- Wife of a Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor who died in an accident has opened up about her loss
- She however questioned the Christian stereotype that when a man dies, he has ended his race on earth
- She said the death of her two sons can not be justified
Mrs Vivian Ezechila, wife of a Redeemed Christian Church of God pastor who recently lost her husband and two sons after a container fell on their vehicle while coming back from the monthly Holy Ghost service of the church has lamented her loss.
In an interview with Punch, the bereaved Vivian who lost her husband and two children in the disaster questioned the Christian stereotype that when a man dies, he has ended his race on earth.
The family photo of late Redeemed pastor: from Left to Right: The late Chibuke, Victoria, late Charles, Emmanuel, Vivian and late Peculiar: Photo credit: Punch
She noted that even if that could be said of her husband, the death of her two sons is unfathomable.
The 49-year-old while narrating her recollections of the sad event said when asked how she got to know of the accident that claimed the lives of her loved ones:
"My pastor called me on Saturday, July 8, around 7am. He said, “Where are you, Sister Vivian?” I told him I was at home. He then asked me who among my children accompanied my husband to the Redemption Camp. I told him two of my children— Peculiar, 12, and Chibuike, 14. I asked him if all was well. He said yes. After the call, I was disturbed because anytime my husband went to the camp; he usually came back home around 5 or 6am. I had been calling his number but it was not going through.
"I called my daughter that I was not comfortable with the questions our pastor asked me on the telephone. I asked her to call our church member in Ojota to know if my husband and two children were in Ojota. The fellow told us there was an accident at Ojota. We then asked who was involved. He said my husband, my two sons with some other church members — one old woman and our neighbour’s child, Daniel.
"On hearing this, my daughter started crying. I tried to console her. We had just woken up from sleep. A family friend went to Ojota Bus Stop and saw the wreckage. We were told that a truck conveying a container fell on their bus. The fellow was there when they brought the crane to lift the container off the damaged bus my husband, our two children and others were travelling in.
Going further, the mother of four recalls her last conversation with her late husband.
"I called my husband around 11 or 12pm on Friday. He was at the camp. I told him that because of the Badoo killings in Ikorodu, he should not come home very early as he usually did. I asked him to stay around till 5 or 6am before leaving the camp. He asked me if there was any riot in any place. I said no. He said I should forget about the cult matter and not entertain any fear. He assured me that since he was coming from a church of God, there was nothing to worry about. I was told he left the camp around 3am. That was the last discussion I had with him.
Speaking on the numbers of children she had, she said:
"Four. Two died while two are still alive. The surviving ones are Victoria and Emmanuel, who is in the university.
When asked if the redeemed church had reached out to her, she responded in the affirmative. However, noting that the death of her two sons can not be justified.
"Yes, they have. They came in large numbers, telling me not to be weary. They said he had finished his race. I asked them, “What about my two young children who died? Have they finished their race too just like that?”
After a fully loaded container fell on a commercial bus in Ojota area of Lagos. Three people have been rescued from the wreckage by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency officials which occurred on early Saturday, July 8.
The occupants of the bus were returning from the monthly vigil at the Redeemed Christian Church of God headquarters on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
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