By Benard Akoma
It was as if people wanted to pay him back, all the debts they were owing him, which he never bothered to ask for while alive.
“He was a jolly good fellow, he was a jolly good fellow, he was a jolly good fell-oow, so say all his friends,” was the chorus that rented the air by friends and associates, as Alfred Nwosu from Obiuno, Otolo Nnewi was laid to rest, September, 13, 2024.
Indeed Alfred was a jolly good friend. You cannot fail to love him in your first encounter with him. One distinctive trait of Alfred Nwosu was that in a relationship with people, he never bothered you for anything. Not that he was not in want, but he would be the last to pester you with his problems. Instead he willingly gives if he has but expect almost nothing in returns. Not many would believe that he was one of the closest persons to Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate and former governor of Anambra State.
This statement can only be verified if one is privileged to have a peep into the platform created to raise funds in support of his burial. The response was massive, the response was overwhelming, the willingness to contribute was infectious, the flow was outpouring. It was as if people wanted to pay him back, all the debts they were owing him, which he never bothered to ask for while alive. It was a demonstration of love, it was a show that he would be greatly missed but above all, it was a proof of life well lived.
I cannot claim to know Alfred from Adams. But I met him on the road, so to speak and he became a reliable tour guide, a dependable companion. It was at the formative years of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA way back in the early 2000s. From the tenure of Chekwas Okorie to that of Victor Umeh as Chairmen of the party respectively, we were members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party then. But among the numbers, our ways crossed so warmly. I called him Fredo, he nicknamed me Sir. Benard. Except you have a crooked mind set, there is no way you would not fall in love with Fred at first sight.
The story had it that Fred came from among the most respected families in Nnewi, Anambra state. But that was the least display you would ever notice of him. He was so unassuming, so humble and so indifferent to things others ordinarily could consider as worldly acquisitions. While people would be struggling to be noticed during political outings, Fred would tell me, “Sir Benard I don’t want to go and worry myself, when they finish, anything that remains I will take, if not I’m not bothered.”
Fred was the closest person to the then governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi during Obi tenure as the governor of the state and after. He was said to be Obi secondary school mate. But even among the NWC members, unless you are told, you would never believe that he ever knew the governor. He never displayed air of importance nor such giddy attitude, normally being expressed to show off by some people. No, Fred never expressed any hoity-toity behavior of, ‘do you know who I’m.’ Neither did he ever showed off for once, that he has any advantage over any member of NWC to reach the governor. Instead, those of us who were close to him knew that governor Peter Obi never joked with Fred.
Whenever there was any challenge, the governor would always sneak out to sound Alfred’s opinion. Fred would never show any inclination that he and governor had any discussion, an attitude many would have advertised to high havens. Yet Alfred remained the stabilizer whenever any dispute arose in the party. This was because Fred had this relaxed, unassuming, calmed mien of treating and dismissing even a very serious issues to the admiration of many. Ordinarily, such relationship with a sitting governor would have stood him out as the toast and richest among the NWC members then, but not Fred. He would prefer to respect himself than struggling to grab anything extraordinary. He shared equally with us anything giving to the party by the governor.
We spoke last in May this year. He was not a phone freak. In short he was not IT compliant. Not that he wouldn’t learn if he wanted but he once told me that he never wanted anything that would disturb his head. Fred was not interested even in WhatsApp. In May, he told me he was in a Lagos hospital for stomach cancer treatment. He asked me to thank God for the success of the treatment. I sent my token and prayed for him. He responded, “Sir Benard oh! Thank you so much for your kindness, care and generosity, God’s blessings.” Fred assured me that he would soon be back to Enugu and I told him that I will definitely stop over to check on him anytime I will be coming to the East from Abuja. I did not get to East until the tail end of August. I called, but in his usual way, he never picked but I waited for him to return the call he never did.
But in September, 4, 2024 an unusual message woke me up at exactly eleven minutes to eleven pm. Ordinarily, I would have allowed the message till morning. But a spirit asked me to know the person. Incidentally, it was Fred’s number and the text read, “this is to inform you about the death of Alfred Nwosu and burial arrangement, please contact Somto with the displayed number for further information.” Reading such a message at such odd time of the night for a friend who was so dear to you, was the worst mistake anyone could make.
I lost the sleep for the night but had to wake Somto early for the details which he relayed to me. Incidentally, Somto happens to be Fred’s son studying in the David Umahi University in my community, who Fred had repeatedly promised to introduce to my compound anytime I am in the village. Painfully indeed, I have only come to meet Somto after fred is no more
. It is a lamentable thing for me to say Adieu to Fredo as I fondly called him. But as I bemoan the reality of his demise, I am consoled by the fact that Fred left behind a good name and a proud memory for the family to leverage on. This was made manifest with the crowd that
responded to his burial. GOOD NIGHT FREDO! ADIEU A BOSOM FRIEND!!
Akoma, a publisher writes from Abuja
Comments