The minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and his Women Affairs counterpart, Paulen Tallen, at the weekend, attended the mass and wake-keep organised to honour late Mrs Augustina Okechukwu, the wife of the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu.
The commendation mass and wake-keep was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Friday.
In a written tribute to his late wife, the VON DG described her as “My organizer, a creative entrepreneur, who delved into various businesses such as horticulture, international trade, bakery, catering and real estate.”
Okechukwu recalled how she propelled him to move from where he was squatting with a friend to get a place of his own when it was time to get married, not minding the fact that it was a move from a comfortable place in Abuja’s city centre to a “Village “ on the outskirts without basic amenities.
The Associate Priest of the church, Rev. Fr. Matthew Onyilo, in his sermon during the mass, remembered the late Tina as she was fondly called by friends and close family members as a very active member of the Catholic Women’s Fellowship of the church.
Rev.Fr. Onyilo enjoined all to always remember that they will be required to give account of how they lived their lives here on earth and how they impacted on humanity.
“Our activities here on earth will determine where our home will be in the hereafter. Remember, Jesus said when I was hungry you gave me to eat, when I was thirsty, you gave me to drink….
“Ask yourself, am I here because I am good? Am I here because I am bad? Every day we are here (on earth), we should take it as an opportunity to do good and live right,” he said.
The priest implored the Okechukwu family to take solace in the fact that their late mother and wife lived an exemplary life.