Our Young men are dying! What¹s going on?
Chido Nwangwu
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The following report appears in the December 9, 1998
editon of USAfrica The Newspaper © 1998
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Our Young men are dying! Whatąs going on? Why, Now?
€Augustine Ashiofu, 39
€Dennis Orji, 39
€George Iketubosin, 48
by Chido Nwangwu,
Founder & Publisher
http://www.USAfricaonline.com
Some of our young folks, the youth and future of community, have been
dropping dead like mushrooms caught on the wicked path of a scorching
heatwave. Almost every month, the tracks of hot tears and burdened hearts
from different regions of the U.S, and inside Africa is growing into a
communal river of sorrow. Sometimes, they die every fortnight. Sometimes,
every week.
Sometimes....
In November of 998, three we knew, personally, passed away.
Two of them were just Thirty-Nine.
Dennis Orji.
Augustine Ashiofu left without any visible form of illness.
No warning.
No notice. No!
They died, as the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti
would have said in his peculiar speak, łjust like that!˛ Inside this
edition, USAfrica The Newspaper and usafricaonline contain three composite
word pictures of three biologically unrelated lives but special brothers
and sons of our community, all with the souls of warriors and profiles of
winners. See and read their stories; all reminders of pride and pain.
As we mourn across the African community, we, at USAfrica Media
Networks, our communityąs family newspaper, have only one prayer; a
prayer and a name the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria give their kids as
divine wish against further deathly events. They name their kids who
emerged and survived previous torrents of strife and danger, ŚOzoemena.ą
It means łLet another not happen!˛
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Augustine Ashiofu did you have to leave us at 39?
Special & Exclusive to
USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
www.usafricaonline.com
Augustine Ogugua Ashiofu left the serene Eastern Nigeria capital city of
Enugu in January 15, 1979 łin search of the golden fleece.˛ He came to
Houston to begin a quest for his dream of being one of the best
computer engineers in the world.
Unfortuantely that dream was abbreviated when he went to sleep on
Saturday, November 7, and did not wake into the early hours of Sunday
November 8. By a certain premonition, the patriach of the Ashiofu family
and the man who sponsored him to the U.S Ogbueshi Anthony Ashiofu
called from Lagos. His son who lived in Augustineąs house exchanged
familial pleasantries with his father and informed him łmy uncle is
asleep.˛
On that historic, saddening day, he wanted to talk to Augustine but
Anthony Jr.ąs effort, knocking repeatedly, to wake his uncle did not
yeild any outcome. ł I knew he was in the house. Then, I had to call
my uncle John, as my dad had directed.˛ Junior stepped outside also to
łlook for my uncle Patrick. But he had gone to church.˛ Patrick told
USAfrica łI know my brother is in heaven. I prayed for him,
specifically, that morning without knowing my brother had passed....˛
According to Anthony łhe wa s to me a trusted, reliable brother; a
brother that was so outstanding I handed my first son (Anthony Jr.)
to him to bring up. I was in the graduate school when I brought him
here and he lived a very private live devoid of conflicts.˛
He was a friend to everyone. Regarding the impact of his passage,
Ogbueshi Anthony Ashiofu told USAfrica The Newspaper łit is a
vacuum that will remain forever and ever. He set high goals for
himself. You can always call him at anytime and he will be there.˛
Professionally, Augustine was a network computer systems analyst at
Convergys, Inc., in Houston. He was reputed to be a pace-setter in
that area of technological services. He made many friends from all
races; Whites, Blacks Asians and many others. At the wake-keeping
ceremony in his honor at Mabrie Memorial Mortuary, many of those persons
made excellent comments about his life.
Mrs. Theresa Mowah, a director at the British Library in London
attended the burial event in Houston looked back at łthe early formative
years of my young brother.˛ She told me that łat the early stage
of his life, we were very, very close. I took him to Idah (then in
the Northern region of Nigeria) to live with me when he was about 5
years old. He was a good listener. He meant whatever he said.
Augustine was extremely moralistic.˛ Mrs. Mowah attended the
ceremonies with her daughters, Vivian and Valerie. Chief Ashiofu said
łItąs not only a loss for us, it is a major loss for the
African communityąs high-tech talents. He was a very dependable, in need
and deed.
Patrick Ashiofu, the deceased immediate younger brother who lived
together in the same condominium complex and attended the University of
Houston like the deceased told USAfrica The Newspaper that łmy fondest
memory will be the fact he was not only a brother, he was a
friend. I can discuss anything with him. He always motivated me to
deal with any difficult situation, at all times.˛
łI want the world to know he was a very good person. He had a
good heart. Augustine was very caring hence everybody who met him
liked him a lot.˛ Anthony Ashiofu, Jr, a student of electronical
engineering and surveying at the University of Houston remembers his
uncle as łalways encouraging him to do very good in school. He made
me do good in school. If not for him, I will be in high school by
now.˛
Ogbueshi Johnny (and his wife, Tina) Ashiofu, the immediate older
brother of Augustineąs recall him as ła uniquely talented and
outstanding individual. His sense for family was impeccable. He not only
respected but loved all his folks. Weąre trying to cope with our loss.˛
His homegoing service was held at St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic
Church in Houston and was conducted by Rev. John Ndubuisi, on November 21,
1998. Augustine was born on October 26, 1959 to the late Ogbueshi
Michael and Mary Ndubuokwu Ashiofu of Ogbe Awo-Ogbomanta in Asaba in the
present Delta State of Nigeria. He was the fourth among five children.
Ogbueshi Anthony Ashiofu , former national coordinator of the Beta
Sigma Fraternity in Nigeria cited the resourcefulness of the young
man. He recalled łseeing a briefcase I had given Augustine in
1977, after my graduation from the University of Nigeria.˛
Augustine also earned a degree in Computer Science. He met and married
Rosemary Dumebi (nee Adudu), also from Asaba, in December 1996.
From every indication and testimony of Augustineąs friends and family
members, a good son has passed on. Figuratively, a promising technocrat,
a credit to our community, a shining candle of knowledge went out
sooner than we all wished.
We take solace in the meaning of the very instructive Igbo name,
łChukwuma˛- meaning Only God knows best. May his soul rest in peace!
*Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence Award (HABJ
1997), is the Founder & Publisher, USAfrica The Newspaper,
USAfricaonline.com, The Black Business Journal and www.bbjonline.com
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