Hon. Justice Moses Gwatana of the Idah Division of the High Court of Justice of Kogi State has been urged by the Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi, to take the death of his father as a divinely ordained “operation of the supremacy of God in human affairs”.
Hon. Justice Gwatana’s father, Pa Daniel Gwatana Ndazhaga, passed on last Thursday at the age of 84. He will be buried at his home at Akakana in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State next month.
The CJ who led members of the Council of Judges, Management and a few number of staff of the High Court on a condolence visit to his bereaved brother judge said there were always lessons learnt from the occurrence of death because the activities of man depend on availability of life.
According to him, “no matter who you are and no matter what you have, it is all premised on whether you have life or not. It is only when you have life that all things become relevant. If you don’t have life they are not relevant. That is why I said we are privileged to witness the operation of God in the affairs of men. It is a lesson for us first and foremost.”
He therefore counseled Justice Gwatana to strengthen himself because that is how God has ordained it and will not change what he has ordained for humanity.
He further harped on human relations being the best option amongst the living stressing that whoever obstructs good relationship has no life with God.
“Why we are here today or why you are feeling what you are feeling is because you are related to him one way or the other and we are related to you one way or the other too. That’s where it begins until it becomes a fact that good relationship is very good in our lives. The lord has created us to relate with one another and anybody who obstructs good relationship has no life with God.”
While asking the bereaved not to grieve too much as a son whose care was “acknowledged as a good child” by the deceased, the CJ said continuous thoughts of the relationship they had shared as father and son would definitely weaken him but prayed for the spirit of God to strengthen him and other members of the family.
“The only thing we can say at this moment is that the spirit of God who is capable of consoling and also strengthening a soul will straighten you and the family. He will cause you to see the glory involved in this event. We cannot say that you will not sorrow but sorrow realizing that the glory in it is much more than what you think of” he said.
In his response, Justice Gwatana thanked the delegation, and said he was really honoured and pampered by the visit. Recounting the last moments he had with his late father, he said the late community leader was a notable and dedicated farmer who still tended his farm that fateful morning and shared mango fruits he brought from the farm to people before retiring to take a rest. The deceased unfortunately had a health crisis during the rest and despite rushing him from the village to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja he couldn’t survive it as he gave up the ghost.
While also appreciating all members of the Kogi State Judiciary family for the love they have shown and craved its consolidation, he said the burial has been scheduled for the 12th and 13th of next month at Akakana, his hometown, in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State. He said it was a great loss to all his siblings and the entire family.
