The Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has commiserated with Senator Stephen Odey and his family who held the funeral of their 102-year-old patriarch, Pa Michael Odey Mboh, in Alifokpa Yache, Yala Local Government Area.
The well-attended event saw the enlarged political class, traditional rulers as well as friends of the senator from within and outside the state in attendance on Friday.
In his condolence message to the family, Otu, describing the deceased as a good man, noted that the people he touched with his generosity would greatly miss him, maintaining that his commitment to the growth and development of his community remains indelible.
On her part, the wife of the governor, Rev Eyoanwan Bassey-Otu, said Pa Odey would be remembered for his dedication, great sense of mission and dignity as Village Head which accorded him the status of a prominent peacemaker in the area.
The Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, noted that the late patriarch’s longevity was truly a call for celebration, as his 102 years on earth was a reflection of God’s endorsement in line with Proverbs 16:31: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life”.
In a similar vein, the immediate past governor of the state, Prof. Ben Ayade, urged the family to be consoled by the values of honesty and integrity their father left behind as a well-respected personality who preached peace and unity in his community.
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A biography of the deceased, an excerpt of which was read by one of the family members, Daniel Ogbudu, described the late Pa Mboh as a jolly good fellow who could easily win people’s hearts and admiration with his lines of reasoning.
The late Pa Odey would reel out his thoughts in a soft, melodious and sonorous voice, the book added.
He was laid to rest in his country home, Imana, Achuora Uche, Yache in Yala Local Government Area, after a carnival-like funeral and memorial service, conducted by Mater Ecclesiae Parish of the Catholic Church Alifokpa, Yache and moderated by Rev. Fr. Ogwu Denis Ejilekpang.
