Tears as Vanguard Arts Editor, Mcphilips Nwachukwu, is buried

Tears as Vanguard Arts Editor, Mcphilips
Nwachukwu, is buried
on october 27, 2013 at 1:48 pm in news
By Benjamin Njoku, Wahab Abdullah & Japhat
Alakam
Emotions ran high, yesterday, as the remains of
former Arts Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr.
Mcphilips  Nwachukwu, were laid to rest at his
home town, Umuhu Okwuato, Aboh Mbaise in Imo
State.
Nwachukwu died on – 29, September, after
suffering from a choking cough. His remains,
received with a 21 gun salute, arrived his family
house at exactly 10 am. The body laid in state for
about 30 minutes before it was taken to the St
Gregory Catholic Church, Umuhu, where a church
service was held in his honour.
Speaking at the church service, the officiating
minister, Rev. Father Chisom Odilanma, admonished
Nigerians to  learn to live a worthy life, saying death
is an inevitable end. According to him, death is not
something money can be used to avert, otherwise
Mcphilips would have been saved by Vanguard and
his colleagues.
He , however, regretted that Mcphilips died at a time
when his community needed his service. The
Catholic priest took solace in that God will raise
another Mcphilips for the community.
”Mcphilips died  at a time he would have been useful
to community by exposing to the world how their
community has been neglected by the state
government,” he said.
Mcphilip’s mentor, Professor Osuagwu, who was
among the dignitaries that attended the funeral rites,
lamented that his death has created a vacuum in
his life.
Nze  Chima Onyemekwalam,  Mcphilips’ uncle, said
his death was a rude shock to the family, adding
that they did not expect it. Also, he lamented that
the deceased died without fulfilling some of his
dreams for his immediate family.
Mcphillip’s remains were committed to mother
earth at 12.50 pm amid tears.
Those who attended the funeral rites were the
deceased’s professional colleagues, friends and
well-wishers. Among them were Orji Onoko, who
represented the Director of the National Gallery of
Art; Shuaibu Hussein represented the Artistic
Director  of the National Troupe of Nigeria; and
Professor Nwachuwku Agbada, Dean, Faculty of
Arts, Abia State University. Representing Vanguard
were members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists,
NUJ, and senior members of staff led by Mr. Victor
Omoregie as well as Yushau Ahmed.