Lois Otse Adams
“In the end, it is not the years in your life that count, it is the life in your years.”
The beautiful portrait stood, with an enchanting smile of a woman who once graced the earth, leaving beautiful nostalgic memories behind.
It was indeed a life well spent, especially in the memories of those who have been lucky to come across such a same in this lifetime.
Ten years remembrance of the passage of the rare gem, Dame Philomina Fatima Ikanade Agba reignites the feeble minds of the immortalities of exemplary lifetime legacies.
A woman with a voice; a voice of humility, love, kindness, compassion, and godliness. A woman who accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars.
The yearly remembrance is marked with tales of mama’s rare personalities that preach peace even in the face of adversities. An all-embracing woman who is for everyone irrespective of tongue and colour, religion and affiliations.
Mama as she is fondly called by all and sundry exudes grace, and her hospitality to those who came in contact with her is a folktale never to be forgotten.
An inspiration even to the faint-hearted, mama stood as a strong pillar of support to those who seek her interventions, dishing the best solutions to daunting problems.
The fruit of her resilient and amiable spirit can be seen in her children, the Honourable Minister of State, Budget and National planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Prince Solomon Ikanade Agba and Princess Ann Okpako (nee Agba). Truly, the apple does not not fall far from its tree.
“Some people are dead, but their character kept them alive, while others are alive, but their character killed them.”
The above statement credited to Imam Ash-Shafi further explains the nostalgic feelings of the undead; friends, families, and well-wishers who are left to mourn mama.
For in their hearts, the personality of this rare gem will serve a lifetime in their memories. It’s been 10 years, but it still feels like yesterday, as mama earned and crafted her reputation like an artwork. She went on to hone it and display it with the care of an artist.
For those who are left to celebrate the beautiful life and end of Dame Philomina Fatima Ikanade Agba, we are left with the consolation that those who love beyond the world can not be separated by it.
For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.
And for the memories in our minds for each day, it lingers thus;
“Death cannot kill what never dies.”
