The Senator, representing Anambra North at the Nationa Assembly, Senator Stella Odua has taken to her official social media handle to pay a glowing tribute to her late son, Maxwell Buwa Oduah who died four years ago.
Senator Stella Oduah, on Wednesday 26th August 2020, posting a photo of herself and her late son standing in front of a building, captioned the photo with some touching words about her son. She said:
“Four years ago today, my world literally crumbled as I was confronted with what continues to be a parents’ worst nightmare. Four years ago today, I lost a son, sounding board, friend and most loyal confidant.
You see, the day Maxwell Chinedu Buwa Oduah died, the world lost one of the most empathetic and genuine souls ever to grace this plain and I still find it hard to forget the many nights he and I spent going over his dreams of empowering young boys and girls.
Buwa would wake you up at night and then proceed to describe the fine details of this vision that gave him sleepless nights and I can still recall the way his face would light up when describing its positive impact on the lives of the indigent.
To Buwa, no life was useless and it pained him deeply to the point of holding a series of passionately animated conversations anytime he witnessed others treating the indigent with condescension for he believed that the only difference between that little girl hawking plantain on the streets and her more affluent counterpart taking lessons within the safe confines of a school was access to information and opportunities.
This is a son who from my earliest recollection, had a penchant for taking in stray dogs and though it unsettled me at the time, it goes a long way to demonstrate his pureness of heart which only beat for the good of Humanity.
The day Buwa died, many parts of me died but I am not unmindful of the type of life he lived and the many lessons it portrayed and it is these lessons that have kept me going these last four years and anytime the gloom threatens to engulf me, I quickly remember that he was the life of the party whose mere presence lit up any space he occupied and this would have the effect of pulling me out of the pain.
It was Buwa who constantly insisted that one’s life could never truly be said to be complete until he’d not only found his purpose but lived it and it may interest the reader to know that our MAXLIFE FOUNDATION which today, has the unique distinction of being the largest and most impactful organization in terms of reaching out and assisting the indigent in Anambra North, is basically his vision and everything it has done or achieved is strictly tailored after the same template that gave him sleepless nights in those heady days.
Unfortunately, he never got to see the smiling faces of thousands of indigent students that have been put through scholarship, the many youths that have been trained on skill acquisition and equipped with resources for their learned skills, thousands of appreciative persons that have been directly empowered with money to start up or bolster their trades and the many vehicles that have been given out in a transportation scheme he designed and agonized over on so many sleepless nights.
Buwa never got to see the fruits of his toil but I remain grateful to God for the life he lived and the positive impact he made the short time he spent with us and though the pain will never go away, I take solace in the fact that he is in a good place nestling safely in the bosom of our Lord and the thought that one day we shall reunite is enough to keep me going and live my life in ways that show he didn’t pass through this plain in vain.
Indeed Buwa’s short time with us taught me these life lessons,
A. Finding one’s authentic self which is, Life beyond the physical. This entails using same in its truest form to serve Humanity.
B. The importance of practising acts of kindness. I have learnt that this is the only notable footpath that one can leave behind.
C. The knowledge that it shall all come to pass which spurs me to continue doing the good that I am determined to do for what is destined is destined.
D.Touching and developing the lives of the indigent is the truest legacy one can leave behind. You know, I really never got a chance to say this before you left but thank you Buwa for the amazing gift that was you! Mummy,” she added.