#jaiyeorie
A
medical doctor, Ijeoma Idaresit, who described herself as having a
dream of improving Nigeria’s poor health sector, has died in a fire
along with her 2 children.
Idaresit, who was until her death,
the Conference Director at Postpartum Support Network Africa, was said
to have died along with her two daughters at their Parkview, Ikoyi,
Lagos, on Sunday after an electrical fault ignited a fire.
A
friend of the deceased, Olatoun Gabi-Williams, in a tribute she posted
on Facebook, said neighbours contacted the Lagos State Fire Service but
before the firemen arrived, the house had been razed.
She wrote,
“On Saturday, December 12, 2020, we lost a dearly loved one, Ijeoma
Idaresit née Ejekam, our African Book Group librarian and cherished
friend to all of us.
“The
tragic death of Ijeoma, fondly known as Ije, occurred at her Park View
residence when due to an electrical fault, a fire started, quickly
consuming the entire building with Ije and her two beautiful daughters –
a toddler and a baby – indoors, upstairs. The fire brigade showed up 20
minutes too late: by the time they managed to get upstairs to rescue
the young family, it was too late.”
But a spokesman for the Lagos
State Fire Service, Ahmodu Shakiru, who spoke on behalf of the acting
Head of the agency, Margaret Adeseye, said the fire service could not be
blamed for the incident.
On a personal basis, I loved Ije - her quiet cheerfulness, her
gentleness, her razor sharp mind which she shared with such discretion.
She was so respectful! Thank you, Ije. I attended her wedding to Abbas
Idaresit – her nice husband, now so tragically bereaved . I was at the
wedding with other ABG members in full aso ebi. What a lovely wedding!
As she walked down the aisle, she reached out to gently squeeze my hand,
smiling that warm smile of hers, that reached up and lit up her eyes.
She was so full of life. Thank you Ije! The late Gail Vendeland – an
American – also attended the wedding in full aso ebi – I remember it
well, Gail’s iro and buba, complete with a superbly tied, regal gele.
That is how much we all loved Ije.
I loved her as I love her mother, Nnenna. When they showed up
together at the Wake-Keeping service when my father died , I felt so
appreciated.
Such a loving mother; such a loving daughter. Ije’s own daughters were gorgeous – like their mother.
Now we are talking about Ije’s passing and it is so shocking,
so cruelly unnecessary, so totally wrong . We are all beyond words.
Ije, I haven’t taken in your passing. I can’t; it is too difficult.
May your beautiful soul and the souls of your gorgeous little
girls, rest in eternal peace. May your husband, Abass, your mother,
Aunty Nnenna, your father and siblings be comforted. As the days pass,
may they find strength in their memories of you.
Olatoun Gabi-Williams"
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