By Akpokona Omafuaire

The popular saying that man proposes but God disposes cannot be truer when the heart rendering story of Mr. Etukpere Lucky Emumejakpor, the 36- year-old graduate of School of Health Technology, Ofuoma, who lost his two sons in a  night fire at Oroke  Estate, Ovwian in Udud Council Area of Delta State, in a mysterious way comes to mind.

Monday, December 30, 2013 will remain forever in the memory of  the family of the  graduate of public health seeking employment with Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSU), Oghara.
The day began with the Yuletide bubble as the family of seven drove in their family Audi 80 car to Urhodo-Idjerhe in Ethiope West Area to buy garri, which Mrs. Etukpere trades in.

Mr. Etukpere narrated  his sad story  to Sunday Vanguard  at Eku where he is taking refuge with his undergraduate younger brother. He started: “We happily celebrated Christmas together. We  bought clothes for the kids, we were in high spirit. My wife requested that I drive her to the market that fateful day, so we went with the kids.
”On returning  from the garri market at about 6pm, we had  little food left in the house, so I gave my wife money to go to Jigbale market in Ovwian to buy items to prepare soup. That was after she had prepared the last soup for me and the kids.

”My wife went to the market with my small daughter, my elder daughter went to play with our neighbours kids. At about to 8pm, there was electricity as we ate, but,  moments later, there was blackout, so I  put on my phone torch.
”After we finished eating, two of the kids went to sleep while the other of my sons sat on the chair. I decided to go and sit outside because of the heat inside leaving the phone with them. The door was opened, I only shut the door of the extension. I was pressed to go to the toilet, so i walk over to our toilet which is few metres away. ”

To my greatest surprise, what  I saw on my return was a big  fire in the house. I  rushed inside the fire and carried  my daughter, Blessing (8), and threw her outside. As I  made to go inside again, i collapsed and fainted due to the heat. I was rescued by my neighbours.” Mr. Etukpere paused  as he sobbed.
He continued: “I lost everything in that fire: My  two  sons, my certificates, my money, my wife’s savings, everything except my car which i usually parked at the Mobil filling station.”

Etukpere appealed to Delta State government to consider his application for employment at  DELSU to ease the disaster.
”I am looking up to the state government to consider my employment at the teaching hospital in Oghara. I need help after this disaster.

”I am putting up with my younger brother, Dockson Etukpere, an undergraduate at the Delta State University. I came from a poor background, I  have struggled all my life, i need help to overcome this calamity.” His wife, Mrs. Finegirl Etukpere, a native of Boboroku-Idjerhe, also told her story.

”We returned from Idjerhe that fateful day. So, after  preparing little food for the family, I dashed to  nearby Jigbale market.  I was still at  the market, when  a neighbour came to  tell me  that our home was on fire,”she said.
”What I saw I could not explain. I  saw people trying to revive my husband and a huge fire had taken over the  whole place. I started shouting, ‘my children, my children’. I  attempted to jump inside the fire but I was restrained. I am devasted. I  don’t know what to do, where to start. My sons are gone, I  cannot believe it.”

Mr. Etukpere Lucky Emumejakpor can be reached on his mobile phone:08133045665.