The late Captain Elechi Amadi was born in 1934. He died on June 29, 2016 at the age of 82. His one week funeral, which gathers momentum today and tomorrow, began on Monday. Many activities have lined up to mark his exit. PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA, who visited the family of the literary icon reports
The burial rites of renowned author, Captain Elechi Amadi have begun in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. As an Ikwerre-born traditionalist, his exit is to be marked with several activities. Such activities include the launch of his biography entitled Kedara on November 29.
When our correspondent visited the late Amadi’s residence at Mgbodo, Aluu Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, members of the community were in high spirits to receive dignitaries from all walks of life who will come to pay their last respects to the Aluu chief. Many youths of the community were at the compound working to keep the environment clean.
The deplorable road linking Aluu community with the late Amadi’s house has been fixed and the family house has also been renovated by the state government.
His palace where his body will lie in state today and tomorrow has also been renovated. His old pictures are still hanging on the wall of the palace when our correspondent visited the family.
One of such pictures is a group photograph showing Nigerian soldiers in 1964; with Brig. Ademulegun, Maj. Gen. Welby–Everard, Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon and others. Another picture on the wall is the group photograph with Rotimi Amaechi, the former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Tele Ikuru and Dr. Alex Ekwueme.
There is also a photograph of his late father with other Aluu chiefs exchanging pleasantries with the first Military Governor of Rivers State, Commander Alfred Dapapreye Diete-Spiff (rtd). There are also other memorable photographs on the wall of the palace.
Speaking on her closeness and the last encounter with the late Amadi, the third wife, Dr. Priye Elechi-Amadi whom many described as the late traditionalist’s handbag, said the literary icon actually told her goodbye but it was very difficult for her to accept his goodnight wave.
Dr. Elechi-Amadi said she knew that he was going to die but she didn’t know it was going to be soon because there were serious health challenges which he survived in the past.
“In 2009, he was very ill. We had to fly him to the United Kingdom. I am a member of Eckankar. I told God that one thing I want from Him was to go back with my husband to Nigeria. He went into the theater three times. That was why when he fell ill this time; I thought it was not as serious as the previous one. If he had survived that one, this one was no case. I know that his soul lives on, the signs were there that he was going to die but I found it difficult to accept the reality.”
On the day her husband died, she said it took her two weeks to realise that he was gone. “I wasn’t conscious of myself two weeks after, because it was a big shock to me. I didn’t lose a husband; I lost a friend and a lover. His death created a big vacuum in my life. He was a very patient man and good listener.
“Actually, I was privileged to be with him in his private moment. He really opened up to me. You know he loves poetry. While he was ill, there was a reading programme organised by Total Plc. Then I said to him, but for this sickness, you would have gone for this event and he said, “No, you can go for both of us. Please, go and represent me.’ The next morning he was the one that reminded me to go for the event. I went there and gave a speech on his behalf and came back and met him in the hospital. I think that was a goodbye. He was a true artist to the end.”
Continuing, Priye, who is a lecturer at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rivers State, said: “He was honest and romantic; he wooed me for about two years. Our relationship started in a very critical note. We worked together on a book, that book entitled Kedara has been published; that was what brought us together.
“But there was no thought of marriage at all at the initial time. Because of our interactions, we discovered that we were soulmates and intellectually compatible. I think it is natural that we ended up together as husband and wife. We stayed together for 26 years as husband and wife and 30 years together as friends. The best thing I will do for him is to preserve his literary legacy. As a matter of fact, I collaborated on his biography work before he passed on.
“It was launched on Tuesday, November 29, this year. The biography centred on his personality, lifestyle, work and others. What informed my marriage to him was that he was genuinely lovely, sincere and kind-hearted. I had two children with my late husband.”
The second wife of the late writer, Mrs. Rose Elechi-Amadi, who responded in Ikwerre dialect, said her late husband was a good father to their children.
She said one thing she would miss was his caring attitude.
“He was one of those men in Ikwerre that know how to marry wife. I’m going to miss his caring attitude. All of us are going to miss him and I have been praying that God should grant him eternal rest.”
The first wife, Mrs. Dorothy Elechi-Amadi would died last year, but one of her daughters, Pastor Karen Elechi-Amadi said her father was a member of Ikwerre Language Committee where he assisted the group to translate the new and old testaments into Ikwerre language.
“Of course, he is part of the Ikwerre Language Committee where he assisted to translate the Bible into Ikwerre language. They have already translated the New Testament; they are still proofreading the Old Testament. He had a dual personality; while he had his eyes on tradition, he also did things that were positive in the eyes of God.”
“We loved him and respected him; wherever he went, he ensured there was peace and harmony. His area of specialisation was Mathematics and Physics but later he started writing and today he turned out well as a literary giant before he passed on.
“He taught me how to read even books that were beyond my age. Not just me alone, the rest of my siblings, bringing us very close to books had actually helped us. He told us that reading is power.”
We will miss him.”
Some of his kinsmen said their late brother’s beliefs, lifestyles and his contributions to community development made him a legend, adding that the late Amadi immortalised himself before he died.
The younger brother to the late litrary icon, Elder Valentine Amadi said his brother had made a good impression on earth that would last forever, stressing that he was not sick or weak until the day he died.
He said those were the qualities of an upright man in Ikwerre ethnic nationality. He called on the people to live a life worthy of emulation; since man does not know the day he would die.
“You can see the atmosphere, the great man in the community is gone. All we are doing now is to celebrate his achievements and what he believed in. He was a great man, he trained me and seven others. He ensured that we were enlightened and now he is gone.
“He was a free man. Despite the insecurity in the community, he was not afraid to move around. He was a community man because he participated fully in the community development. He interacted with both old and young. One thing about him is that he preferred living here than outside the community,” he said.
A resident of Aluu community, Mr. Chris Oji, said the late Amadi, through his literary works, had immortalised himself.
Oji said: ”The burial ceremony of Elechi Amadi is not a platform for people to cry. We are celebrating his greatness. We can sympathise with members of the family on the death of a great man who had left this sinful world and to also inform them that we are glad to join in celebrating the literary icon.
“When you mention the Mandela of our area, then you are talking of the late Elechi Amadi. He had done everything he needed to do. He had made a lot of progress and trained a lot of people.”
