By Onochie Anibeze
“My daughter, Tochukwu, says every time that her dad is just sleeping. She finds it difficult to believe that daddy is gone.

Late Uche Okafor

During the Christian Wake in Dallas, she made a powerful and emotional speech that made people to shed tears. When they brought him, she fondled with the tie he was wearing. It was a tie she bought for the dad as Christmas gift.

Uche was still waiting for the day he would wear the tie until death came and he was now wearing it in death. But Tochukwu is still waiting for him to get up and smile.”My daddy is just sleeping”, she muttered.

These were the words of Ifeyinwa Okafor yesterday in Owerri. She is Uche’s widow.

Today, the reality of death will stare all including Tochukwu on the face when Uche is committed to mother earth.

The final journey on earth of this great ex international begins this morning at the Dan Anyiam Stadium when he will lie_in_state for all especially the sports family to pay him last respect.

Shortly after this will be a football match between ex Super Eagles and Imo All Stars. The remains of the fallen star will then move to Ubomiri for funeral mass at St Mary Catholic Church. Internment will follow after tributes would have been made.

“The Governor of our state has a tribute. The entire state and Nigeria are mourning but this is time to honour our hero,” commissioner of sports in Imo State Ngozi Anyikwa said.

Uche is being given national burial going by the representation of state and federal governments.
Uche was murdered in his Dallas home January 6 and hung in his house to give the impression that he hanged himself.

The police and medical examiner were to rule suicide out and said investigations were ongoHis widow continued to pay tribute to his virtues yesterday, apparently wondering why anyone would murder him.

“Tochukwu told the gathering in Dallas that her father could not even kill a fly what more killing himself.

And that was a sharp observation because when a fly came, if for example I’m making Onugbu soup, rather than kill it with insecticide or anything, Uche would open the door or window to let it fly away. He was a great husband.

He was slow to anger. He understood that he didn’t have to understand me. When something was important to me he made it important to himself. He never spent time seeking his own comfort only. I can only thank him for all the ways he cared and supported our family and all the happiness he brought to my life.”

Uche started football at Holy Ghost College, Owerri with his elder brother Chidi who starred as the goal keeper while he played as a defender, a position he played so well for Nigerian, playing all the matches during the Tunisia 94 Nations Cup that Nigeria won.

“He was my boy. I gave him the limelight and he learned well and succeeded as a professional,” Patrick Ekeji, himself a product of Holy Ghost College said.

It will be all tears today when Uche goes home and the lovely 16 year old daughter may.