*Akpabio commiserates families
By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
For the family of Capt. Edet Akpan Umana in Ikot Uboh, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the tragedy of June 28, 2023 has brought an irreparable loss too difficult to bear.
Capt. Edet Akpan Umana and his wife, Capt. Mfonobong Edet Akpan were among the 13 senior officers of The Salvation Army Church, Eket District, Akwa Ibom State who died at Wednesday’s auto crash along Lagos-Benin expressway while returning from a missionary assignment in Lagos.
Our correspondent learnt that the accident occured in the early hours of the fateful day around Ovia Bridge near Benin City, Edo State, when the driver of the church-owned 18-seater bus lost control and collided with a trailer.
It was further learnt that 13 persons including the driver, a little girl who travelled with her parents and a pregnant woman were consumed by the accident.
Pastor Ime Isaiah, brother to Capt. Mfonobong Edet Akpan who spoke to our correspondent, said the family is deeply saddened by the incident which took the lives of both husband and wife, leaving two children behind.
Pastor Isaiah said, the 13 corpses according to the Chief Mortuary Attendant at Emmanuel Hospital, Eket were brought on Saturday amidst tears.
“‘As my blood sister, the entire family is in grief with uncontrollably pains as both husband and wife died in the crash.
“What I have seen in the mortuary today, has reminded me that there is nothing in this life.
“When I saw my sister and her husband naked in the mortuary, it further went to fulfill the scripture that naked shall a man come to the world, naked shall he go back.
“But one thing I have also learnt is that if you have money while on earth, eat and serve your God very well because no one knows tomorrow. If I was told that my dear sister and her husband will die that day, I wouldn’t have believed but here it is, they are lying in mortuary, no life,” Pastor Isaiah said.
Also mourning, is the family of Samingo Etukakpan in Eket, who lost five members to the tragedy.
He lamented he described as a great moment of grief.
According to Etukakpan, since the sad news came to the family, things have not been the same.
“Sorrow, pain and lamentation now take the place of joy that families were before the tragedy struck.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has commiserated the leadership and members of The Salvation Army, over the death of their officers and members in an auto crash along the Lagos-Benin express way, describing it as shocking and tragic.
Senator Akpabio expresssd this through a statement from his media unit, obtained by our correspondent.
According to the statement, “the President of the 10th Senate, Godswill Akpabio, received with great shock, the news of the death of members of this great commission in a fatal road accident around Ovia Bridge, near Benin- City, which claimed the lives of 12 officers of the church, the driver and a baby while returning from a missionary assignment in Lagos to Akwa Ibom states.”
“I commiserate Commissioner Daniel Kasuso, the Territorial Commander. I pray for the repose of the souls of the departed faithfuls. I pray that God grants those they left behind, the fortitude to bear this great loss.
