*"Prayer Is The Greatest Gift To The Dead": Clerics, Family Pay Tribute To Late W.O. Oyibo Augustine Yakubu*

Christians have been urged to reflect on life, death, and resurrection as the ultimate realities of human existence. 

Rev. Fr. Samuel Odo and Rev. Fr. Leo Idama gave the admonition on Friday during the funeral service of Late Warrant Officer Oyibo Augustine Yakubu [Rtd.] at SS. Perpetua and Felicity Catholic Parish, Agala-Ate, Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. 

Delivering the homily, Fr. Odo said death is an inevitable reality that spares no one, regardless of age, wealth, or status. 

"None of us here will live forever. One day or the other, it will be our turn. So the question is not how long we live in this world, but how well have we lived?" the priest said. 

He challenged the congregation to examine how many lives they have touched and to begin living according to Christ’s commandments. 

"If we begin to live the way Christ has commanded us to live, this world will be a peaceful one for each and every one of us," he added.

Fr. Odo stressed that the most important thing mourners could do for the departed was to pray for him. 

"One of the greatest things you can do for a dead person is to be among those that will be praying for him. This is the highest thing we can do for him now," he said. 

He explained that through the Eucharist, the Church asks God to grant the deceased access into His kingdom. "In the hope we have in the resurrection of the Lord, we believe that our Father has come to meet his Maker, and he is there to pray for us," he stated.

The priest described death as a journey that begins at birth. "A child that is born today has started a journey. A journey that will one day end in death," he said. 

He warned against greed and strife, noting that only good deeds will stand on the last day. "It is what we do in this world that is going to be used to judge us on the last day. If you live well, even the people you have helped will bear witness that you are a child of God," Fr. Odo said.

He concluded by praying for God’s mercy on the late W.O. Yakubu and for grace on the living to remember that "this world is not our home and we are going somewhere."

Emmanuel Oyibo, one of the children of Late Retired Warrant Officer Oyibo Augustine Yakubu, paid glowing tribute to his father. 

Reading his father’s biography, he described the late officer as the third of five children born to the Ajaba family in Agala-Ate Ayamba. He said his father's life was marked by discipline, hard work, obedience, and compassion from his youthful days. He attended CML Primary School, Agala-Ate, Our Lady of Schools, Anyigba, and later Government Technical College, Makurdi, where he obtained a craft certificate in electrical installation. 

Emmanuel said his father joined the Nigerian Air Force and served for 33 years before retiring in 2022. 

"During his career, he was trained as an aircraft technician in West Germany in the late 1970s and mid-1980s, and later in the United States on the BO-105 helicopter, Apache helicopter, and C-130 Hercules aircraft. He served in Port Harcourt, Benue, Kaduna, Lagos, and Enugu, and held appointments including Motor Transport Officer, Chief Clerk, Works and Maintenance, Detachment Royal Officer, and Regimental Sergeant Major. After retirement, he worked for 15 years as a Foreman in the Electrical Department of the Kogi State Ministry of Works and Housing before retiring again. He said his father was married to Rosaline Aladi and was blessed with six children and 20 grandchildren. He also witnessed the marriages and achievements of his children.

He added that his father was a devout Catholic born into the faith, who ensured all his children were raised in the Catholic tradition and upheld the sacraments of the Church. Though failing eyesight later limited his physical attendance, he continued to follow Mass daily on television and radio until his death. Emmanuel said his father died a practicing Catholic after a life of service to God and country.

Dickson Oyibo, the eldest son of Late Retired Warrant Officer Oyibo Augustine Yakubu, expressed appreciation to sympathizers who travelled from far and near to attend his father’s funeral service.

He said mourners came from Abuja, Lagos, Kwara, and other places across the country and thanked them for their support and for making the journey to Agala-Ate to join the family in the solemn event. 

He disclosed that the family was building a new residence intended as a surprise for their father’s 80th birthday, and guests would proceed to the site after Mass.

Also speaking at the service, Johnson Oyibo, another son of the deceased and former Transport Officer at Kogi State Government House, Lokoja, described his father as a fountain of wisdom who would be forever missed by the family and all who knew him.

In a related development, prominent personalities at the funeral included the Ejeh of Dekina and Chairman, Dekina Area Traditional Council, Alhaji (Dr.) Usman Obaje, alongside other traditional rulers, friends, colleagues, and associates of the deceased. 

The remains of the late W.O. Yakubu were interred at his family compound in Agala-Ate shortly after the church service.

Hassan Abubakar-Editor.