SATURDAY SUN,
August 25, 2012
16
SaturdayInterview From KEMI YESUFU and PAULINUS AIDOGHIE, Abuja
T
he late Chief Godwin Daboh was controversial all through his life. Almost everything the man known as ‘If you Takar me, I Daboh you,’ touched, turned into a controversy. Also, his death, according to his first child, Hon Olufunmilayo Daboh, wasn’t free of controversy. According to Ms. Daboh, her father died in mysterious circumstances. In this interview, the former lawmaker speaks on her father’s life, his death and their often rancorous relationship. She also spoke on the well reported bickering that occurred during her father’s burial, among other issues. It’s been five months since your father died. How has it been? My dad’s death was quite devastating for me because now I am all alone in the world. I am now an orphan. I lost my mother in February 2007. It has really been tough because recently my dad and I were close. In fact, my dad and I returned from Delta State, where we attended the burial ceremony of the father-in-law of my younger sister, Mrs. Oluchi Gbinije, on a Monday, only for me to hear that he died on Wednesday night. His corpse was taken to Garki Hospital, Abuja on Thursday and this means that he died in his house under questionable circumstances. Though the circumstances he died are very questionable, my immediate younger sister (Oluchi Gbinije) and I weren’t too surprised because my father feared for his life towards his last days. He told my sister and I that a particular family member had been threatening him. But I still give God the glory because I believe that nothing happens without God’s permission. I cannot question what happened; it will just be like when we wonder why God cast out Lucifer but still left him with the powers that he had. I guess this is why God’s ways are not our ways and I still give Him thanks, as He commanded that we should, under any circumstance. I also wish to thank all those who stood by the family during our trying time. Did your late father live in the same house with the family member who threatened him? It was a woman, who was threatening my father. He complained to many people not just my sister and I. One other happening struck me. Three weeks before my father died, he sent his General Manager to come pick me from my lounge after calling my mobile phone many times. I didn’t hear it ring because my phone is always on silent mode and I wasn’t near the phone since I was busy attending to my clients. When I picked his call eventually, he told me: ‘my daughter I want to see you in my office right away.’ I asked why he sounded frightened. I tried to explain to him that I would come when my driver returned from an errand, but he told me he had already sent his GM. At that moment, the GM walked in. I thank God that I went because he called all his workers together and again stated that this particular family member was threatening him. He said he was scared for his life, asking that we helped him. Maybe we should have done more than assuage his fears because three weeks after he was dead. I have little doubt about my father’s death being mysterious. I have his death certificate as the first child. It shows that he was brought in dead. They sneaked his corpse to the hospital and I wonder why. I live in Abuja; if they weren’t hiding anything, why didn’t they inform me of his death? I got a call that my father’s corpse had been deposited in Garki hospital. Are you saying that you father was killed? What I am saying is that my father died in mysterious circumstances. He wasn’t ill; he was hale and hearty. I just told you that we were both in Warri for the burial of my sister’s father-in-law. And because my father had expressed fear for his life to many people, it is quite clear that the circumstances of his death are mysterious. Neither anyone nor I would
Daboh
My father died in mysterious circumstances —Godwin Daboh’s daughter you believed that he died mysteriously? Would it (autopsy) wake him up? As I told you, I was surprised to hear of my father’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, the next thing, I was in hospital to see his corpse. When you get to the mortuary, the first thing they ask for was the payment for embalmment. It was after Why didn’t you call for an autopsy since they had embalmed him that one of my sisters
have expected that he would die all of a sudden. My father was strong for his age. He used to drive from Abuja to Maiduguri by himself; it was people around him that advised that he stopped this because he wasn’t getting younger.
who was so upset, asked that we demand an autopsy. But I have no doubts about what I have told you concerning the circumstances of my father’s death. In fact, I have text messages, which showed that the family member my father complained about also asked that I
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