SATURDAY BREAKFAST with TONY OKOROJI
Today, in Ogbor Ugiri, Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, the Akujuo family, their friends and in-laws, from far and wide, and from home and abroad, will lay to rest and say a befitting “fare well” to a remarkable man, the husband of my elder sister, Dorothy, and patriarch of the Akujuo family, Nze Ambrose Alisi Akujuo.
How would I have known on December 20, 2024, as I struggled to get my cherished brother-in-law, the great “Tripple A”, on board a flight to Owerri, that it would be his last flight home.
Of course, he was with his wife, my darling elder sister, Lolo Dorothy Akujuo, (nee Okoroji).
Anybody who knows me and my sister, knows that we have a special relationship. We are connected by a distinct bond that is unbreakable. That bond ultimately extended to her husband, Ambrose, who did not just become my brother-in-law but my cherished elder brother.
The bond with my sister did not start yesterday or the day before. For much of my life, my sister has been my mother and my teacher. Because my sister is very cerebral, we can talk for hours on end on every subject under the sun, into the night, and continue the next day!
Did I say that my sister has been my mother and my teacher? Yes! Even when our mother was alive, despite my love and affection for that exceptionally beautiful woman, I spent several years living with my sister who as a young teacher in the employ of our local government, was posted from school to school in the towns and villages around Ikeduru, our LGA.
Till today, I call her “Miss” because she actually became my teacher in primary school. She trained me. Please blame her for any bad grammar that I speak and any stupid things that I do. I guess it will be fair to give her some credit for the few good things I may have done.
I have never lived in the United States but I have been to America more times than I can count. It used to be that I stayed in hotels whenever I came to America because I did not want to bother anyone. I was then warned that with family, it is my duty to bother everyone. So, anytime I was in the Washington/Maryland area, I stayed with my brother, Iyke and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. When I am in New York, I stayed with my sister, Louisa and her husband, John and they were always gracious to me.
As we grew older, my “home” in New York City shifted to Queens Village where my sister, “Miss”, and her husband, the “Tripple A”, Nze Ambrose Alisi Akujuo lived. At this time, their four children, Uchenna, Uzoma, Adanna and Chidi, had left home for their different hustles and there was more space in the house for my ubiquitous suitcases and laptops.
So, I found myself spending a lot of time with Nze Akujuo and we watched a lot of sports together on TV, cheered and screamed together. It is difficult to remember how many tennis matches involving Venus and Serena Williams we watched together. He would shout “Nkupu!’, when there was a smash that thrilled him. We, in fact, promised to go together to watch a live tennis match of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, something he enjoyed on his own, without me!
Of course, he introduced me to the world of Judge Judy, the all-knowing US Reality TV Judge, who had an answer to every case and quarrel, brought before her. Oh, my brother-in-law loved Judge Judy!
I guess it was expected that any time my brother-in-law or his wife arrived Nigeria, I would reciprocate the hospitality I enjoyed in New York. It therefore was my great pleasure to roll out the “red carpet” for them each time they came to town. I enjoyed showing them off to my friends and staff. As their home in New York City was my home, my home in Lagos also became their home.
On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, my sister and her husband arrived Lagos on Delta Airline Flight DL 298 from New York. I was at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and made sure I pulled every string I could to ensure that they had a seamless check out. We spent three beautiful days together.
The instructions to “Mama Gbenga”, my house keeper, and chef, was to provide them with every culinary delight she could envision. She did. The evening before they departed to Owerri, the “Tripple A” asked for a “good” haircut. He was given a “good” haircut by Abey, my dear driver of 15 years, who is also my barber.
Friday, December 20, 2024, we were at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. It was five days to Christmas and the airport was extremely rowdy with passengers with all manner of luggage everywhere. After a big struggle, I managed to check them into Air Peace Flight P47160 headed for Owerri.
I was supposed to join them in Owerri a few days later but had to abort my trip at the last minute as I had to deal with a sudden ailment that landed me on a hospital bed.
Monday January 6, 2025, I had just had my bath and was waiting for the time to go to the airport to receive Nze Ambrose Akujuo and his wife, scheduled to arrive Lagos on Air Peace Flight P47153 from Owerri and proceed back to New York, two days after. I had indeed called my people at Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri to do whatever they could to ensure that my brother-in-law and my beloved sister had a smooth check in on the flight.
Suddenly, there was this ominous call from Adaora, the wife of Romanus, Nze’s younger brother who was taking care of them in their home in Owerri. She said to me: “Uncle Tony, I have tried to wake him up so he can get ready for the airport. He will not wake up”. I asked her to get a doctor quickly. What happened is now well known.
I believe that he passed on, in his own home in Owerri, at the time of his choosing, a happy man. A man who spent his life lifting so many people up, did not want to become a burden at the end. I had no idea that as I checked him into Air Peace Flight P47160 for Owerri on December 20, 2024, and said bye, I was saying bye for the last time. For a man who had flown around the world many times, Air Peace Flight P47160 was his last flight, a flight home. Of course, I will miss him badly. Can you imagine that we will not watch tennis together anymore?
Adieu my great brother-in-law and my big brother, the great Nze “Tripple A”!
Bye – bye.
To my readers: Do not forget that the master-blaster COSON Week 2025 is by the corner. May 25 is almost here. Are you ready?
See you next week.
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