Dimgba Igwe: Tears, tributes as Entertainment Express Associate Publisher, Dimgba Igwe is buried in Igbere...Eminent Nigerians eulogise him

Igwe's widow and his four children at the burial

It was tears and tributes galore in the sleepy town of Igbere in Bende LGA of Abia State on Saturday, October 11, as the remains of the Associate Publisher of Entertainment Express and Sunday Express Newspapers Limited, Pastor Dimg­ba Igwe were laid to rest at his palatial Okafia coun­try home.

The late media icon and administrator par excellence died in the morning of September 6, after a hit-and-run driv­er of a Toyota Camry car knocked him down as he was jogging along a road in his Okota, Lagos neigh­bourhood.

As early as 9:a.m, the remains of Igwe who was also the deputy general overseer of the Evangel Pentecostal Church, Nige­ria carried by Apams funeral undertakers arrived at his country home for lying-in-state amid wailings and unending tears.

 Upon arrival at his compound, the corpse was moved straight to the deceased chapel situated in the vast edifice for the lying-in state. It was later taken to Ezi Igbere Primary School Okafia for the solemn funeral service.

In an emotion-laden trib­ute, the Chairman of The Sun Publishing Limited and former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu said the death of Igwe was devastating and very painful to him.

“My heart will not allow me to talk about Dimgba Igwe; my brother, friend, colleague and distin­guished son of Igbere com­munity,” Kalu said.

The former governor noted that the late Igwe contributed immensely to the development of The Sun Newspapers, saying that “today, The Sun is shining in every corner of the country.”

He recalled how when he mooted the idea of setting up a newspaper that would stand the test of time, that it was the late Igwe and his ‘twin’ brother, Mike Awoy­infa who came up with the publication that people are proud of today.

“When I needed some­one who would be my deputy on the Board, I ap­proached Igwe and Mike and the later promptly nominated the former and I accepted that without hesi­tation.

“During our next Board meeting, I appointed Igwe vice chairman and be­cause of my not staying in a place, Igwe was the one doing the job, I am only a nominal chairman and that is why his death is more painful to me.”

Kalu said that when he got wind of Igwe’s acci­dent, he made contacts on how he would be brought to London for treatment only to be told when he called back that Igwe had died.

Also speaking, Abia State Governor, Chief T.A. Orji said it was always painful when death took a good man or woman, par­ticularly through an inci­dent that could have been prevented.

The governor who was represented by his Special Adviser, Mr. Ifeanyi Ig­boko praised the virtues of Igwe who he said served well as a journalist and pas­tor of a church, saying that Abia had lost a great son.

The governor prayed that God should accept his soul in eternity.

Similarly, Anambra State Governor, Chief Wil­lie Obiano described Igwe as a hardworking man who lived for two purposes, his journalism profession and God.

Obiano who was repre­sented at the funeral ser­vice by the state Commis­sioner for Information and Culture and former MD of The Sun, Chief Tony Onyima said Igwe pursued and ensured that profes­sionalism was enthroned in journalism.

His soul mate and Publisher of Entertainment Express, Mr. Mike Awoyinfa, also a former MD of The Sun, who was moved to tears as he spoke said that he was sorry that Igwe died while he was away, saying if he were to be around, proba­bly he would have saved him.

He recounted how Igwe saved his life on two occasions and how their friendship of over 30 years was abruptly cut short by an evil reckless driver.

He promised to keep the dreams of Igwe alive so long as he lived.

Awoyinfa who wept pro­fusely as he spoke said he would miss Igwe who was called his twin brother.

He promised the Igwe family to always be with them and deliver to them whatever that accrued from their numerous business dealings.

Also in his tribute, Ig­we’s elder brother, Prince Hanson Igwe said that nev­er in his wildest dream did he believe that he would be the one burying him and paying him tribute.

“I am your elder brother and it should be the other way round, but no one questions what the Al­mighty creator has decreed.

“Dimgba, I have tried to rationalize your death but I still can’t explain why this dreadful thing happened to you, at this time when you are needed most, by your country, your family, your readers, your church members and the world at large,” he lamented.

He said as Igwe was bur­ied he took comfort that he had served God and hu­manity faithfully, saying “it is painful, but I am con­soled by the fact you died a noble death, even though you died at a wrong time, a time when you were about to reap the fruit of your hard labour.”

In his thought provoking sermon, the General Overseer of Kingdom For­tress Ministries, Enugu, Pastor Emeka Onyebuchi said Igwe’s death had giv­en an opportunity to preach the word of God in a differ­ent way.

Pastor Onyebuchi de­scribed the deceased as a man who had double en­gine in that he was an icon in his chosen profession of journalism who did not put money first in all he did; and he was a fisher of men for God, a work, he noted that Igwe did with every strength in his body.

Onyebuchi said Igwe lived a good life, fought a good fight and finished the race and that he surely was going to get the reward reserved for those who served God diligently.

Reminding the living that the mercy of God lasted while they were still alive, Pastor Onyebuchi said im­mediately death knocked, that mercy was over and he urged all to turn to the ways of the Lord.

At about 3.p.m the corpse of Igwe was taken to his home for interment.

His grieving wife, four children and few others performed the dust-to-dust rites amid uncontrollable tears.

Among the dignitaries who attend­ed the funeral were: former Minister of State FCT, Chief Chika Odum; Elder Ekeoma E. Ekeoma, CEO, Nepal Oil and Gas, Alhaji Semiu Okanlawon who represented the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Chief Mascot Orji Uzor Kalu; The Sun MD and President of Ni­gerian Guild of Editors, Mr Femi Adesina; The Sun Ghana MD, Mr. Shola Oshunkeye; ED Corporate Services of The Sun, Mr. Steve Nwosu; The Sun ED Special Duties, Mr Bolaji Tunji; Editor Dai­ly, The Sun, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh and Editor, Entertainment Express and Sunday Express, Mr. Azuh Amatus

Others were the Gen­eral Overseer of Evangel Pentecostal Church Nige­ria, Maj-Gen. Paul Toun (retd); Bishop Humphrey Erumaka of Wordbase As­sembly; former Abia Com­missioner for Information, Elder Ralph Egbu, among others.

Secretary to the Govern­ment of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, for­mer governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi and many more dignitaries were represented at the fu­neral.

Meanwhile, a service of songs held a day before the burial, Friday, October 10, at the deceased home. Speakers at the somber gathering all hailed the good deeds of Igwe, whom they all described as a father and cheerful giver.