MY DAD DEPARTS
Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 10:27 pm
Hello Cybereagles Family,
It is with a heavy heart I announce the passing of my Dad a couple of days ago. A man of distinction and integrity, he left a reputation that we, the children, will find hard to match. Many developmental projects in my community were spear-headed by him. He was exemplary in so many ways and was selfless to a fault. I've lost count of the many times total strangers have walked up to me or introduced themselves as beneficiaries of his largesse even though I don't consider him wealthy. Many "cousins" passed through our home as students of various institutions, and I only knew later that we were not even related. I even ran into a Professor at a college in Oklahoma who confessed that my Dad was responsible for his scholarship throughout secondary school and eventually sent him to the US. A Christian, an Elder of the Lutheran Church , and a High Chief of my hometown, I am privileged to be addressed as his son. The relevance to Cybereagles is because he introduced me to football. He played for several years as a midfielder with the defunct NTC Ibadan Football team in the early 1960s, and since I was a toddler, we have watched hundreds of football matches together(along with my brothers and sister). Of course he bought me my first ball. His love for Brazilian football was unmatched, and it is no surprise his favorite player was the great Garrincha of Brazil. Unsurprisingly, we adopted that as his nickname, and it stuck over the years. In fact, anytime Brazil played Nigeria, that was the only time he cheered for the opponent. He believed the Brazilians played the game the right way with the right technique. As we mourn him ,we also celebrate his many achievements, his legacies and the undoubted influence he's had on his children, grandchildren, church and community. Gentlemen, please join me in applauding the life of our own legendary Garrincha, my great Dad- the Senior Obong.
It is with a heavy heart I announce the passing of my Dad a couple of days ago. A man of distinction and integrity, he left a reputation that we, the children, will find hard to match. Many developmental projects in my community were spear-headed by him. He was exemplary in so many ways and was selfless to a fault. I've lost count of the many times total strangers have walked up to me or introduced themselves as beneficiaries of his largesse even though I don't consider him wealthy. Many "cousins" passed through our home as students of various institutions, and I only knew later that we were not even related. I even ran into a Professor at a college in Oklahoma who confessed that my Dad was responsible for his scholarship throughout secondary school and eventually sent him to the US. A Christian, an Elder of the Lutheran Church , and a High Chief of my hometown, I am privileged to be addressed as his son. The relevance to Cybereagles is because he introduced me to football. He played for several years as a midfielder with the defunct NTC Ibadan Football team in the early 1960s, and since I was a toddler, we have watched hundreds of football matches together(along with my brothers and sister). Of course he bought me my first ball. His love for Brazilian football was unmatched, and it is no surprise his favorite player was the great Garrincha of Brazil. Unsurprisingly, we adopted that as his nickname, and it stuck over the years. In fact, anytime Brazil played Nigeria, that was the only time he cheered for the opponent. He believed the Brazilians played the game the right way with the right technique. As we mourn him ,we also celebrate his many achievements, his legacies and the undoubted influence he's had on his children, grandchildren, church and community. Gentlemen, please join me in applauding the life of our own legendary Garrincha, my great Dad- the Senior Obong.
