The cold hands of death snatched my cousin, Felix Ndukwe Akudike, a promising young man with great potentials on the 26th of June, 2024, leaving Akudike and the entire Ayozie families devastated.
Late Felix Ndukwe, the last born of late Felix Akudike and the great, great grandson of Ayozie of Umuawaeke Umuevu Onicha was a well-breed young man who possessed more than 100% IQ.
He finished his primary and secondary education in top grades, beating over 50 classmates to stay on top positions.
After his University Education, Ndukwe did some menial jobs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from where he left with his family to the United States of America (USA) for greener pastures.
The young man was apparently doing well in the USA, as he was diligently taking care of his family of 4 children, in addition to his wife.
It was thus a great shock to the Ayozie family and the entire Umuawaeke Kindred when news filtered that he had died in his sleep on the 26th of June, 2024, leaving behind a wife and four children.
Ndukwe was not sick before his death. He was hale and hearty, which was why his passing away at a young age of below 45 was shocking and would remain a mystery to his friends and relatives.
Before his corpse was airlifted home in November, his friends in the US had held a fare-well requiem mass in his honour at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, Washington DC.
As he was being buried in his compound in Umuawaeke, Umuevu Onicha Ezinihitte Mbaise on 15th November, 2024, there was outpouring of grieves by relatives and friends who felt he shouldn’t have died so early as he still had a lot to contribute to the growth and development of Ayozie, Akudike and the entire Umuawaeke Kindred.
While alive, Ndukwe respected the culture and tradition of his people and featured in kindred meetings, contributing ideas that brought development to Umuawaeke. Ndukwe also featured in communal programs like clearing of grasses on internal roads within the communities, dredging of our pond water wells, etc.
Umuawaeke kindred were aware of these contributions which was why the community paid glowing tributes to him at his burial site on the 26th of June.
Jude Ohakwe, Chairman, Umuawaeke family in a funeral oration he read at the grave site, extolled the virtues Ndukwe, describing him as a home boy who had love for the tradition and culture of his people.
According to Ohakwe, the late Ndukwe never shied away from progressive and development efforts initiated by Umuawaeke and Umuevu, recalling how the young man and Akudike family where he hailed from contributed immensely to the on-going Umuawaeke kindred hall.
He lamented that the death of Ndukwe and a few other young men of Umuawaeke of recent had robbed the kindred of progressive ideas and huge contributions which they should have made in the development of the community and Umuevu in general.
Ndukwe’s elder brother, Chukwuma Akudike also extolled his late younger brother’s virtues and deplored the cause of his death. He however, committed Ndukwe’s fate into the hand of God, imploring Him to receive his soul in heaven.
Although, Ndukwe my cousin may have died young, he left behind legacies young men of his age did not attain. The four intelligent children he left behind would continue to perpetuate his name and dynasty. His name would never be obliterated in history. Goodbye, my dear cousin, and may Celestial glory shadow you in your new abode.
