The
very first time I heard about you was during the Mandela Washington Fellowship,
I was so happy that my own Igala brother was part of the success, little did I know
then that everything will be short lived. Adieu my brother and YALI(Young
African Leaders Initiative) Fellow.
NB:
As at the time of writing this post, am still searching for the part of Igala
that John Paul Usman hails from. Although, .his Parents resides in Lokoja, he
is a bonafide Igala young man. May your Soul rest in Peace. Amen.
A
2016 Mandela Washington Fellow John Paul Ojaojogwu Usman on
Saturday passed on after an accident while hiking near Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he was studying Civic
Leadership.
The
U.S Mission to Nigeria in a statement said:
We extend our deepest condolences to John Paul’s family and
friends over this tragic loss. John Paul was a rising star, devoted to
the causes of sustainable development, children’s rights, and peace building in
Nigeria. His selection to the Mandela Washington Fellowship was a tribute
to his drive, talent, and dedication to making his country’s civil society even
stronger.
One of John Paul’s professional mentors at Virginia Tech put
it best, “While his time with us was short, he was well loved.” This
young man will be remembered fondly as a great citizen ambassador of his
country. We mourn his passing.
This is exceptionally tragic as John
Paul just left Nigeria this month – on the 16th of June. He had been enjoying
the Mandela Fellowship Experience as he shared photos from the various
activities as well as inspiring words. Read one of his last Facebook posts
below;
The road of life is made smoother
when traveled with someone you love
According to the Daily Trust.
A colleague of the late Usman from
South Africa, Nzuzi narrated what happened: “We went on a hiking trip. I was
walking ahead with four other fellows, including John Paul and one of our
coordinators. When we reached the waterfall where some decided to swim, John
Paul kept insisting I go into the water and I didn’t, because it was too cold.
He decided to join the fellows who were right under the water and the next
thing that happened was that he slipped into the water and started drowning.
Another fellow tried to save him but they both disappeared for a while. We were
all freaked out and then the one fellow (trying to rescue the deceased) came
back up but JP remained unseen. We started screaming for help, and people
jumped in to look for him. They then recovered his body.”
While lamenting the loss, a
participant, Adams Adeiza who comes from same Kogi State with the deceased,
recalled that on June 16, shortly before their departure to the US, he was with
late Usman’s parents at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja. “They
drove all the way from Lokoja in effort to see him off. They were lovely people
and obviously very caring parents. I have been thinking. How will they receive
this heart-breaking news,” he said.
Dear friends, like I always say, be
more prayerful and vigilant, the adversary the devil is looking for whom to
devour. Power assigned to cut young and promising youths off, I command you to
die in Jesus name. Amen.
