December 25 evokes sad memory for Mrs. Chioma Dike Williams, the widow of Mr. Dike Williams who lost his life alongside three of his children in the Christmas Day suicide bombing at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla. She is sceptical about attending this year’s Christmas Day service, due on Tuesday, at the church even though it is going to mark the one year anniversary of the attack that made her a widow.
This is one of the scars left on Mrs. William by the suicide bomb attack. Though, it has been one year, time has refused to heal her wounds, as well as those of several other victims and survivors of the attack.
Her husband had just finished his new building and the entire church came to celebrate with him on December 17. He, however, did not live long to enjoy the fruit of his labour, as he died barely eight days later in the bomb blast.
Wearing a low cut and looking very pale, compared to the robust and cheerful woman who many used to know, Mrs. Williams said life has and would probably never again be the same for her and her two surviving kids.
She says: “It has not been easy, especially when you loss four people. I lost my husband who takes care of me. He was everything I had on earth. He was my father, brother, and everything to me.
“I cannot sleep. It has not been easy. When I remember December 25, I feel very sad. I can’t understand myself. I should not be taking blood pressure drugs at this my age. I have been very sad. As Christmas is approaching, I am afraid. I am not sure I will be able to come to church.”
Her three children; Lillian, Richard and Emmanuel were lost to the attack, while her two surviving children, Chimobi and Favour, both sustained serious injuries. Chimobi, the son, had a nail in his head and has ulcer, while Favour had severe burns on her leg.
To make it worst, the several promises made by the Federal Government to help alleviate the pains of these victims have not been fulfilled.
“We still go for check up at the National Hospital in Abuja and I’m the one footing the bills,” she says.
Immediately after the blast, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who had visited the victims promised that the Federal Government was going to offer scholarship to the orphans who lost their parents.
His comment brought momentary relief to some of the widows who lost their husbands and the orphans who lost their parents and had felt all their hopes to further their education was lost. But all their hopes have been dashed again, since the minister as well as the Federal Government have yet to fulfill their promises.
Also, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also while on a visit to the church made a pledge of N25 million to the victims. However, almost a year after the incident and with few days to the anniversary, families of the victims say neither the Federal Government nor the corporate bodies have yet fulfilled any of their promises.
Sir Emmanuel Obiukwu, who lost four children; Chioma, Ifeoma, Uchechukwu and Ijeoma, is still in a mourning mood. Spotting a dark sunglasses, he said most of the promises made to them were yet to be redeemed.
In March 2012, during the funeral service of his late four children, the Anambra State Governor Peter Obi promised scholarship to two of his surviving daughters.
But Obiukwu, who hails from Umuru village, Awka-Etiti Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the daughters were yet to benefit from the scholarship. He said categorically that he had been footing the bills of his daughter who is currently a student of Madonna University.
“Anambra State governor promised scholarship, but I have not seen anything, whether in cash or kind. Although on the day of the burial, he gave us N2 million, but we have not benefitted from the scholarship,” he said, adding that the Federal Government’s promises made by the interior minister and the CBN governor were yet to be fulfilled.
“We have not received any support from the Federal Government except from the Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio,” he said.
Another victim, Vitalis Ugokwe, used to be the breadwinner of his family. Today, he is almost like a burden to the same family.
His hands are crammed as a result of the blast and he can barely walk without aid.
He says that “it has been terrible. I have not got my sensation. When you touch me, I usually feel waves of shock. It has most turned me into a nervous wreck. My fingers are not straight. They are crammed. I can’t straighten my hands and I can’t stand properly. Personally, I need medical support,” he lamented.
He says further, “I used to be the director of Vital Industry where I construct electrical panels. But now, I can’t do any work. I can’t even walk without somebody supporting me.”
As this year’s Christmas approaches, though it evokes painful memories for him, Ugokwe said he has never thought of missing church service out of fear.
“I will be here. I am a Catholic and I will die a Catholic. Nothing can prevent me from coming to church. I see the incident as a test for my faith,” he said.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, the Parish Priest of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Rev.-Fr. Isaac Achi said, “Generally, it will not be as easy as when you are being confronted with some difficulties in your life. With what happened to us here, which is a year ago now, it has really brought a lot of setbacks, especially in the lives of the people. When you have to look at our numerical strength, it is no longer like what it used to be.
So, many of our people have relocated to other places and leaving us with a few, who probably have not found it easy to move out of the area. In the area of spirituality, the entire parishioners are being demoralised. But we thank God, we keep on doing a lot of spiritual activities that can bring them back; organising seminars, retreats, workshops, and calling them for counselling so that they will be able to overcome the shock. If I tell you that so many of our people have not been coming to church since that time, you won’t believe it.
Some, who are around Madalla, instead of coming to St. Theresa’s, now go to Zuba. Around this time last year, if you come here on a Sunday, specifically 6.00am mass, which was the mass the bomber targeted, the church was usually filled up, from the ground floor to the gallery, and people even stood outside. But today, if you come to the church, the ground floor is very scanty. Instead of having three masses as we used to do, it has reduced to one and half.”
He said the bomb attack affected not just the church, but the entire Madalla community, stressing that residents have moved out of the town, a situation that has also affected business.
“It is not something that only affected us as a Church, but it has affected businesses in the community. Lots of people have moved out of the town. So many people used to troop to this area to look for accommodation and they always find it difficult to get one.
But today, we have so many houses that people are not occupying. I remember around this time last December, almost on daily basis, I will bless new homes of my parishioners. Even like Dike Williams, who died with three of his children (in the Christmas Day bombing), I remember I blessed his new house on December 17, few days before his death,” the priest said.
Leadership
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