Late Pa Arthur Okorie Okowa

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

PUBLISHERS of Vanguard, Mr Sam Amuka, ThisDay, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and The Guardian, Mrs Maiden Ibru, Thursday, paid a condolence visit to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State over the demise of his father, Chief Arthur Okorie Uzoma Okowa, describing him as a caring father who took interest in the education of his children.

Speaking during the visit at Government House Asaba, Prince Obaigbena said the Newspaper Publishers were in Asaba to extend their condolences to the Governor and his family on the glorious exit of their patriarch, adding that; “Pa Arthur Okowa was the last of the originals. And, as you can see, he has taken his children through the field of education.

“His son here, His Excellency Ifeanyi Okowa has gone to the best schools; from secondary school to the university, into being an accomplished Medical Doctor. Moreover, he brought him back to the community, from where he rose through the tutelage of politics. He was Secretary of Local Government Council, Local Government Chairman, Commissioner, Secretary to State Government, Senator before being Governor of Delta State.

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“That can only be a deliberate nurturing of a strategic mind. So,  here, Uncle Sam Amuka, an original serving Journalist, Maiden Ibru who hardly goes out; it shows that she holds Governor Okowa in great esteem. And, we’re here to share in his pain no matter how old Pa Okowa was. We thank God for his life, we thank God for the life of our Governor and his family.”

“We are here on a solemn ceremony to pay our condolence to the Governor of Delta State and to pay our last respect to one of the last of the originals, Pa Arthur Okorie Okowa. We have come with a strong delegation here to condole with you on this sad development and with pain in our hearts and smiles in our faces; we mourn with you”.

Publisher of the Vanguard, Mr Sam Amuka in his remarks, told the Governor and his family to be consoled by the good deeds of their beloved father, saying that the Publishers were with the family in thoughts and prayers thought out the mourning and burial period.

On her part, Mrs Ibru commended Gov. Okowa for the massive infrastructural upgrade in Asaba, the state capital, urging the Okowa family to be happy that their father left indelible footprints in their life.

Responding, Okowa thanked the Publishers who are all Deltans for the visit, adding that he was consoled by the love and attention shown to him and his family by friends and well-wishers.

Describing his late father as an accomplished teacher, politician of repute and an astute community leader who left indelible marks in the sands of time, he said; “let me register my appreciation to the gurus of newspaper publishing from our dear state. I truly must thank you and I appreciate this visit. We are very much encouraged for this visit knowing that its a visit by the high calibre of persons.

“Being a teacher, helped him to mould our lives at our very early age which helped us to grow our lives to what we are today. From the testimonies, we gathered we have been made to understand that he played much more role than we knew because of the many lives he touched.”

Vanguard News Nigeria