Community Weeping as The Nation Man Chukwuka Bardi is buried

The late Bardi’s wife and son during the burial.

Oct 3rd, 2011 – Community Weeping as The Nation Man Chukwuka Bardi is buried

OGBODU,  a rusty community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, was  silent  at the weekend, as it buried one of its sons, Mr Chukwuka Bardi.

Until his death, Bardi was a pre-press manager with Vintage Press Limited, publisher of The Nation.

Bardi, who died at 44, was survived by a wife, three children and four brothers.

Wearing mournful looks, men, women and youths of the community waited patiently for the arrival of the funeral procession into the Bardi compound at Ogbe-Obi quarters.

Sympathisers wailed uncontrollably when they heard the blaring of the ambulance that brought in the remains of Bardi at exactly 4pm.

Residents, especially women ululated as grim-faced men brought out the Mahogany casket with gold trimmings that bore Bardi’s remains out for the funeral service at St Thomas Catholic Church, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku Ogbodu.

The officiating priest, Rev Jude Awunor, in his homily, told  the congregation to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ because no one knows when death would come.

He urged the congregation to reflect on the quality of their lives, adding that the quality of the life lived while on earth was more important than its length. 

The cleric said because the late Bardi died in Christ, his future was assured, adding that his spirit will be received into heaven.

Awunor asked the family not to weep as pagans who do not have hope in Christ, adding “there is another fellowship in heaven.”

According to him, death is a necessary end as no man can enter heaven with his mortal body hence the need to shed it by dying.

A distraught Chwukwuma Bardi, elder brother to the deceased, described the late Bardi as an easy-going person. 

His words: “He is an easy-going person. He is always full of smiles. He lived in the village longer than all of us and knew everyone. I spoke to him a few days before he passed on. I am unable to fathom this loss.”

Reflecting on the deaths that have befallen their family in the last four years, Chwukwuma Bardi queried rhetorically: “How can we lose four people in four years? One event too much breeds suspicion.”

Bardi’s remains were buried at exactly 5.46 pm. (Daily Times)