Tribute to My Father

My father was an exceptional man. He may not have been a perfect man, but he was a good man. The most important thing was that he loved us and we loved him back. We can only do our best in this life and he did his best. All I want today is to give him a dignified send-off because he was born as a role model to show me how man should be. I will always appreciate his good character and respect for others coupled with his willingness to lend a helping hand even when it was inconvenient for him. His was a fatherly love that gave us purpose and direction as well as peaceful inner security, and as we celebrate him today, there are no words to express how grateful we are that he was our father. A father we love and respect. A father who fulfilled his duties to teach, to guide and to protect. Some fathers are just father figures, but a real father like J.C. Okpaleke is very rare. Of all the men in the whole wide world, whose praises are sung out loud, there is no man I respect more or of whom I am more proud.

Throughout the years you worked so hard to provide us a happy life and even when we went through tough times and the world turned their backs on us, you carried no grudges and you did it all without strife. I’m thankful I got to watch you and for the privilege to observe your strength, your competence and your kindness. You were a true child of God-selfless, always fighting for the oppressed and taking care of the less privileged. I would like to remember my father for who he really was: a wise, decent, courageous, cheerful, humble, strong, smart, respectful, tolerant, peaceful, and most importantly a loving man. I’m glad we got to have you as our dad for all these days, months and 60 years.

I was very surprised that your life came to an abrupt end. I thought then,'why us?' But now I think 'Thank God we lived like this with our beloved father'. Thank God for the joys and pains we shared. Thank God for all the temptations we fought that made us a strong unbreakable force. Thank God for the trials and tribulations that became our success story. Whatever happens, it was worth every ounce of pain we're going through now.

Yes, its true that you would never get to see any of us get married, you would never get to carry your grand children. But we promise to tell them everyday about you as we uphold your name and reach all those heights you wished for us. Dear Dad, if you're reading this, i want to give you 60 cheers because you were a special father.

Ten cheers for loving us no matter what

Ten cheers for making us behave and for being proud of us

Ten cheers for the encouragement you gave and all the fun things we did

Ten cheers for always coming home at night and teaching us so many things

Ten cheers for making childhood a delight and for loving our mother right

This is a farewell wish from your biggest fans, and as we say our final tributes to you-Here’s another Ten cheers, Dad, just for being you. We love you. R.I.P

PS: Timi Dakolo and Rilwan did a tribute song for my father. Kindly download it and give me your feedback in the comment section. http://www.4shared.com/audio/K7q5DTps/04_Cry_for_You.html

Also, there are articles on Bella Naija and Gidi Lounge. http://gidilounge.com/?p=6151
http://www.bellanaija.com/2010/08/26/a-special-tribute-to-a-loving-father-timi-dakolo-rilwan-cry-for-you/