…As Dignitaries Pay Last Respect To Emeritus Prof. Ahiauzu
…He Left Shoe Too Big To Wear – Ahiakwo
The expansive auditorium of St Michael’s Anglican Church, Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA), witnessed an unprecedented gathering as people took up every available seat at the pew.They came from all walks of life, to pay their last respect to a fallen hero, an eminent personality and a Colossus who rose to the top echelon of academic attainment.
Late Emeritus Professor Augustine Ikechuku Ahiauzu, (KSC), JP,who until his demise on Friday, February 19, 2021, was a man of repute, an administrator-par-excellence and notable achiever. Amongst several appointments, he was the first two-term Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (now Rivers State University), Port Harcourt(1989-1996) and also served as Visiting Professor at Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda, a post he held from 2003 till his demise.
In a moving tribute by his first son, Engr. Chinedu Ahiauzu described his late dad as a lover of education, adding that he continued to mentor and produce many academic children up until his demise, of which many are professors and distinguished scholars today.
The younger Ahiauzu further penned down these lines: “His greatest passion was his books. He was never tired of buying books. He read anything and everything. Daddy neither attended any regular secondary school nor did he have a first degree, yet, share ruggedness, determination, focus and faith in God took him to the highest pinnacle of the academia. He was a high flyer of the highest order”.
No wonder his burial turned the ONELGA headquarters to a tourist hub, a melting point thatbrought people together, not just from the academia but from different spectrum of endeavors whose lives he positively impacted one way or the other.
But, one group that stood out at the funeral service were members of the Order of Knights of St. Christopher (KSC) where Sir Ahiauzu once served as President.
Resplendent in their red on black uniform, the Knights and Dames distinguished themselves as their colour illuminated the entire auditorium.
Earlier before the funeral service at St. Michaels Anglican Church, Omoku,the Knights had conducted a Special Serviceat his Uwhesi-Woods residence along Ikiri Road, Omoku where his body lay in state. As they filed out for a last glimpse of his remain, Sir Uche Okirie eulogized the sterling qualities of the late Professor while they sang Hymn Ancient and Modern 290, believed to be late Prof’s favorite Hymn, evoking emotions from many in the assembly.
In his glowing tribute, Okirie described Ahiauzu as a noble knight who will be missed by the Order because of his dispassionate, friendly and fatherly and dispositions.
Still speaking on the man whom many acknowledged as a bridge builder, the Chairman of the Building Committee of St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Omoku, Sir (Dr.) Friday Ahiakwo (KSC) J.P., had these to say on the huge turnout of Knights at the ceremony: “This day is the day of the Knights and Dames because of who the late Professor meant to us. He was the first President of the Knights of former Niger Delta North Diocese of the Anglican Church in Ahoada. He also came here in Omoku to become President of this new Diocese.
“Prof. Ahiauzu was the first to be knighted in this Province of the Niger Delta, that is why it is not surprising to see this epochal gathering of Knights in his funeral. He was very religious, a builder of the church and men. He has left a big shoe for anyone to wear. We shall miss him”.
Dr. Ahiakwo, a lecturer at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku noted that the late Emeritus Professor had during his life time, arguably impacted on almost everyone present at the funeral service.
“Even in his days as Vice Chancellor of the former Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, helped so many in gaining admission into the university and also assisted many for employment”, he said.
The college don recalled that the late Ahiauzu, as the initiator and first Chairman of the Building Committee of the St. Michael Anglican Church, Omoku, was instrumental to the building of the church to the level it had gone, by committing his resources to build the church.
He however, regretted that the building suffered severe setback as the late Professor could no longer commit to the project because of his numerous state engagements, adding that despite his nonphysical presence, he always gave moral and financial support to the project.
“But the joy we, as Knights and members of the church have is that he left a legacy for the living to emulate. I am an organist and the late Professor was one of my greatest fans. Each time I sang or play the organ, he never hid his happiness. I will miss that touch of him”, he said.
In his sermon, the Anglican Bishop, Diocese of Ahoada, Rt. Rev. Clement Ekpeye charged Christians to worship God in spirit and truth, as their act would not be in vain. He reminded the church that Christians are being persecuted in some parts of the country, urging them to pray fervently for God’s intervention to see them through the persecutions.
While expressing hope that the late Emeritus Professor had come out of the great tribulations, Bishop Ekpeye assured the church that anyone who came out of tribulations victoriously, would have a place in God’s bosom.
Highlight of the service that was attended by dignitaries including the Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah, former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Adolphus Dakuku Peterside amongst others, was a special anthem rendition by the visiting Christ Church Choir, Port Harcourt.
