By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The remains of the 24-year old prospective corp member, Matui Esky, who was killed in a fatal crash on his way to Katsina State, for the three weeks mandatory orientation exercise, has been buried.
The burial service and interment which was held at the Christian Cemetery, Yelwa, Bauchi on Tuesday attracted hundreds of friends and sympathizers mostly youths who gathered to pay their last respect to the deceased.
Recall that Esky, who was a graduate of Architecture from the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, was posted to Borno State to perform his one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps and was on his way to Katsina State where their three weeks orientation exercise is holding.
He boarded a vehicle from Bauchi to Kano and was to take another vehicle to Katsina, when the unfortunate incident happened last Friday at Jigawa State.
The deceased, who was popularly called “Phil Chase,” was an upcoming music artist in Bauchi, and was the first born of four children.
In his message at the cemetery, the Regional Church Council Chairman, COCIN Kagadama, Rev. Luka Bitrus, said that the incident has left them in pain and shock.
He said: “In the olden days, it was considered as very tragic and sad when a young person dies because a person full of strength, energy and vigour is gone. And today, we are burying a strong, and vibrant young man.
“This death has left us with deep thoughts. It is causing us serious pain and sadness, it does not call for eating and drinking because a strong man has died. I call on you all to have deep thoughts about happenings such as these.”
Bitrus who took his reading from Ecclesiastes 11:9 and Psalm 39.1-5, called on Christians especially the youths to live holy lives with the fear of God knowing well that he will bring every of their acts to judgement on the last day.
He said: “The word of God has not left us in the dark, it has a message for every aspect of human life. From infants to when you become a youth, and even when you grow old, the Bible has an advise for you.
“The youthful age is a period of strength and a period in which a person can do and achieve anything they set out for in life, but when those years pass, you will wish to have them again, but to no avail.
“There are people who lived reckless youthful lives and they wish the years will be rewind so they can correct some mistakes they made when they were young, but it is not possible. And that is why the youthful age is a valuable period of life; it is a time you should use judiciously because you can achieve whatever you want and that period cannot be recovered once it is lost. It is a very crucial time.
“Ecclesiastes advises the young man to enjoy his youthful age and follow the desires of his heart and pleasures of his eyes, but he warns that in the midst of all these, God will bring him to judgement.
“If you use your youthful age for negative things, it will not be God’s loss but yours. Any old man you see today was a youth some years back but their strength is now gone, so I advise you, use your youthful age rightly, live to please God and leave a mark on this earth. Live everyday as if it was your last.
“You can only make your ways right with God in this life and the Bible has told us what we should do and not do. Heaven is for everyone but not everyone will make it. Follow after God young man and you will never have any regret.”
Also speaking before the interment, Rev. Amos Wedben, said only God who knows everything know why he allowed the incident happen the way it did.
“He allows everything happen the way he wishes, he mustn’t seek for our advise. God has admonish us in the Bible to be grateful in all things.
“I call on the mother and the entire family to take heart and allow God comfort you because only he can comfort you. This is a big cross for you to bear and I can see it. If you see the hundreds of people here who have come to sympathize and share in your pain, you will know that you are not alone,” he said.
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