BY CHIKA OKEKE
Family of late Music Icon, Onyeka Onwenu finally granted her final wish to be buried in a quite and private funeral ceremony.
News Rider recounted how Onwenu had requested that she should be buried when she exits the earth.
"Do it quickly, quietly and privately. Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh.
"Make merriment and then go about your business. If my friends want to celebrate with me, they should do so while I am alive, so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me Onyeka Onwenu."
Known as 'Elegant Stallion', Onwenu's funeral service was held at the Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju area of Lagos State on Friday, August 30.
Her two sons, Tijani and Abraham Ogunlende accompanied the pallbearers to usher in her body during the service.
Onwenu's remains were placed in a white coffin and transported by a white chariot to her final resting place in the commercial capital of Nigeria.
This was followed by a private burial that took place at Ebony Vault in Ikoyi, where family, friends and colleagues gathered to wish the late actress a peaceful rest in the afterlife.
The presenter and politician gave up the ghost on July 30, 2024. She collapsed shortly after her performance in Lagos to celebrate the 80th birthday party of the Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Stella Okoli.
Some of the dignitaries that attended the funeral service were former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti and Dr Stella Okoli.
Other famous musicians that honoured the late 72-year-old songstress were Charly Boy Oputa, Orits Williki andTee Mac Omatshola-Itseli.
In a tweet shortly after the funeral, Obi described Onwenu as a national treasure that believed in a more united and progressive Nigeria.
"Today (Friday) in Lagos, I joined family, friends and other mourners to pay my last respects to the late iconic song star, my very dear elder sister, Onyeka Onwenu, who was laid to rest. I still recall, with pain, her final moments before she took the final bow on 30th July all of which I completely witnessed.
"Late Onyeka Onwenu remained a national treasure, who believed in a more united and progressive Nigeria. In her last performance on stage before the tragic incident that fateful day, she sang her popular song, “One Love Keep Us Together”, and this bears significant testament to her belief while she lived here on earth.
"Once again, I like to extend my condolences to her children, family, friends, loved ones, and all of us, during this difficult time. May we all find the strength and courage to bear her sad irreplaceable loss. May God grant her eternal rest and protect, and bless her family always," he added.
For Charly Boy, he posted the video of the funeral and captioned it as: "There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they are gone, the light remains. Farewell our darling Onyeka Owenu. You are Loved."
Briefly
Onwenu was born on January 31, 1952. She hailed from Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
Though she was raised in Lagos, Onwenu was the youngest daughter of a politician D. K. Onwenu, who died a week before his appointment as Minister for Education.
She attended Wellesley College, Massachusetts, where she bagged Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Communication. She proceeded to The New School for Social Research, New York and obtained her Master’s Degree.
The late music icon worked as the United Nations tour guide before returning to Nigeria in 1980 to complete her mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Lagos.
When she started her career as a singer, Onwenu became famous for her melodious voice and evergreen songs that reflected societal ills.
Comments
Post a Comment