Special Tribute to Late Hon. John Abah

Yann Martel, in his work “Life of Pi” made this wonderful remark, “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance and gloom is just a passing shadow of a cloud.” The above assertion rightly encapsulates the entire experience of man and exposes the vulnerability of his existence as a mighty valor that is utterly helpless at every encounter with the ultimate end, death.

It is therefore with heavy hearts and in total submission to the will of the Almighty God, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, that i received with a rude shock, the news of the transition of our colleague, a dynamic leader, a philanthropist of note and an elder statesman, Late Honorable Deacon John Abah.
Honorable John Abah was a rare gem who championed a healthy legislative relationship between the members of the Kogi State House of Assembly, and has always been a pillar of peace and conflict resolution. He stood gallantly to ensure that there was peace between the legislators and executive arm in all ramifications. His wealth of experience as an elder statesman, a philantrophy, a religious leader and a father has been one of the ingredients of our success.

Late Honorable John Abah has always tutored me like his son. He was the man who first took my nomination before the house as Deputy Speaker and it was unanimously adopted before I was made the number two man of the KGHA. He was everything to me and members from the Kogi East extraction and yet he acted like he was nobody. His actions in humility did not in anyway place him at disadvantage as far as human characterisation is concerned.

According to Yevgeny Zamyatin, “A man is like a novel: until the very last page you don’t know how it will end. Otherwise it wouldn’t even be worth reading.” Indeed, we can unequivocally assert that, the novel “Deacon John Abah” though very brief, was a worthwhile. Yes, he came, he saw and he conquered so much within a space of five years as a legislator representing the good people of Ibaji State constituency.

Elder, as we fondly call you, we would have loved to have you around as our worthy ambassador and detribalised political colossus, but He who has all power to stop the transition to eternity ab initio, has allowed it, and we just have to submit utterly to His infinite wisdom. Our strength to absolve this saddened event lies in the words of Bertolt Brecht, “Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life” and Ernest Hemingway who says,  “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”

My heart and prayers go out to your family, the people of Ibaji State constituency and Kogi East.

We will miss you.
Goodbye Elder.

Signed;
Rt. Hon. Ahmed Mohammed
Deputy Speaker