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By Young Erhiurhoro
The final rites of passage were held recently for the departed iconic Urhobo patriot and world-class professor of African-American Studies, late Prof. Peter Palmer Ekeh, who died on November 17, 2020 in the United States.
As has been usual since the funeral activities began, the National Executive Committee of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), led by her president-general (worldwide), Olorogun (Dr.) Moses Taiga, the management committee of the Urhobo Historical Society, a long line of Urhobo sons and daughters and lovers of the African culture around the world heralded the remains of the late Prof. Ekeh into the Urhobo House at Uvwiamuge-Agbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State with a twenty-one canon salute and the popular Urhobo royal dance (Ema Dance).
The canon shots and royal dance form the final salute and honour the Urhobo people “reserve for a great man or woman in Urhobo land.”
After the royal dance, a short tribute to the life and contributions of late Prof. Ekeh on the unity and peace of the Urhobo people was read to those in attendance by the president-general of the UPU, Olorogun (Dr.) Taiga. This segment of the rite of passage was concluded with the UPU executive members bidding the late Prof a peaceful journey home in a marching procession.
From the Urhobo House, a long convoy of vehicles accompanied the late professor to St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Okpara- Inland in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State where a funeral mass was held in his honour.
Reading his homily to the large crowd of people in the church, an outspoken and erudite Catholic priest in the Warri Diocese, Rev. Fr. Dr. Oghenejode Abaka, told the congregation how the late Prof. Ekeh sacrificed his knowledge, money and time in a selfless manner, and with great passion, for the development of Urhobo culture and history.
The man of God who said that, late Prof. Ekeh was celebrated, even in death, appealed to the large crowd of Urhobo people to reciprocate the kind gestures of the late professor by establishing schools, hospitals and industries in Urhobo land to compliment his wonderful work in Urhobo land.
The homily which he took from the Bible book of Romans 12 vs 2 dwelt on “conforming to the things of heaven, as the things of the earth would pass away.” The funeral service ended with a holy communion and words of prayers for his children, family and the entire Urhobo nation.
Finally, the funeral train from the church moved to his home town of Imodje-Orogun in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State where the remains of the departed academic was interred at his residence by a team of Catholic priests.
Thereafter, a reception was put together by the children of late Prof. Ekeh and his family for guests, including the national executive members of the Urhobo Progress Union at the Imodje-Orogun Secondary School playing field, as the popular Urhobo Christian gospel artiste, Evang. Omamesiri Ekpekuro entertained guests with his sonorous Christian lyrics.
Speaking with our correspondent during the reception, the eldest son of the late icon, Professor Akpofure Ekeh, a professor of Medicine in the United States, thanked Nigerians who gathered from all over the world to give his departed father a royal funeral ceremony.
Hear him: “We the children of late Prof. Ekeh, the Ekeh family and the entire Imodje-Orogun community wish to register our warmest appreciations and greetings to all Urhobo people led here today by the president-general of the UPU, Olorogun (Dr.) Moses Taiga, the management committee of Urhobo Historical Society, led here by Dr. Oyiborhoro and Dr. Onowarie Edevbie, for their huge support given to us in honour of our departed father. Words are never enough to show our sincere appreciation and happiness to them all.
“In the same way, we want to thank our guests, family members and friends that found time to share this great moment with us. What we are seeing today is enough testimony of the good life our late father lived for his Urhobo people and all those that came across him. We also want to thank all academic institutions that are present and every Urhobo social organisations that are present here,” he said.
The late Prof. Peter Palmer Ekeh who died at the age of 83 years, is survived by a wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Helena Ekeh, five children, seven grand children and many family members.
Late Prof. Ekeh was the founder of the Urhobo Historical Society where he authored five seminal books on the Urhobo history and culture. He would be remembered for his theories in sociology, political economy and in African-American studies where he brought to limelight the rich culture of the Urhobo people in the areas of Urhobo cultural festivals, Urhobo migrations from the old Benin kingdom, Urhobo traditional beliefs and practices, Urhobo names and the Urhobo language and many other subject areas. He would be missed in the academic world for many of his knowledge moving speeches, lectures and articles in learned journals and magazines.
