Magoha's Wife Speaks On Chaos At Siaya Home, Issues Apology
A video that went viral on social media showed the mourners hurling stones at the police who attempted to block their entry...
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Barbara Magoha, the wife of the late former Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof George Magoha, condemned the chaos that erupted on Friday, February 10 when mourners forced their way into the compound of his home to view the body.
A video that went viral on social media showed the mourners hurling stones at the police who attempted to block their entry to Magoha's Umiru Village home, having torn through the village to receive his body.
The police manning the main entrance had been instructed to control the number of mourners accessing the home as Barbara was seen rushing to the casket of his late husband which was not very far from the scene of chaos.
Blood stains were spotted on some of the vehicles in the compound as the windows of some vehicles were destroyed. To avert a stampede, the police eventually flung the gate open and allowed mourners to pour in.
Here's the video courtesy of The Star:
While addressing mourners in Siaya at Magoha's burial on Saturday, February 11, Barbara issued an apology for the events that took place when Magoha's body was received at the residence.
"I apologise for what happened when the body was brought home. I understand that mourners were blocked from entering the compound. That is not how it should be," Barbara pleaded.
She explained that Luo culture requires the mourners to enter the compound and share in the grief.
"I ask of you to remain orderly even as you mourn my husband whom you loved so much. Let us be modest in our mourning," she added.
She further issued an apology to mourners for not following the required Luo traditions in terms of mourning, stating that she is a Nigerian who may not have understood every aspect of the Luo culture and traditions and that she followed the Nigerian customs as she knows them best.
"People were upset that I did not wail and cry when entering our home but I want to tell them that my new position in the family doesn’t give me the privilege to do a public display of emotions. I’m a Nigerian and I mourned my husband the Nigerian way," Dr Barbara noted.
She further defended herself over a video that went viral on Wednesday, February 8 showing her dancing while mourning her late husband, when Magoha’s body was received at the couple’s Lavington home amid song and dance with the mourners donning traditional attire and celebrating the life of the former Education CS.
According to her, Nigerian customs require one to celebrate a life well lived and she believed that Magoha spent 71 years of his life well.
"We know you are also mourning, we ask you to give the immediate family members time to also mourning, do so in a classy fashion," she added.
Barbara also divulged to mourners the unwavering loyalty she also showed to her husband by cooking for him for 40 years without letting anyone else do it for him.
“As a wife, I supported him in so many ways but one thing I would like to say is that as a Calabar woman, I never let him down.
“He ate my food until the last day. For 40 good years, nobody else cooked my husband’s food. I cooked with all I had…I was so busy but whether I was in the country or not, it was my food that he ate,” she explained.
Magoha's funeral services were held at Maseno University, Odera Akang’o Campus in Yala town where former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addressed the mourners.
On his part, President William Ruto, whose speech was read by ICT CS Eliud Owalo, labelled Magoha as a man who held his ideals in high regard and who was ready to get his hands dirty to make his beliefs a reality.
According to the Head of State, Magoha would not entertain mediocrity and would speak plainly when taking to task the lazy and irresponsible. He praised him as a man who especially had no time for unavoidable slowness of mind and did not hesitate to call out the culprit in plain language.
"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Prof. George Magoha, a transformational leader, illustrious scholar, dedicated public servant, and distinguished medical doctor who left an indelible mark on our country’s education system," Raila on his part mourned when he learned of Prof Magoha's death.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta with Raila Odinga and Ida Odinga in Siaya for the burial of Prof. George Magoha. /TWITTER.CITIZEN DIGITAL
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