren’t friends in the strict sense of the word. We weren’t enemies either. And so, I’m pained like his family and friends on his obviously untimely and sudden demise. I’m human after all.
I pray that that fortitude will comfort his family and friends as well as his colleagues who have been badly wounded by his death.
I’m, however, wondering whether he was as widely celebrated while alive as he is being garlanded in death. It is typical in these parts to roll out the drums and shed tears, some crocodile, when someone passes away.
Unfortunately, we don’t do well with giving people their flowers while they can still receive and smell them but rather revel in an ironic “celebration of life” when they die. In some cases, we don’t check up on family and friends or even help with alleviating their afflictions when their health fails.
But we are all too ready to set up WhatsApp groups, pay for Asoebi and contribute money for funerals where we gather to wine and dine and dance and show off our achievements and reminisce about old times while the immediate bereaved family is still smarting from their loss-and the dead settling down on their new abode!
Anyway, from all I’ve been reading about Mr. Oladipo, he was a good man who lived a good life and must have run a good race.
Please let’s normalize checking on our family and friends because no one has an expiry date on his or her body. The call, the message, the visit, the lunch, dinner, drinks or coffee can be a moment to hold on to forever.
So I join his family and friends to pray that almighty God grants him residence in paradise. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾