The sudden death of Senator Pius Akpo Ewherido, representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, after a brief illness Sunday, may no longer be news.
But the news now is that his kinsmen in Ewhu Kingdom, where the senator hailed from, in their wishful thinking jumped into celebration after a brief mourning, following rumour that Ewherido, like Jesus Christ, has risen from Death.
“This is because nobody here ever wished him dead,” a family source told FrontiersNews on Sunday night.
Before the senator died, he had spent three days at the National Hospital, where Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, a medical doctor, and other stakeholders, including family members, gathered daily trying to save the life of the strong Urhobo politician.
One of the early callers at the National Hospital was Governor Uduaghan, who turned the hospital to his home, as he was with him for the three days the deceased spent in the hospital.
Uduaghan joined in the battled to save the senator’s life but to no avail.
Attempt to fly Ewherido abroad also failed.
FrontiersNews reliably learnt that first, Governor Uduaghan, who incidentally was in Abuja for official engagement; the elder brother of the late senator, Rev. Fr. Ewherido; a businessman from Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Igho Sanomi; as well as the office of the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, made several efforts to bring in an air ambulance from Germany, Dubai or South Africa but the deceased could not be flown out before he died.
A source said: “The ambulance from Germany was said to have arrived and left due to delay in documentation.
“The ambulance left also because of another airlift of a patient in another country, which it has agreed to pick.”
The Dubai ambulance did not come at all because it had been fully booked for all the days Senator Ewherido was in the hospital as a patient.
However, the South Africa ambulance was to come but arrived Abuja exactly 30 minutes after Ewherido had passed on. A FrontiersNews Correspondent saw the two white medical doctors from South Africa who came with the ambulance at the National Hospital insisting that they must see the lifeless body of the patient and a report confirming that he is dead.
As a result, the body of Senator Ewherido could not be deposited in the morgue until moments after the departure of the South Africa team of doctors.
A source close to Governor Uduaghan said: “Oga is devastated by Ewherido’s death, my brother.
“Oga has repeatedly said that since Ewherido left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Democratic Peoples Party, the senator has never attacked or spoken badly about him whether directly or indirectly once.
“They were good friends until Ewherido died.”
Early callers at the hospital beside apart from Governor Uduaghan were Senator James Manager from Delta South Senatorial District; and Comrade Daniel Idonor, a politician who hails from same Ewhu kingdom with late Ewherido.
Idonor, on hearing the report that Ewherido was hospitalised, rushed down to Abuja from Ughelli, where he had gone to meet with political stakeholders from Ewhu axis.
Others also present were Hon. Emmanuel Agwareavwodo; Hon. Emeyense; Dr. Chris Oghenechovwe; the father-in-law of the deceased, Chief Bozimo, who is also former Minister of Police Affairs; as well as Hon. Omonemu, a legislative aide to the late senator, who also witnessed the death.
Meanwhile, the elder brother of the deceased, Rev. Fr. Ewherido, has debunked rumours of the “rising from dead” of his brother.
He said: “As a catholic I don’t believe in wishful thinking because we did everything humanly possible to save and revive him, but God knows best why we failed.”
A condolence register has being opened in the residences of the late senator in Abuja, Warri and his home town, Ewhu, while the final burial rites are being planned by the family.
FRONTIERSNEWS.COM
