January 29, (THEWILL) – Stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry at the weekend converged in Oshogbo, Osun State capital, for the burial ceremony of Mrs Comfort Olateru, the mother of Engr Akin Olateru, the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Among the dignitaries were Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Capt. Adebayo Araba, the former Rector of NCAT, former governors, ministers and representatives from the Federal Executive Councils.
Speaking at the ceremony, Engr Olateru described his late mother as a jewel of inestimable value.
According to him, the late mother sold all she had to ensure he went to school, recalling that when he gained an admission into the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, in 1986, the mother, who was a nurse, sold her only car at N2,000 to pay his first tuition fee.
This action, he recalled, led to ridiculing of her mother by her mates, but he gave God the glory for all he had achieved since 1986 till date.
Olateru insisted that without his mother, who sacrificed all for his education, he would not have been where he is today.
He said: “If I have to come back again, I still wish she would be my mum because without her, to be honest with you, I don’t think I will be where I am today.
“She sold her only car to pay my first one year fee in Zaria (NCAT). It was just N2,000 in 1986. She became a laughing stock among her mates. They mocked her that what will that child come out to be and she always say ‘by the special grace of God that child will come out well.’”
Olateru advised today’s parents to inculcate morals and values into their children, adding that prayers would go a long way for children to face life challenges in the future.
“But, you can only fight and go through with prayers. Without prayers, you can’t go far in life. Parents should teach their children the way of the Lord”, he said.
Also speaking at the occasion, Chief James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State, recalled that he wept on live television when his mother, Madam Comfort Ibori was being prepared for burial in October, 2004.
Ibori, who broke down in tears while paying tribute during the funeral service of his mother years ago, said that he could not hold back the tears in public despite being the governor of Delta State then.
According to him, the love that exists between mothers and their children was a strong bond that could not be separated and enjoined every child to always show love and support for their parents irrespective of their status while they are still alive.
He Said, “My father died in 1996 and I remember taking his body for burial, I wasn’t a governor then, but when my mummy died, I was already a man and even a governor and you know how this our politics is, I could not cry in the public, you can only cry in the bedroom and that was what happened.
“On the day I was to bury my mother, on live television, I couldn’t hold it back, I shed tears. When I got to the place where my mother was, I started sobbing, I was crying. That is the depth of motherhood.
“That is not to say you don’t have regards for your father, but the kind of love that is between a mother and her children is different from that of the father. The love of a mother is a phenomenon that can be hardly explained.”
Ibori also congratulated Olateru for being alive to bury his mother and prayed for the entire family to continue to live in peace.
“It is a dream for most of us to bury our parents. When Akin (Engr. Olateru) called me that the mother was not doing very well, I told him to just keep praying to God, but if it doesn’t happen, prepare your mind. So, when he called me to say Mama was gone, I congratulated him.
“For me, what is happening today is to honour her and not to be mournful. I condole with Akin and all the biological children of Mama. May God repose the soul of Mama. Akin, you have done very well for the honour you have given to mama. May God keep the entire family safe and alive”, he stated.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
