Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, foremost literary icons, renowned writers, scholars including Professors Femi Osofisan and Remi Raji-Oyelade at the weekend stressed the essence of love in every human relationship.
The event was the presentation of a compilation of poems, entitled, “Time Came Upon Me”, written by Professor Mark Nwagwu to commemorate the one year remembrance and honour of his late wife, Helen.
The public presentation which held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan completes a tratralogy in honour of late wife by the 82 years old Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology.
Helen, a Professor of Clinical Psychology, who passed away in March 30th 2018, was a living witness of her husband’s trilogy with the first collection “Helen not of Troy” in 2009, while “Cat Man Dew” and “HelenaVenus” were published subsequently.
Speaking as the Chief Host, the former President lauded the life of “sincere love lived by the Nwagwus” describing it as one that should resonate across families in Nigeria.
He lauded the late Nwagwu for having made a success of life “as a good wife, community leader, academic and family person”, while also commending the poet for the boundless love he shares with his late wife even though death seems to have separated them physically.
Doing a review of the compilation, former Dean, Faculty of Arts, UI, Prof Remi Raji-Oyelade, explained that the 94 poems on the late Helen espoused the concepts of life and living, love and loving, ageing, death, transcendence, family reminiscences and eternal love.
He described the poems as celebratory and reflective, teaching how to love eternally, saying it, remembering it and writing about it.
Raji-Oyelade also praised Nwagwu’s use of sensual words, his ballistic memory, unity of expression, sensory metaphor of sight, poetic recognition of the cosmic importance of numbers in his writing about his wife, Helen.
The Event Chairperson who is the Managing Director/CEO Transcorp Hotels Plc, Ms Owen Omogaifo, lauded the authour for being a proponent of love and girl child education.
In his reading of one of the poems in the new book, Prof Osofisan said the Nwagwu’s holding of hands and show of love in public like besotted teenagers remained a constant source of banter, bemusement, mild envy to many.
He also described as remarkable the fact that even in retirement, the Nwagwu’s remained committed to social and academic activities in the University of Ibadan.
In his short remarks, the author of the collection, Mark Nwagwu said his love for the late wife remained unending, eternal and would continue when they meet in heaven.
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