Tributes As Uku Is Buried
By Sunday Orisakwe and Johnson Okanlawon
IT was still a flood of eulogies yesterday as the remains of the late Executive Consultant (Computers) of The Guardian Newspapers Limited, Mr. Frederick Uku were laid to rest at the Victoria Garden City Cemetery, Lekki, Lagos.
Speaking during the farewell service at The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Resurrection Parish, Pastor Dan Ndeto reminded Uku's family, friends and colleagues that it was only the physical body of Uku that has passed away, but that his soul still lives.
Ndeto said his family should be happy because Uku had a chance to make peace with God before he passed away. He reminded the audience at the church that the only protection they should seek is the protection of our Lord Jesus Christ who alone has the power, to kill the body and the soul of a man.
Pastor Ndeto lamented that of all God's creation it is only man that keeps disobeying God. The pastor made it clear that people must seek for God's forgiveness now that they have the opportunity to do so, and that when they die they would have lost that opportunity. "No father or mother loves a disobedient child. So we must work towards doing those things that would make our heavenly father to love us," he added.
The late Uku's first daughter Francesca, took the first reading, while the last son Henry, took the second reading. In paying tribute to her father, Frances said her father was everything to them.
"He was a man who loved his family so much. While others were chasing contracts, my father was busy chasing the welfare of his family.
"In fact, we didn't have to ask for things we needed before we got them from our father. The day he died I spoke to him from abroad and I wished he would get better. He was very much interested in our education and he gave us what we needed in life."
Uku was described by many who knew him as a perfect gentleman of great intelligence and knowledge.
In his remark, the managing director of The Guardian Newspapers Limited, Mr. Emeka Izeze, noted that Uku's knowledge on the editorial board would be greatly missed. "Anytime we had to write editorials on the energy sector, his intellectual input was always of great help."
Present at the funeral rites were the publisher of The Guardian Mr. Alex Ibru, his wife, Maiden, The Guardian Executive Consultant Circulation, Mr. Yaya Awosanya, Managing Director, the Guardian Services Limited Mr. Henry Oladimeji,
Others were Mr. Debo Adesina, Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian and the Newspaper's Legal Adviser, Mr. Kingsley Osadolor.
