Phoebe Mbagwu; how the sweet song ended.
3 min read
The late Mrs Phobe Ahunna Mbagwu Nee (Onyeche) was not someone whose greatness came posthumously. While alive, she was great both in the world where she touched many lives and in the Lord where she also worked tirelessly in the vineyard of God as a deaconess. As someone who preached the Word of God across several states in Nigeria and even beyond when she travelled out of the country, many knew her as a great woman of God.
For these reasons and more, it was not a surprise to many when on January 13 2024; many Nigerians across several works of life came to Umuaka Municipal Council and headed to Ibele Autonomous Community where they all paid their last respect to the amazon and a woman of substance. High ranking government officials, several members of Assembles of God Church, friends and well-wishers as well as the tenants in the building owned by the woman of God against all odds, found their way to Ibele for the burial of the woman who showed love to her fellow humans.
Due to long distance, the Church members from Port Harcourt arrived very late and the church program for the rites of passage for the late Mrs Phobe Ahunna Mbagwu Nee (Onyeche) started very late as well.
The journey to the great beyond started with the lying in state of the deceased. First to pay their homage and last respect were the Mbagwus, the bereaved family.
After the family had gone to see her loved one as she lay in state, the MC announced that any other person was free to do the same as time was no longer on the side of the event. Introduction of the high ranking members of the Assemblies of God Church from Port Harcourt was the next to follow. After that came testimonies from members of the church. At the end of the testimonies, there was an interlude of songs and praises, as the most senior pastor on ground was preparing his sermon.
Next was the gospel by one of the officiating men of God from the Assemblies of God Church. His sermon touched several issues concerning life, death and eternity with a big question mark; where will you spend eternity?
After the prayers, sermon and more, the time everyone had been waiting for came. The remains of the woman who served God in truth and in all fairness were brought to the graveside in a white casket. After a brief graveside prayer, the officiating minister instructed that the casket should be lowered to the grave. The first son of the woman was called out to perform the lowering of the casket. As the casket was being lowered, the first son of the deceased who was still at the graveside, the daughter of the deceased married by Chief Victor Esomonu and Chief Esomonu himself, all lost their cool and tears ran down their cheeks.
Again the first son was called to put sand in the grave with the help of a shovel. That he did with tears. Chief Esomonu followed and did the same. Others also did the same. The youths of the community were then asked to cover the grave with the remaining sand. That signaled the end of an era for the amiable woman of God whose life was an enriching history book.
