Timothy Eigbona Okoh: The light shines forever

By February 10, 1957, when he was born, the nation was trapped in the vortex of a fierce struggle for independence. The locals saw hope in the future of a country that would emerge from the clutches of the colonialists. They had reasons to hope, just like everyone across the country who was old enough to know the difference between white and black. That was the way they described us, black folks.

In the heat of that agitation — I am not sure they even understood the concept of freedom — two young people from nondescript backgrounds, Jonathan Aigbonifoh Okoh from Ikekogbe Ugbeggun and Josephine Ilobekemen Ugba from Idumoli Ugbegun, found love. They too were ready for a new Nigeria, brimming with optimism that, one day, God would bless them with children who would now also have a say in the new country.

God saw their hearts and began to bless them with the children they prayed for. But one by one they died, leaving them quite forlorn at the time, but they never gave up. On the date earlier mentioned, another male child was born to them. In agreement, they named him Eigbona, meaning that this one is not destructible, unlike the rest. The other name, Timothy, was added. Full name – Timothy Eigbona Okoh!

In his young days, Timothy lived with our most senior uncle, Mr Michael Ojeabulu Okoh. We grew up to meet him as a teacher, a good one for that matter, and quite itinerant, as he taught across the old Midwest State, now Edo/Delta. Timothy went everywhere with him, growing up alongside his children.

His other siblings, including me – and there were quite a number of us as our dad had three wives – quietly envied him because he lived with a teacher and teachers were the big boys in the society, the middle class, in our own estimation. He rarely came home until our uncle was transferred to Ugbegun to teach in his home town. We lived in the same family house but we lived apart as he still stayed with our uncle.

He had always been an embodiment of peace, like a dove that hurts no one. He was like that growing up. But one day we fought. I am sure I was the one who initiated the trouble. Our father didn’t beat me but spoke to me very solemnly and that changed the concept of our relationship until it grew into a father figure relationship since our parents went on their journey.

He would finish his early education at Ikekogbe Primary School before proceeding to Uhumuode Grammar School, Ehor, where a proud son of Ugbegun, Anthony Aimonode, was the senior prefect. He started life as a teacher, just like our uncle, and it was in the process he met his lovely wife, Juliet Opute, who was also a teacher. He would later attend the College of Education, Igueben, before proceeding to the University of Benin where he earned a degree in geography.

Away from teaching, Timothy worked in three organisations in Lagos, in the following order: SATREX, Premier Hospital, Zinox and back to Premier Hospital. It was while at SATREX, a technology and commodity distribution company, that he met a UNDP-approved development and human capital expert. Together, they would train a lot of workers in the Republic of Benin. I always enjoyed some pride on his behalf each time he shared his experiences.

The experience earned helped him to become a top human capital manager at both Zinox and Premier, although he would stay much longer at Premier where he retired into senior citizenship. Timothy always left an impression wherever he stepped into. When he worked in Zinox, his impact was so profound at Premier where he had worked earlier that the management piled pressure on him until he returned to the organisation, one of the topmost hospitals in Lagos state.

While in Lagos, he worked on his faith and became a big pastor in the Redeemed Church. One would always enjoy some swagger each time I told people my brother was a big pastor in Redeem. He never joked with church money. He would hardly talk to anybody each time he was making his accounts and returns at the end of the month.

At Uromi, he simply retired into the work of God and I have the feeling that he enjoyed some groove doing so.

The Okoh family is quite large. We enjoyed the beauty and the bragging right of being large but we also have our fissures. Timothy was the bridge builder, reaching out to everyone, to the seniors and even the younger ones, counselling where counsel was needed.

Timothy was not demanding and would not put pressure on anybody for anything. He was a contented fellow. Instead, he would always be more concerned about the welfare of others. For example, the last two conversations we had were about quickly fixing the borehole at home so that the locals could have water this season and the light bills that must be paid. In fact, he paid the last one the day he took ill, if I remember correctly.

He was the father we had back home and would stay in the gap for any of us. Like the father he was, he bore every burden and pain without complaints.

When we were small, as young children, we didn’t have electricity. There was oil lamp, kerosene lamp, and then gas light. Only a few people had gas light at the time, and they were rented to light occasions.

I just realised that gas light made people happy and euphoric. And sometimes, it went off to their extreme displeasure. God’s light is forever. Doesn’t ever go off, like a gas light.

My brother, Timothy, with his extraordinary life, showed us a little bit of that; God’s light. Now, he is in that environment where the light is forever.

“He was a burning and shining light,” according to John 5.35, “and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.”

He has left us with that light to live forever with the one who originally created light in Genesis 1.3

Timothy Eigbona Okoh is blessed with a lovely family, a great son, Odianosen, and three beautiful daughters – Itohan, Eseohe, Eghonghon and Engr Mercy Udeh who was concluding the process of being your next big daughter.