There are moments when words become painfully inadequate. This is one of them. How do you write a tribute to a man who still had dreams to pursue, responsibilities to carry, people to love, and a future he was still building, only for death to interrupt the journey so suddenly?

My dear brother, your passing has left a silence that words cannot easily fill. You were a man deeply committed to the things that mattered. You loved your family. You cared about your community. You believed in service. You held firmly to God. And in your own way, you gave a part of yourself to humanity.

You did not merely occupy the position of a Local Government Councillor. You saw public service as an opportunity to be present among your people and to contribute to the place you called home. Your commitment to your community was evident in the way you gave your time, energy and attention to matters that affected others.

Even in the days leading to your death, you were still engaged in the affairs of your people. You attended an NDC meeting in Yenagoa, carrying on with the responsibilities and commitments that had become part of your life. Then, unexpectedly, you collapsed.

We prayed. We hoped. We waited. We believed you would recover and return to us. But days later, the news we never wanted to hear came. You had given up the ghost.

It is difficult to accept that a man who walked among us only days ago is now being spoken of in the past tense.

You were close to fifty, an age when many people begin to look back with satisfaction at what they have achieved and forward with excitement at what remains to be done. Yet you still had dreams. You still had plans. You still had people depending on you. There were conversations you were supposed to have, places you were supposed to go, things you were supposed to accomplish and moments you were supposed to share with those you loved.

Death does not always wait for a convenient moment. Sometimes it comes in the middle of the journey. And that is perhaps the hardest part of your departure.

You left while life was still unfolding. You left while your dreams were still alive. You left while your service to your people was still ongoing. You left while those who loved you still expected more years with you.

But although death has taken your physical presence from us, it cannot erase the life you lived or the people you touched. Your family will remember the brother, husband, father, relative and loved one who stood among them. Your community will remember the councillor who served among his people. Those who worked and interacted with you will remember the man behind the office and the title. And those who knew your heart will remember your commitment to God, family, community and humanity.

Perhaps that is one of the few consolations we have.

A person's life is not measured only by how many years he spends on earth. It is also measured by what remains after he leaves. Your memories remain. Your contributions remain. Your relationships remain. Your example remains. Your name remains. And in the hearts of those who loved you, a part of you will continue to live.

My dear brother, I wish we had more time.

I wish you had been given the opportunity to complete more of the dreams you carried. I wish your story had continued for many more years. But we cannot rewrite what has happened. We can only give thanks for the years we were privileged to share with you and entrust your soul to the mercy of the Almighty.

May God forgive your shortcomings, accept your good deeds, comfort your family, strengthen your loved ones and grant them the courage to endure this painful loss. May the community you served never forget your contribution. And may those who knew you carry forward the values you represented: commitment to family, service to community, faith in God and concern for humanity.

You came into this world with a purpose. You lived, served, loved and dreamed. And though your journey ended sooner than we expected, your footprints remain.

Rest peacefully, my dear brother.

You will be deeply missed. You will be remembered. And you will never be forgotten.

© Tobouke JEMINE