Avoid Careless Life, Priest Tells Nigerians As Ubulu-Uku First Veterinary Doctor Is Buried

By Frank Oshanugor

An Anglican Church priest, Ven. Christian Okonkwor has cautioned many Nigerians who indulge in careless life style to avoid same henceforth, since no one is sure of when death will come his or her way.

In his sermon on Tuesday at the funeral mass of Dr. Victor Abunwa at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, the Priest admonished Nigerians to watch their conduct, behavior and relationship with God so that at whatever age death comes their way, they would not be in the bad book of God.

The deceased Dr. Abunwa who was killed in auto crash on January 2, 2023 was the first Veterinary Doctor from his town and his burial has drawn a large number of people from all walks of life from far and near to Ubulu-Uku.

The officiating Minister of the Gospel, Ven. Okonkwor noted that since Abunwa died, the question in some quarters had been “Who killed Victor?”. According to him, whether it was the driver who rammed into Abunwa’s Toyota Corolla with his Sienna car or the medical staff who could not attend to him at the two hospitals he was rushed to, was no longer necessary as the Veterinary Doctor would have survived if it was not his time to leave this world.

Agreed that some death could be as a result of some other people’s carelessness, Ven. Okonkwor was quick to say that it is only death permitted by God that could take place. He anchored his position on Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, which holds that there is a time to be born and a time to die.

He therefore charged the deceased’s family and friends to take solace in the belief that Abunwa might have completed his earthly assignment hence God allowed him to die. The Priest while sympathising with the deceased’s family, therefore admonished everyone to borrow some leaf from the suddenness of the Veterinary Doctor’s death to reshape their life style as death could come unannounced. “Make use of God’s given time because it may be dangerous to misuse the time,” he advised.

While praying for widows in Nigeria, the Anglican Priest used the opportunity to advise them to always appreciate whatever assistance the families of their late husbands give instead of blackmail them for not meeting up with their expectations.

Said he: “in as much as widows desire assistance and empathy, they should not be unmindful of the fact that their husbands’ relations have their own personal problems that may not give room for hundred percent support as may be expected.”

The remains of the deceased Doctor were later interred in the family’s mini-estate at Isho quarters of Ubulu-Uku which was followed with a reception of hundreds of guests from different parts of the country.

In attendance were old boys from Abunwa’s former college, Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku, his University’s alumni association, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Delta State Chapter led by Dr. Festus Chukwumalu and other Associations and clubs he belonged to, while alive.

The late Victor Abunwa studied Animal Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State. Until his demise, he was on the staff of Delta State Ministry of Agriculture as a Civil Servant. He was said to have died in car crash on his way to Asaba on January 2, 2023 for official duty.

The late Abunwa who incidentally was the first child in a family of eight children was survived by an Octogenarian mother, four brothers and three sisters. He was also survived by his wife

and children some of whom are currently in the university. His death remains a very painful incident to both his family, friends and

associates as his humble, friendly, gentle and generous nature has continued to be a reminder.