Linus Adaba’s death is too painful a loss.
I decided to write this tribute to such a wonderful, amazing, gentle and humble character.
In this short tribute I will narrate briefly how I came to know him, euguolize his sterling qualities, the reality of death and a short poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on the purpose of life, and finally a song by Jim Reeves.
Our paths crossed through his dad, Sir John Adaba of blessed memory who taught me in Primary two in 1962 at St Michael RCM School, Ukpogoro. Like many of my teachers I have passed through in my quest for knowledge, I revere all. Pa Adaba actually moulded me from being an overpampared naughty boy being brought up by his maternal grandparents, particularly in both academics and handiwork such as weaving of local farm containers like Akoto, Okara, Udelu made from raphia palms before the advent of plastic technology. My stint under the privileged tutelage of Pa John Adaba is reserved for another occasion.
Linus was in the University of Jos when his father introduced him to me. Since then Linus held me in high esteem until his passing. He was extremely generous to a fault, always trying to satisfy virtually all who needed his assistance. He was never rude to his elders.
This is not in line with the African culture- ‘De mortuis nihil nisi bene’ – that is ‘say nothing but good about the dead’. Neither do I say nothing of the dead nor there’s no reason doing so.
Sir Linus, a Knight of the Catholic Church was a rare gem. Always eager to assist his fellow human beings. He practicalised the Biblical injunction of seeing, loving and serving God in human beings. I will give some instances.
My wife thrice approached Linus for financial assistance from Ecobank. In the absence of any account with Ecobank, Linus opted to use his personal account to obtain the loan for her. Every loan was promptly paid back before the agreed date. My wife’s attitude surprised Linus.
My last phone conversation with Linus was when he was home on condolence visit to Fr James Yakubu’s family. He promised to pay us a visit in our Nagazi home, only to hear of the shocking news of his demise.
When I met his mother after one of the morning masses recently, she told me how Linus spent close to 17 hours on the road from Lagos to Okene. The roads are not only in bad shape but insecure. I put a call through to Linus advising him to take a flight from Lagos to Abuja and subsequently to Okene by road, another long journey, you might say. He lamented the waiting game at the airport plus the three-hour journey from Abuja to Okene.
Sir Linus is always in the forefront in funding Church projects and other philanthropic activities. You cannot have a dull moment with Linus and his beautiful wife; always cracking jokes and teasing each other.
Having eulogised the late Linus, there is the pertinent question of what’s this life?
We’re so powerful yet weak, so strong yet fragile so great yet miserable.
Linus’ death, like every human death is a debt. Death is the worst evil that can make human life meaningless and purposeless. And it’s the nature of all beings to die despite our strongest instinct of self perpetuation and self preservation in our short life span. Contrary to our deepest desires to continue living, it’s only God, the immutable, transcendent, Pure Act, Absolute Spirit and infinite that has no beginning or end. Other creatures in other words are finite and contingent beings. Our death defines our mortality. It’s tragic and arbitrary. You can’t understand life until you reflect on the phenomenon of death. We live a dying life. We die each day every hour every minute every second.
As Linus has bid us the everlasting farewell, let’s always examine our lives and question our positive impacts on our fellow human beings.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a poet had this to say in his Psalm of Life:
Tell me not in mournful numbers
Life is but an empty dream
For the soul is dead that slumbers
And things are not what they seem
Trust no future however pleasant
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,-act in the living Present!
Heart within and God o’erhead!
Let us then be up and doing
With a heart for any fate
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labour and to wait.
“There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed”, Woodrow Wilson.
Linus offered himself to both males and females alike. By extension, Sir Linus had attained the higher religion. He has paid his dues.
I conclude with James Travis Reeves (1923-1964):
This world is not my home, I am just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon on me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
Requiescat in pacé my dear Linus!
Oziede! Till we meet to part no more.
Peter B Enesi