Tributes Flow as Pa. Festus Onwuzuruigbo Iruamaka Is Laid to Rest in Agwa
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Rita Onuoha
OBUDI, AGWA, OGUTA LGA, IMO STATE — Residents of Obudi, Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, alongside family members, friends, community leaders and well-wishers from across Nigeria and the United States, gathered in large numbers to bid farewell to Pa. Festus Onwuzuruigbo Iruamaka, popularly known as “Rock Show.”
The late octogenarian was buried on Friday, August 28, 2026, at his country home in Umuahii, Obudi, Agwa Ancient Kingdom, following funeral activities that began the previous day.
The Christian wake-keep was held at Christ the King College (CKC) Parish, Obudi, on Thursday, August 27, and attracted relatives, friends, church members and community associates who came to honour the deceased and celebrate his life.
On Friday morning, the remains of Pa. Iruamaka were conveyed from Aladimma Mortuary, Owerri, in a motorcade and large convoy to Obudi. The procession made a brief stop at his former family compound at Uzii, Umuahii, where his brothers received the remains before they were taken to his new country home at Waobinji, Umuahii.
A lying-in-state was subsequently held at the country home under the direction of the church before the remains were conveyed to CKC Parish, Obudi, for the funeral Mass.
The Mass was celebrated by the Parish Priest Very, Rev. Fr. Raymond Onyekwere, who used the homily to remind the congregation of the importance of living a good and exemplary life.
Rev. Fr. Mgbala also spoke about the Christian hope of resurrection, urging the faithful to remain conscious of life after death. He prayed for the forgiveness of Pa. Iruamaka's sins and asked God to grant him eternal rest.
The funeral Mass was followed by an interment procession conducted in accordance with Catholic rites, with hymns, choral renditions and prayers for the deceased and his family.
Family, Friends Recall a Peaceful Man
Tributes from family members, friends and associates centred largely on Pa. Iruamaka's peaceful disposition, love for his family and commitment to maintaining cordial relationships with his brothers and members of his community.
His first daughter, Mrs. Chigozie Orusakwe, a United States-based nurse who returned for the burial with friends, described her father as a peaceful and truthful man.
“My father was a good man, which everyone knows and can attest to. I brought this cow in honour of his memory. May God repose his soul. I miss him,” she said.
Inspector Uchenna Iruamaka, the first son, struggled to contain his emotions while speaking about his late father, breaking down in tears as he recalled his relationship with him.
He said the family was grateful for the 86 years God granted Pa. Festus, although they wished he had lived longer.
“We miss him. God gave him 86 years, but we wished he could have lived longer with us. But we cannot question God's will,” he said.
The deceased's brothers — Polycarp, Tobias, Vincent, Fedeco and Anwurika Chinonye — also paid emotional tributes to their late brother, recalling his care and support for them following the death of their parents.
Polycarp said Pa. Festus and his wife treated the siblings as their own children after their parents died.
“Pa. Festus and his wife took us as one since the death of our parents, without reservation,” he said.
Anwurika described his late elder brother as a peaceful man whose love for his siblings would remain unforgettable.
Fedeco, who fondly called the deceased “Rock Show,” described him as a father figure to the family.
“Rock Show, as I called him, was a father to us, and we were sons to him. He was a strong and peaceful man who loved his children and brothers. Death is a necessary call for all living things, but I wished he could have lived more,” he said.
Vincent and Tobias similarly recalled their brother's efforts to maintain peace and unity within the family.
Nieces, Nephews and In-Laws Pay Tribute
The deceased's nieces and nephews, including Promise, a petroleum chemical engineer from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); Chinwendu, an Accountancy graduate of Imo State University (IMSU); Eze, a Fine and Applied Arts graduate of Federal Polytechnic Nekede; Chioma Njoku, a Public Administration graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and Ada, a Public Health graduate of FUTO, described their late uncle as loving, peaceful, humorous and caring.
They also remembered him as a man who maintained strong relationships with his siblings and their children and brought warmth and companionship to family gatherings.
Speaking on behalf of the sons-in-law, Mr. Jude Mbabie Orusakwe, husband of Nurse Chigozie Orusakwe, said Pa. Festus and his wife were caring to members of the extended family.
He described his relationship with the deceased as cordial and prayed for his eternal repose.
Mrs. Zita Opara also paid tribute to Pa. Iruamaka, recalling his caring nature and sense of humour. She said he treated her and her children as members of his family.
Cultural Displays, Community Participation
The burial ceremony also featured live-band entertainment and Ogene music from Enugu State, adding cultural colour to the event.
As part of activities surrounding the burial, food items, including stockfish, were presented to Umundom Umuahii and Umundom Okwuoha, in Mgbala Autonomous Community where the deceased's widow, Mrs. Rose Iruamaka came from
Political leaders, community leaders, serving and retired police officers, relatives, friends and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
The large turnout from Imo, Lagos, Anambra, Rivers, Enugu, Abia and the United States reflected the broad network of relationships built by Pa. Festus Onwuzuruigbo Iruamaka during his lifetime.
His burial brought together people who remembered him not only as a father and elder but also as a man whose peaceful disposition, family commitment and concern for others left lasting memories among those who knew him.
Obudi, Agwa Ancient Kingdom, Oguta LGA, Imo State, Nigeria. Obudi is one of the communities in Agwa, within Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. The community maintains strong family, cultural and Catholic traditions, with burial ceremonies often bringing together relatives and associates from different parts of Nigeria and the diaspora.
