Adah Ameh, An Amazon That Was Suddenly Taken Away By Death
To say that I am shocked at the sudden death of Adah Ameh, the popular character in the Johnsons would be a gross understatement. I am still to bring myself to the reality of her passing as it is extremely difficult to grasp that she has passed on, especially as it was reported that she suddenly collapsed as a guest of an oil company whereupon she was rushed to the hospital where she died on Sunday 17, 2022.
I cannot imagine what it is like for her to have passed through emotional breakdown for the most part of the 48 years she spent on earth. Like an amazon she fought bouts of depression as a result of serial bereavements she suffered from losing her loved ones, particularly that of her only child, Aladi.
The actress who was known to dote over her daughter took to her verified Instagram account to share the sad news. She, however, reassured her fans that she would remain strong.
“Fans!!! My lovely people. Pray for me, my beautiful darling Child choose to go and be with the Lord in the early hours of today.
However, after the gory occurrence, she was for the umpteenth time a guest at media parleys telling Nigerians how she became bereaved soon after a previous bereavement. It was obvious that the bereavements were unarguably too heavy for her to bear so much that the media platforms were abuzz with the news that she was battling with the issue of mental health. So sad!
Surely, there is no denying the fact that she might had through prayers looked forward to the day she would be free from the lingered trauma she passed through for the most part of her earthly journey. I am sure she equally looked forward to see radiating joy on the faces of her family members, friends and professional colleagues whenever she share her testimony. Similarly, she might had wanted to see their reactions whenever she share her testimony that God did it for her, and not man. Unfortunately, fate intervened and those thoughts and expectations were drowned by unexpected death on that black Sunday in Warri, Delta State.
But alas! It was apparent that helps never came her way, unlike in other parts of the world where Grief Support Centres are readily available to render services to those that are battling with mental issues, particularly as they are readily available to offer counselling services and psychological treatment to patients that are diagnosed to be emotionally down. In fact, if she were to be an American citizen in her relatively brief earthly journey, she would have gotten help through health facilities offered by Grief Support Centres. The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched as such health facilities exist in plethora in other climes situated in American or European continent. In fact, help could have being extended to her; either by the governments or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in such clime as they are wont to put grief coping mechanisms in place for those that became emotionally devastated as a result of grieving the deaths of their loved ones. The reason for establishing Grief Support Centres in most advanced countries is basically to assist citizens that are experiencing the overwhelming grief that can immobilize them, zap their collective energy and lead them to feelings of being isolated and abandoned.
Since her death on Sunday, not few Nigerians were unanimous in their views that supposing Nigeria has such support system in place in Adah’s lifetime when she was emotionally challenged that it wouldn’t have being so harrowing for her. They unanimously added that she would have conveniently keyed into the grief support services being offered across the country instead of always coming on air to engage Journalists at media parleys.
In fact, in Nigeria, many that are presently alive, and who are unluckily passing through what Adah passed through until she transited to glory few days ago are no doubt constraint with unavailability of Grief Support Centres. Most of them, due to the emotional challenges they face as a result of bereavements, are unarguably paranoid to the extent that they are wont to erroneously think that others may notice their sadness, and therefore stay away from church or social events. Their resort to reclusive lifestyle as friends and family members see anyone that is brokenhearted to be unable to handle the situation they are facing. Such people in the life of Adah during her earthly journey might had treated her the same way without extending hands of assistance to her. Ironically, they would be the one that are at the moment crying the loudest. After all, Aesop had quotably said that “Those who cry the loudest are not always the ones who are hurt the most”
Given what Max Lucado quotably said that “Not only is death inevitable; death is necessary for us to inherit the new life we are to enjoy in”, I need not say much in this tribute to Adah other than say that she was more than a professional colleague to me as our paths crossed at different forums. She was a role model to many; one that has now fallen. She was an Amazon, particularly as she for the umpteenth time in her earthly journey spoke up concerning her plight to tell the world what was passing through. She will be missed; missed by all with whom she directly interacted with and those she touched through her long-running acting career. She will always be remembered, particularly for the films she acted in apart from her regular features in The Johnson. In as much as I am speechless since that black Sunday the news of her death came to me, it is expedient to say that an Amazon was suddenly taken away from us by death. My sincere condolences to her family. Rest in Peace, Adah.
Sandra Ijeoma Okoye (Author)