Dignitaries from all works of life on Saturday graced the funeral ceremony of the mother of Dr Atedo Peterside, Late Princess Patricia Gboloba Awune, at Abonnema in Akuku-toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The funeral ceremony, which took place at St. Paul’s Nyemoni Lutheran Cathedral in Abonnema was attended by Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the former governor of Rivers State and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi,
Also in attendance were Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun; former Cross River governor, Donald Duke; former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs, a former governorship candidate of Accord Party.
Also at the funeral programme were members of the organised private sector, especially Atedo’s colleagues in the banking sector. They included the Chairman of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, among others.
Rt. Rev Dr. Emmanuel Okwuchi Oko-Jaja, Lord Bishop Niger Delta Diocese in his sermon described Mama Patricia as “A committed Christian, a hardworking woman and a disciplinarian and we have evidence to prove this before the court.”
He said when he was informed of Mama’s passage, it was received with mixed feelings, adding that while he expressed sadness over death, his heart was filled with joy “because she lived long and lived meaningfully.”
He urged Christians to live their lives in preparation for the great beyond, saying, “When we live our life here on earth, we must make provision to understand death would happen one day. This issue of death, to a Christian, is a blessing.”
“Those that died in the Lord did not die but died to rise again. For our mother whom we had come to pay the last respect to honour, she laboured, she did her best, she served the Lord, that is the joy of today,” he added.
According to him, that the woman died physically doesn’t mean that she had died perpetually. She stated that her death “is the beginning to eternity.”
Atedo Peterside who gave the vote of thanks said the family was prepared for this day, pointing out his mother lived a fulfilling life bringing up the family together.
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