Greatness is all about being recognised by an anonymous many. Again, what counts is not how long one lives but how one impacted on the lives of others; how one enhanced the socio-political lives of the people.
One would have lived a fulfilled life when one’s personality and character could recognise each other when they meet in the dark. The late Prof. Dora Akunyili played a major role in impacting the lives of those who came across her during her life time.
Though dead, the late Mrs Akunyili’s legacy will remain indelible in the minds of those who knew her, either in her Agulu community, Anambra State or Nigeria.
The late Mrs Akunyili was the former Minister of Information and Communication and one-time Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
But there are mysteries surrounding the life and times of the late amiable Amazon that keep reverberating.
Did she have an inkling that she was not going to live long? This question is tenable based on the fact that most of her actions tilted towards enhancing the well-being of others, especially the less-privileged. It seemed she quickened her benevolent actions to accomplish many tasks in good time.
Even before the end of her short life, the late Mrs Akunyili loved helping the poor and the less-privileged.
One of such people was her gate man, whom she later adopted as her house help. She identified the innate intelligence in the young man and his zeal to learn. She had to send him to school. Today, he is an accountant in one of the biggest accounting agencies in the country.
Not only that, the late Mrs Akunyili was given money by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) to enable her to treat her diagnosed tumor abroad. She returned the money to the Federal Government when it was clear the diagnosis was inaccurate.
Apart from all these and many more, her husband, Dr. John Chike Akunyili, told reporters in Agulu that since the death of his wife, things have been working in mysterious ways in the family.
First, he said there was a time they ran short of cash and a call came from Iyom Josephine Anenih who made the funds available. The family, he said, was astonished.
Dr. Akunyili said the woman told him that it was the money she owed his wife.
He said: “Although she is dead, I know her spirit hovers around because, since her death, everything has been easy and working for me mysteriously.”
Besides, he said the late professor of Pharmacology amassed over 800 awards, with another post-humous award to be received in November in the United States.
Again, she will be the first person to be buried in Agulu community between August 15 and 30, as the people see it as a taboo to bury anybody on those dates.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that it was the period the community celebrates their new yam festival and commune with their gods with the monarch of the land performing his festival rite on August 29.
Some source said: “The burial, which has been scheduled in this community by the Federal Government within this period is likely to have adverse effect on the people because such a thing has never happened before in the area.
When our correspondent contacted Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, the traditional ruler of the community on the issue, he said the dead must be buried.
Furthermore, it was gathered that Mrs Akunyili would not be buried in her Nkitaku Village. She will rather be buried in Nneogidi Village close to NAFDAC office where the family built a house.
Some of the residents of the community believe that it is an anomaly to bury somebody from another village in the community. When the late Mrs Akunyili was ill, it was said that she was suffering from cervical cancer but after her death, the husband revealed that she died of “Endometrial carcinoma”.
According to him, it was rare type of cancer that spreads fast in the body without anybody knowing.
He said: “We were told that people with such condition will only live for seven months. But with prayers, she survived it for two years and two months until she became ill again.”
The woman whose life and times were surrounded by mysteries died on June 7, this year after a two-year battle with cancer at an Indian hospital. The burial takes place today in Agulu community.
The husband described her as an elephant, who loved her country even during her travails, even though she vowed to fight for the country with the last drop of her blood.
Dr. Akunyili said: “Her love for Nigeria was phenomenal and beyond words. Even in her last days when she was very ill, she insisted that she would serve the country with her last breath.
“She wanted a home called Nigeria where citizens could live and enjoy but it is unfortunate she did not live to see such a country.”
Her last wish was for the girls abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents are released because, according to her, they are all innocent girls.
The only area where such mystery did not work was when she ventured into politics for the Anambra Central Senatorial zone where she lost to Senator Chris Ngige.
Some of her awards included the Transparency International Integrity Award in 2003 for being one of the sincere and honest persons in the world.
She was equally recognised as one of the 18 Heroes of its Global Health 2005 for her relentless battle to rid Nigeria of the menace of fake and adulterated drugs.
This led to another mystery in her life. Some drug barons attempted to eliminate her but she mysteriously escaped the attack.
She was described as Nigeria Drug Warrior who did her job of ridding the society of fake drugs diligently.
Prof. Akunyili was also the first African to win the 2005 edition of the coveted British Grassroots Human Rights Awards series.
The award was given to unsung Heroes of Human Rights, who daily risk their lives in pursuit of truth and in defence of the defencless, among others.
