A Life Bencher, Chief ZIGGY AZIKE’s Sudden Death & My Recollection of “That Tiny Device In Your Hands”

(by udems)

CHIEF ZIGGY AZIKE, Hon. Life Bencher never missed Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus dinner, at least I knew during the time I was an official part of the Lagos Academic Family. The After-Dinner Speech he delivered during one of our Law School dinners in 2017, still rings a bell in my head. Titled ”That Tiny Device In Your Hands,” Chief AZIKE had lamented how handsets or mobile phones had constituted a huge distraction and wrought huge havoc to students all over the country. 

Listing the many distractions and havoc the mobile phone may cause if taken to the class, law school dinners other academic engagements, Chief AZIKE urged students all over the country (especially in the NLS) to drop their mobile phones during lectures and face their lectures/studies squarely, in order to make the best of their teachers. 

Something remarkable happened just twodays after Chief AZIKE’s said after-dinner speech; it is something I must tell about, now that he is no more, if not for anything, at least to encourage those alive and generations yet unborn to follow the footsteps of Chief AZIKE’s exceptional parental altruism and unrelenting learned humility. Story coming soon. 

Meanwhile, isn’t his sudden death shocking? What life is this we live? Today with us; tomorrow without! Anyway, it’s not ours to ask questions of the unseen supernatural. If it happens, it has happened. Since we have no power to change the course or cause, we must muster enough serenity to cope with a situation we cannot change. 

Chief AZIKE, Hon Life Bencher, sorry, sir. And thank you for the good life you led, leaving us huge good examples to copy from. Benjamin Franklin once said, ”if you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing about.” 

Dear sir, you would be remembered for the great deeds/things you did with what you had more than for what you had, because you used what you had to do something distinctive during your lifetime and thereby left notable footprints before your sad departure. 

As you’ve now left us, albeit against your will, please go in peace, sir. May He wipe out your sins and get you seated at His right hand side, to partake in the eternal life of which we’re promised and towards which pursuit you had passionately dedicated and diligently applied a your life. Rest In Peace sir. It’s well with your soul. Amen 🙏 

I remain, your younger brother, fellow LPDite, close learned friend and great admirer,

Sylvester Udemezue

(Udems)

08109024556. 

(07 January 2021)