All roads led to Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area in Edo State as President Goodluck Jonathan led top government functionaries, members of the Oshiomhole family, well wishers, friends, and associates, to bid farewell to the wife of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Clara Oshiomhole, who was buried in her country home yesterday.
Mrs. Oshiomhole had succumbed to breast cancer last week, leaving behind her husband and five children.
The president who could not hide his pain at her demise during the funeral service, said he was shocked when he received the news of the death of Clara Oshiomhole, adding that he had promised to personally attend the wedding ceremony of Oshiomhole’s daughter, originally planned for yesterday, “which unfortunately has tuned out to be the burial of Clara.”
He stated that “when we got the news of the death of Mrs. Oshiomhole, we were really shocked. I promised to attend the church service of the daughter’s wedding and that my wife will be at the reception but some how, we are attending the burial ceremony of his wife.”
He disclosed that the governor had told him how his late wife had contributed to him (Oshiomhole) being a strong Catholic. Jonathan prayed to God to grant the Oshiomhole family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Earlier, Governor Oshiomhole disclosed how he and his late wife, Clara, had planned the wedding ceremony of their daughter for yesterday, “but God overruled our decision.”
Revealing further the contributions of his late wife and her support, he acknowledged that “without her, many things would have been impossible in my life.”
Oshiomhole used the occasion of the funeral ceremony of his wife to debunk the widely held misconception about his religious faith and declared that he was a Christian, wedded in the Catholic Church and was baptised with the name, Eric, but that his parents were Muslims.
“I have no doubt that without my belief in Christ, I would not have reached where I am. Only God knows who is a Christian,” said the governor.
According to him, nothing more would have gladdened his wife’s heart than the three Archbishops who had gathered to celebrate her funeral mass.
In her comment, his daughter, Winifred who was supposed to get married yesterday, described her late mother as the pillar of the family and that she kept the challenges of her ill-health away from her friends because she didn’t want anyone to cry for her.
“I want people to celebrate her life and not cry for her,” Winifred said.
Clara was interned at about 2.15 pm amidst dignitaries like former and serving governors, ministers, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and hundreds of guests from all works of life.
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