By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi

When she came to the premises of the Bauchi Radio Corporation, BRC, on August 6, 2014 to carry out her usual official duties of the day, there was no premonition that it would be her last day on earth.

So it came as a shock when Esther Ali, a journarlist and staff of the BRC died as result of what was described as cardiac arrest at the emergency ward of a private hospital in Bauchi even as medical doctors battled for several hours to save her life.

Vanguard Metro, VM, gathered that on the fateful day, the deceased, who was off duty, went to the office to see her colleagues and collect the news programme for the following day, but unfortunately she never lived to return to work.

Esther who was described as a jovial and easy-going person interacted with everyone she met at the office and headed straight to her sister’s house in Bayara village, where she had the attack.

According to her younger sister, Mrs Namirhyel Malishah, the late Esther returned from work as usual and came to her house to have dinner with the family. “When she returned from work that day, she came straight to our house to have dinner with us. She then requested for cow leg pepper soup which is her favourite. When I served her the pepper soup, she just took one spoon and shouted that her head was aching. Before I could say anything, she started convulsing and fell to the ground.

“I was confused, so I called my husband who was in our neighbour’s house. He rushed quickly  to get his car key and we headed straight to a private hospital close to the house. When we got to the hospital, the doctor who attended to us, examined her and told us that she had given up the ghost. It was a shocking experience for the entire family and we are finding it hard to come to terms with her sudden death,” she narrated amidst tears.

When VM visited the family at Bayara village during  the wake keeping ceremony, relatives, friends and colleagues could not help but express their pain and grief.

The 44-year-old Esther was said to have served humanity in different capacities, including as the treasurer of the  Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ (2001-2003 and 2012-2013), state committee chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC(2002-2006), Vice Chairman of Bura Community Association, amongst other positions.

One of her close  colleagues, Mrs Shaba  Ibrahim, told VM at the BRC thus: “On the fateful day Esther died, she came to the office, though she was not on duty. I asked her why she came to work, but she told me she came to collect the evening programme from a colleague in the office. Then she kept talking about the demise of the Managing Director of BRC, who passed a away few days ago. She then said that she had a health challenge which she was battling with and laughed over it. She looked hale and hearty, but it never occurred to me it was going to be my last time with her”.

Esther’s senior brother who is an army officer, Col. John Mshehza Ali, recalled the last conversation he had with his sister before her death. He said: “A week before my sister’s death, she called me to congratulate me on my forthcoming passing out graduation ceremony from the Nigeria Army Defense Academy as a Brigadier-General. She talked about how we were going to celebrate it in a grand style,but unfortunately she never lived to see that day”.

Col. John Ali testified how she overcame a health challenge five years ago that almost claimed her life. He said it was a  miracle that she survived the sickness and felt “there is no reason for anybody to mourn because my late sister has finished the assignment God has for her on earth.”