Rivers rerun: Tears as slain corps member is buried

Wike

Tears flowed freely yesterday as the remains of the corps member who was killed during the re-run election in Rivers State, Samuel Chukwudumebi Okonta, was laid to rest in his hometown, Illah in Oshimili North council area of Delta State .

Relatives, friends, corps members and officials the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) sobbed uncontrollably when the remains of the late graduate of political science were lowered into the grave.

The slain corps member was deployed to Yobe State last year for his primary assignment, but  was redeployed to Rivers State, his birth place, for his primary assignment until he was engaged as an ad hoc staff  by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the re-run election.

He had submitted the result of the election in his polling unit to the INEC and was returning home in the same village where he was serving before he was shot along with two other corps members who survived the attack.

His elder brother, Ify Henry Okonta, at the funeral service at the Holy Family Catholic Church, described Dumebi as a rare gem and a focused and down to earth person.

He added Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had promised to rebuild the NYSC secretariat in Port Harcourt and to rename it after his late brother as a way of immortalizing him.

The casket bearing the late corps member arrived at the family house at Ogbe Orji in Illah at about 11.20am from Port Harcourt in an ambulance, with registration number Abuja: RSA 414 A. it was accompanied by officials of NYSC in Rivers State, led by Mrs. Juliet Ibianuka, Assistant Director Corps Welfare, who represented the state coordinator, Mrs. Ngozi Nwakeleji.

Dignitaries at the burial include Mrs. Rhoda Kaka Kwaka, who represented the Director General of the corps, Brig. Gen Johnson Olawumi; Delta State Co-ordinator, Mrs. Olive Essien Etukudo; Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Banitor Kpagih and other top INEC officials.

Highlight of the burial was a novelty football match organised by Illah Football Association (IFA) at Omorka Model Primary School in honour of Dumebi,  who was twice the best player of the Steven Keshi football competition in 2006 and 2007.

Keshi, former super Eagles coach, is a native of Illah.

In his homily at the funeral services, Rev. Father Henry Ogonwa advised youths not be discouraged by what the elders are doing in the country, but try to use their potentials to change the course of events.

The cleric, who condemned a situation where people want to become leaders at the expense of lives of others, noted with sadness that, “our brother has become a victim  of the political class.”

He called for the immortalization of the late corps member, who he said died while on national assignment, and enjoined all to pray for Nigeria in orders to protect the lives of its citizens.