Dear Captain:

I am Rudolf.  I am Edna’s husband, her Oga as you often called me.

I spoke to you once or twice, when you were the Nigeria ’s Defence Adviser at the United Nations in New York .  Remember?  The last time I spoke to you was one of the days Edna paid you a visit at your office.  You had asked about me so she called me with her cell phone and we spoke. 

Our chat was interrupted when the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, called you. We expressed our desire to meet at our place or yours.  Regrettably, it did not happen before you wrapped up your posting and moved to the U.S. War Army College in Pennsylvania for your course.  From there, you went back to Nigeria last year.

Edna kept in touch with you via email. She told me you were looking forward to us visiting Nigeria . You told her when next we visit, we had to come to Abuja and visit you and your family.

I looked forward to that. And so did Edna.

When you were promoted to the position of Director of Army Public Relations, we celebrated. We rejoiced that one of our own had gotten to a position where he would continue to make a difference. We knew you would make a difference for you were a man of integrity and brilliance.

We read your profile published in the Sun newspaper. Edna and I marveled at how a simple and humble man like you had been this blessed in life.  Your success was ours.

Then you were decorated as a Brigadier-General. Edna, who still fondly called you Captain, the rank you had when she first met you in Lagos at 1004 Estates, was very excited about your promotion. She showed me your picture in full military gear on the internet.  Though we still called you Captain which of course you did not mind, you were our General, our first General, ever.  We expressed gratitude to God for your good fortune.  We thanked the angels for guiding you.

Two weeks ago, we christened Ogonna, our ten-month old son.  When he was born you were still in Carlisle , Pennsylvania .  We told you about him and you were happy for us.  We thought about you when we gathered for the occasion.  It was the kind of event you wouldn’t have missed if you were still in the U.S.  Your friend, Chiedu Osakwe, who is Edna’s cousin, was Ogonna’s godfather. He came down from Geneva for the event.  Remember him? Of course you do. Edna first met you and Judith while living with him at 1004 Estates.

Once again we talked about you.

Chiedu took your email address from Edna and said he would write you. It had been a long time since he spoke to you, he said. Work at the World Trade Organization had not given him the chance to be in touch as he used to when he was in New York . He would email you to say congratulations.  And he did.  I don’t know if you got a chance to read his e-mail.  He was still waiting for your response.

Then, on Monday morning, I was in the room reading Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” when Edna ran in and screamed, “Captain is dead.”  What Captain, I thought. Which Captain, I asked. Of course, not our Captain.

As I crawled out of bed, I heard her say Chiedu sent her an email of the news report.

I ran to the computer.  And so did Ijeamaka and Ogonna. We surrounded the computer to read the story.  It was brief.  It did not give details.  It simply said that Brigadier-General Solomon Giwa-Amu died in a car accident.  On a second read, when the email did not disappear like a bad pop-up, Edna broke down and wept.  Ijeamaka joined her.  And so did Ogonna.

 “Captain is dead?” Ijeamaka asked. “I want my Captain back”, she cried.

We searched for more information. We made frantic calls. We wanted desperately to prove that it was not true. That it was all a bad dream.

By Tuesday morning, it was all over the news that indeed, our own Captain had died in a car accident.

Our world crumbled at the news of your death.  We are devastated.  It has been sadness and tears since the news broke.  We know that we are not supposed to question God because He knows best, but we can’t help but ask Him why.  Why Captain? Why now?

The next time I opened A Farewell to Arms, this was Hemingway’s lines that confronted me:

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”

Captain, you were a brave and courageous man.  You were a gentleman. You were a good man. Your life touched multitudes.  Your smile and humor brightened many faces and cheered their hearts.

Captain, our hearts bleed.  Our tears are flowing.  We miss you terribly.  We know you didn’t die.  Your gentle, loving, humble, and courageous spirit lives on.

Adieu, Captain.  God be with you until we meet.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Dear Captain: ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 25.02.2008 01:37

RAYNOSA  Villager

# 2 We lost a real role model in EDO STATE. Pa Solo. You came,and you are gone like everyone would one day. Like the live and death of JESUS CHRIST had thought us it is not how long one live on this earth that matters but the QUALITY. JESUS CHRIST lived for just 33years thousands of years ago yet he is still talked about today. Pa Solo may the good lord grant you rest in his bossom. And give your wife and children the courage to live without you. Rest in Peace. RENE OSAYANDE & FAMILY Posted by RAYNOSA| 26.02.2008 11:29

emj  Villager

# 3 Good Tribute Rudolf, may the Soul of your departed friend rest in peace, and may the lord himself comfort his Widow and family. Take heart Edna, he's only gone to rest, he's done his own bit. There's no doubt that he sure was a good and respectable soldier and person.Though a painful loss, the memories you have of him is part of what will help you guys heal. ...it is well. Posted by emj| 26.02.2008 19:04

Mikky jaga  Villager

# 4 Farewell Brigadier Giwa Amu From all the tributes I have read from different personalities, this Giwa Amu was a good man, so also was Bola Ige. He was the ADC to OBJ for some time and impressed OBJ so much that he became OBJ's family friend. There was this picture of Giwa Amu and his family on the pages of some National dailies where they posed with OBJ during the thanksgiving on his promotion to Brigadier General. One only hopes good men will learn not to associate with evil ones, for when the time of reckoning comes as it always does, it is the good ones that tends to get caught first. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Posted by Mikky jaga| 26.02.2008 23:29

Tsohon Soja  Villager

# 5 Let the world today know that I lost a friend and colleague, indeed. The Nigerian Armed Forces has lost a chip of its future. While the nation has lost a patriot and loyalist. Only Monday 28 January, he was in my office. We spent about 45min discussing progress for the Nigerian Armed forces and by implication, the nation to which we must dedicate our unalloyed loyalty and commitment. We made a review of our lives since the day we met in 1987, as young dashing lieutenants. He then was a student of law in University of Benin. I reminded him of his cute blue mini-Ford car and we laughed. With that he reminded me that that was his most cherished possession and how it taught him simplicity and humility. We concluded that that was the best of life. He sent me an SMS after returning to his office thanking me for the time and notifying me of the poor job my cleaners make of cleaning the Formica wall in my office. That was quintessentially Solo. I will ever live to remember YOU. May the soul of Solomon, rest in peace. Amen. Posted by Tsohon Soja| 27.02.2008 06:44

SOC Okenwa  Villager

# 6 Admin, This article by Rudolph was posted here before (last weekend or thereabout) only for it to be reposted. May I know when it has become fashionable here in our Village for one to post and repost an article which get published and re-published? Someone in the Admin crew should clear the air before I get confused or read meanings into the development. SOC Okenwa Posted by SOC Okenwa| 27.02.2008 07:49

Gladiator  Villager

# 7 I last saw and spoke with Giwa-Amu in 1979 as a student in Government College Ughelli. He had a presence that you could not ignore but that notwithstanding, his was unmistakenly a kind and generous spirit. He always wore a lightly disguised smile and he had a wit that he deployed in virtually all situations to make you see the "funny side" and that is how I will always remember him. Rest in Peace. Posted by Gladiator| 27.02.2008 08:41