Sad, As Hosa Okunbo Goes Home!

As they usually say in the Christendom, unarguably from the perspective of the book of Ecclesiastes, there is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every event. Whatever our beliefs may be or may not be as to a specific "appointed time," each of us knows the inherent truth of the well-known Bible verse. One day, death comes to us and to everyone we love.

In fact, merely realizing the inevitability of keeping an appointment with dead usually send jitters to the spine of anyone; no matter how hardened he or she is. Poet Maya Angelou wrote, "I answer the heroic question, 'Death, where is thy sting?' with 'It is here in my heart and mind and memories'", a reflection that death takes from us the physical presence of people who are precious, with effects that often bring piercing pain and indescribable depression.

Why this ominous intro? You may have asked. Permit me to say that Edolites have been profoundly pained by the death of Capt Hosa Okunbo on August 8, 2021. The billionaire philanthropist, businessman and founder of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, was once rumoured to be dead few months ago but the sad news was rebutted by the Odionwere, Elder-In-Council and the people of Orhua, the ancestral home of the Benin multi-billionaire and philanthropist.

The leaders of the agrarian village in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, having condemned the false rumour at the time the pressmen went for fact findings over the news, said it was evil for anyone to have claimed that their son was dead, “whereas he was hale, hearty and alive in overseas, where he travelled to.”

Orhua community, at the time, in a press statement endorsed by the Odionwere (lthe oldest man in the community), Pa Asiboja frowned at the fake news, and declared it, as a “deadly evil and most unthinkable thing to have been instigated by men and women, who were created by God…”

Julst like Isabel Allende wrote in her novel, “There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them,' my mother explained shortly before she left me. 'If you can remember me, I will be with you always”, it is obvious that people are remembered and immortalized in the heart of men when they impacted on the lives of others during their earthly journey.

Ostensibly heeding to the encouraging words of Shannon Alder that says “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you”, Captain Hosa Okunbo undeniably embarked on philanthropic activities, and there is no denying the fact that he carved his name in the hearts of men, and not tombstones.

When asked about his philanthropic disposition at a media parley on the heel of the presentation of the Philanthropic Roundtable and Forbes Africa Awards 2020 to him, he said giving to the poor and expecting accolades was not the type of philanthropy he would like to be associated with.

Captain Okunbo, who was the first, among the recipients in various categories of the award to speak at the event, said he prefers to do ‘quiet philanthropy’, unlike the noisy one associated with foundations that people set up to drum up publicity about themselves and their business.

He said: ‘God told me not to set up foundation, so I am not the type to celebrate the philanthropy that I do; therefore I do it in a quiet way. I believe that whatever one does in secret will be rewarded by God’.

Capt. Hosa, as he was fondly called, said “when God blesses you, it is not for you to keep it to yourself but to also use it to bless others. Beneficiaries may talk about my philanthropy but I do not need to talk about it myself because it is not by my power but by the grace of God that I have achieved all I have in life. It is good to leave a legacy within the community and environment we operate”.

As Hosa Okunbo’s death is today reminding us that death is inevitable, “What can we learn from it as his demise has brought us face to face with our own mortality?”

Gandhi advised us to "Live as if you were to die tomorrow." In like manner, Christian Furchtegott Gellert said, "Live as you will have wished to have lived when you are dying."

At this juncture, it is expedient to ask, with death being inevitable, “How differently would you live your life if you knew that tomorrow would be your last day on the face of the earth?”

“What would you make sure you said?” “To whom would you have said it?” “Who would you make sure to call, write, or see?” “What would you have wanted to do?”

Because no one knows the rate at which the grains of sand are falling through the hour glass of life, it makes sense, each day, to do and say those things that we would have wished we had done when our "appointed time" comes.

Adieu, the silent philanthropist, may your soul continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord.