WRITTEN BY OKECHUKWU ANARADO
Life, in all its expressions, harps on its utmost transience. It continually upholds the trifle in the wishes of humans to subdue it. Life entrenches an imbalance in the competition between nature’s inimitable cause and human’s innate inclinations to hanker after outstretched longevity. Indeed man would wish himself immortal in time and space; nature wills otherwise, regardless.
While the mode of Randie Chima’s passage – abrupt and worrisome – buttresses this precept, the subdued postures, sully emotions and deep pains as Randie’s associates, friends and family, are obvious manifestations of forgivable human frailties. How else would friends respond to the impromptu removal of one who pleasantly crossed their paths while he lived? Randie Chima was a good man!
Randie made a lot of friends when he worked for the Anambra State Government and others, including Patrick Oke Audio-Visual Group. He returned to Awka solo in the administration of Chief Willie Obiano. The value he was able to add to the Governor’s achievements earned him the Governor’s approval as a treasured ally.
This became manifest in Randie’s transmutation from an outsider working for the government to an insider working in the Government of Anambra State. He became the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor. But the sparkles of this ascending star suddenly extinguished, and we are compelled to address him in the past – the painful but sure way of mortals.
Many would wish to publicly celebrate Randie, even as he lies lifeless, given his genuine countless expressions of warmth, love and compassion at work and beyond, and his insistence on best practices as the only sure way to excellence in the execution of his job. A stickler for objective presentation of his principal’s mission, Randie remained most conscious of the good of the common people and society in his deliveries. He defied daunting risks: would freely go on tree tops, climb or go down hills, wade through crowds and mud, mount canoes and dare anything to obtain the coverage that would tell the stories he sought.
Randie was a rugged Field Marshal whose passion for his audio visual engagements, as much as equipment updates, could not be negated by any. He was more gratified by the satisfaction he offered his principal and his input to societal uplift than selfish pecuniary lures. Randie would do anything to tell Governor Willie Obiano’s story in governance, being himself convinced that the governor keeps faith with his avowals to expand the frontiers of good governance.
Wherever Randie went or lived, his amiable warmth and genuineness attracted trails of like minds who, alike, processed and interpreted the dynamics and vagaries of life as factors that extract man’s hidden potentialities. Across Europe, Lagos, Auchi, Port-Harcourt, Abuja, the Niger Delta axis and Awka provided such veritable platforms. Randie was always willing to march on, encouraged by the imports of friendship, even at moments when the tides seemed against his favour.
Randie Chima hailed from Amuta, Isiukwuato Local Government Council in Abia State. He is survived by Ngozi, wife; Kelechi, son and Ogechi, daughter who will forever miss the warmth of his dedicated headship of the family. Randie’s aging mother, three sisters, other family members and cherished in-laws also deeply mourn his passing on.
While medical science could proffer or aver the cause(s) of death, only God Who gives life stands free from the hazards in speculations on how life expires. Randie’s remains will be interred on Thursday, October 25, 2018, at Amuta, Abia State. A wake at his home town, Amuta, holds today, Wednesday, October 24, 2018. Adieu Randie Chima.
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