Anambra Lawmaker Calls for Renaming AMEA Awards after Media Guru, Harris-Chuma Odili

By Praise Chinecherm

Lawmaker representing Anaocha 2 constituency in the Anambra state House of Assembly, Hon Ejike Okechukwu has called for the immortalization of late Harris Chuma-Odili by renaming his Anambra Media Awards (AMEA) after the deceased

He said renaming the award after the benefactor would serve as not just a legacy but a way of sustaining the project to outlive him.

Speaking in Awka at the Night of Tribute & Candlelight Procession organized by the family in honour of the deceased, Okechukwu said he was ready to support the immortalization project if ratified by the family.

He expressed regrets over Chuma-Odili’s demise, especially the circumstances surrounding his death, describing it as a case of temporary shut out of the heart which could have been handled.

He said, “For me, if it’s in the western world, Ogene wouldn’t have been dead by now. For someone to slump in an event attended by about 50 persons, and not a single person there knows how to administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is worrisome.

“If it’s in a sane clime, someone there must know how to administer CPR. It has been proven that such slumping in the past, persons have been rescurcitated through CPR.

“This is simply a case of temporary shut out of the heart which can be rescurcitated through proper CPR.

“I saw the video where he slumped, with people standing up with him, and no single person knew how to administer CPR. This calls for serious question.”

Asked if he suspected any foul play, the lawmaker said, “I don’t suspect anything; and I don’t even know how to suspect anything when such incident happens.

“There have been several similar cases of death through slumping, yet the concerned individuals were not involved in community politics.

“I think it is something that happened at the time it was to happen. I don’t suspect anything. I still insist if there were capable hands with knowledge of CPR, Ogene wouldn’t have been dead by now.”

Describing the deceased as peace loving, the lawmaker urged the family, colleagues and friends to take solace in God and in the legacies he left behind.

He added, “Ogene is a very good friend, we’ve been friends for years. Just recently, we did something closely together and it led me to know much more of him that I knew before.

“He is just a jolly good fellow, someone that’s always happy, rejoices whenever something good happens to any of his friends.

“I don’t know him as a trouble maker, or
cantankerous human being. But I know him as peace loving person that desires to see people grow.

“He will be largely missed, especially by the media world. The media award he established can be attributed to these qualities which he had organized for years.

“It’s unfortunate Ogene is dead, and I don’t think there’s anything we can do to bring him back to life. It’s a necessary end of every mortal.

“He’s paid his dues, done his beat, and I wouldn’t want us to grieve like those without hope.

“The only thing the media family owe Ogene is to ensure his legacies are not left to die. They should ensure they extol his legacies and allow those things he left, including the award winning are sustained in his memory.

“To the family, I urge them to take heart, and pray to God to find him worthy of paradise

A member of the family and cousin to the bereaved, Ezenwafor said the family was yet to come over the shock occasioned by the ugly incident.

“Up till now, I can’t believe the news because I can’t believe it happened. We were on phone about 30 minutes before I got another call and started hearing another story.

“For someone that is hale and hearty to have died that way is confusing. The family is still in shock and mourning mood. The shock of his death is affecting everyone, including the little ones at home.

“We’re however concentrating on plans to give him befitting burial. Just like he used to say, ‘put your faith in God’, we keep trusting God

“I believe that God knows what happened and why he allowed such to happen. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened. I see it as God’s will, praying such won’t happen again,” he sobbed.

Ezenwafor said the deceased left lots of children behind, both biological and adopted, including himself, despite being a cousin.