Tribute to my sister, colleague, and friend – Raheemat Omoro Momodu

BY DAVID OMOZUAFOH

The death of Raheemat Omoro Momodu on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, came to all with sadness and shock but with gratitude and total submission to God. She was buried on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. May her soul rest in peace.

Raheemat, among many roles, was the president of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (the US Department of State’s premier professional exchange program) Alumni Association in Nigeria, former president of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Lagos chapter, former president of the Association of Nigerian Women in Ethiopia. Until her death, she was the principal programme officer, human security and civil society organizations in the Department of Gender and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission. She had served as ECOWAS representative to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Raheemat was a humanist, an activist per excellence and a champion of responsive and accountable governance with an unquenchable passion for women’s advancement at all levels. She was an optimist, passionate about the Nigerian project and committed time and energy to promote the actualization of a country of her dream – a Nigeria of opportunities for all – peaceful, united, working for its people and leading Africa. She was optimistic that, that Nigeria is possible and achievable.

Raheemat was “big” in everything – not just her size – big ideas, a big sense of humour, big passion for charity. She had no fears of confronting situations or challenges. She never abdicated her responsibilities. I recall the many occasions she invited us to her house to discuss Nigeria and she would warn – “do not come with more complaints but solutions. We must learn to organize not agonize. Enough of that”. In a particular year, the Nigerian mission announced that there would be no resources to organize a party to commemorate the independence anniversary and that Abuja had advised that that year’s celebration would be low-key. Raheemat took it upon herself to organize a grand independence anniversary party. She said, “low key does not mean no key”. She mobilized us to contribute, and we had a blast. In another year, she said: “Look, each year we just eat to celebrate our Independence Day, this year, let us talk, then, we eat”. That year, we had a seminar on the Nigerian situation. She was a panellist along with Dr Ozonnia Ojielo while I was the moderator. We talked. We ate. She made it possible. Ever since, the Nigerian community in Ethiopia has continued that path to celebrate our yearly independence anniversary.

Raheemat was my sister, my colleague, and my friend. From the NGO sector, we both moved into the development sector. In Ethiopia, Raheemat’s house was for everyone. When I relocated to Addis, I spent the first three months at her house while looking for mine. When eventually I found one, she reluctantly agreed because her house was readily available for me. Then three and half years later, I left Addis but returned about a year later. Again, I hibernated at her house until I found mine. Our families became close, and we exchanged visits. She is known as the big aunty to my children and to my wife. When she came to Addis in May 2022, we spent some quality time together going over almost everything under the sun. There was no way I could have imagined that I was seeing her for the last time. Just a week before her passing we chatted on several issues, again, not knowing that too was the last. Processing the information that she passed on was therefore not easy for me. But death is the debt we all owe and will pay at God’s scheduled time.

I will not mourn anymore because though she died, she is not dead. She is alive in all the issues we share a common interest, and they are many. Those issues she was vocal and relentless about still live with us. Every time we encounter those issues, we remember Raheemat because we know too well how she would have reacted. She lives on because we carry on from where she left the battle to make Nigeria, Africa, and the world great.

Rest on my sister, colleague and friend!