Praises as former Nigerian diplomat, Otobo laid to rest in New York

The remains of a former Nigerian diplomat, Eloho Otobo, have been laid to rest in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Westchester, New York, USA

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that dignitaries from Nigeria and the United States were on hand to pay their last respects to the late ambassador, who died at the age of 70.

Families, friends, colleagues, diplomats, parishioners and priests at the funeral held Friday at Westchester Funeral Home, extolled the virtues of the late Otobo, describing him as a great leader, a committed man, a generous Christian and a writer prolific.

In his reflection, Robert Grippo, parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima and the Annunciation, Westchester, described the late Otobo as a generous and committed man who served God faithfully.

Mr. Grippo said the deceased, a practicing Catholic, was a man of great faith, who would never compromise his Christian values ​​in any way.

“We thank God for the wonderful service he has given in the parish and outside to improve the lives of so many people,” he said.

The priest, who drew his reflection from verses 14 to 28 of Romans chapter eight, urged people to appreciate the brevity of life and be aware of eternity.

According to him, life is a temporary journey and that each person will die at the appointed time to face the judgment of eternal life or eternal condemnation.

Lot Egopija, the Consul General of Nigeria in New York, said the late Otobo was a great man and a unifier.

“Those of us at Nigeria House can attest to this; he considered us all his friends. He was always ready to offer suggestions for improving the services at the Consulate,” he said.

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Samson Osiene, who spoke on behalf of the Isoko Association of New York, described Otobo as a generous man and a great scholar who shared his knowledge with members of the association and outside.< /p>

“He was a pillar of the association; he shared his knowledge with us, including the books he wrote. He would be remembered for his immense contributions to the association,” he said.

Paying tribute to the deceased, Oheri Otobo said his father was an amazing, kind, caring and great father, saying life without him would be difficult.

"Dad, you were a great man, a caring father and did your best to help people. Your legacy of love lives on," he said.

Atabu Eloho, the younger brother of the deceased, said that Otobo wore different hats in different cycles for so many people.

"To some he was a true and good friend; to others he was a trusted advisor and mentor while to some people he was a trusted advisor and mentor.

"In Nigeria he was an upright citizen, diplomat, foreign service officer, ambassador while in the United States he was an upright resident and a good neighbor.

"To the Isoko community he was a team leader and advisor on various issues and to the Otobos he was a role model, father figure, planner, leader and beacon," he said. he declared.< /p>

According to Mr. Atabu, the deceased was not only his older brother, but also a friend, adviser, role model and mentor.

Also paying tribute to Otobo, Bunmi Makinwa, former regional director for Africa of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the deceased was a great encouragement and a "master of the task".< /p>

"He was a great and remarkable scholar, he encouraged and pushed me forward in my writing, which is why I called him a 'master of the task'.

Similarly, Patrice Chiwota, Senior Advisor, United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), described Mr. Otobo as a great scholar, a humble man and a caring colleague.

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According to Mr. Chiwoto, Otobo's articles had contributed to his knowledge of global issues and he was working on publishing a book on the impact of the Ukraine crisis on Africa.

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Mr. Chiwota said Otobo, after his retirement, was in contact with most of his colleagues at the UN and would be greatly missed.

NAN reports that Mr. Otobo was declared missing on June 15 by the Tuckahoe, New York, police department and was later found dead on June 23.

Mr. Otobo, a retired diplomat at UN Headquarters, served as Director and Deputy Head of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) of the Peacebuilding Commission in...