Obasanjo, Osofisan, Raji-Oyelade, Omogaifo, preach love at Nwagwu’s remembrance

The essentiality of love in human relationships was stressed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, renowned literary writers, Professors Femi Osofisan and Remi Raji-Oyelade among others, at the one-year remembrance of the passing of Professor of Clinical Psychology, Mrs Helen Nwagwu.

The commemorative event held at the University of Ibadan, on Saturday, featured tributes and presentation of a compilation of poems, titled, “Time Came Upon Me”, written by Professor Mark Nwagwu to honour her late wife, Helen.

Speaking, Obasanjo, who was the chief host, lauded the life of sincere loving lived by the Nwagwus as one that should resonate across families in Nigeria.

He lauded the late Nwagwu for having made a success of life being a good wife, community leader, academic and family person.

Doing a review of the compilation, Professor Remi Raji-Oyelade, explained that the 94 poems on the late Helen espoused the concepts of life and living, love and loving, ageing, death, transcendence, family reminiscences and eternal love.

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He described the poems as celebratory and reflective, teaching how to love eternally, saying it, remembering it and writing about it.

Raji-Oyelade also praised Nwagwu’s use of sensual words, his ballistic memory, the unity of expression, the sensory metaphor of sight, poetic recognition of the cosmic importance of numbers in his writing about his wife, Helen.

Event Chairperson, Ms Owen Omogaifo lauded Mark Nwagwu for being a proponent of love and girl child education.

In his reading of one of the poems in Nwagwu’s “Time Came Upon Me”, renowned literary writer, Femi Osofisan, said the Nwagwu’s holding of hands and show of love in public like besotted teenagers remained a constant source of banter, bemusement, mild envy to many.

Osofisan also described as remarkable the fact that even in retirement, the Nwagwu’s remained committed to social and academic activities in the University of Ibadan.

In his short remarks, the author of the collection, Mark Nwagwu said his love for this love remained unending, eternal and would continue when they meet in heaven.