Onitsha stands still for Rev Fr. Tagbo

THE commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State was agog yesterday as old boys of Christ The King College (CKC) and other Nigerians celebrated their former iconic principal, Rev. Fr. Nicholas Tagbo, at a colorful procession with chariot-bearing hearse
.
This is coming at a time the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, displayed humility when he asked his predecessor for forgiveness.
The cavalcade of emi­nent personalities, led by Obiano, an old boy of the famous college and many other distinguished Ni­gerians, moved from St. Charles Borromeo Hospital through Zik’s Roundabout- Awka Road-Oguta Road and birthed at the CKC compound, where the body was received.
Meanwhile, Obiano dis­played rare humility and ca­pacity to look beyond private injuries for the greater good of the state when he boldly sued for peace in the raging war between him and his predecessor former gover­nor Peter Obi.
Delivering a rousing eulo­gy at the funeral mass, Obia­no took the congregation by surprise when he turned and intoned: “May I use this op­portunity to ask the former governor of Anambra State, my friend and brother, Chief Peter Obi, that whatever I may have done to him, he should forgive.”
Governor Obiano who noted that the late Father Tagbo had taught them to love and pursue unity with one another, said it was only proper for him to apologise, although he did not know what the actual cause of the rift between him and his predecessor.
Demonstrating the spirit of sportsmanship Governor Obiano further lauded his predecessor and reminded the audience that his cam­paign promise was anchored on continuity assuring that he was giving his best in the service of the State as he was taught by the late father Tagbo.
Paying glowing tributes to the late Principal who helped mould notable Ni­gerians as principal of the renowned CKC, Governor Obiano described Fr. Tagbo as “one of the greatest shep­herds of our time!”
According to him, the for­mer principal’s death was a personal loss because he was the last of his many sons to become a governor while he lived.
“Of course before me, there was his Excellency former governor Peter Odili and my brother, former gov­ernor Peter Obi. But I was the one he saw last before Fr. Tagbo moved on to the ages. How I wish Fr. Tagbo had lived longer to see what his many other sons would become tomorrow,” he rea­soned.
“I don’t know if my ex­perience approximates the experience of others but I must confess that the values Fr. Tagbo gave to us in our formative years have refused to be eroded by time. I have not surrendered those val­ues and I will never surren­der them.”
On the impact the late Principal had on the com­munity, Obiano declared: “If truly we measure a man by the impact he has had on his environment, Fr. N.C Tagbo stands taller than almost all his contemporaries.”

source: Sun News