Titled ‘Reminiscence of the Life of Late Sgt. Oweiyegha Rowland Imoun Tonlagha’, the Gbaramatu Traditional Council of Chiefs honoured the late Father and Hero of the Tonlagha Dynasty with a powerful tribute at the Commemoration ceremony and 28th Remembrance that held in Benikrukru community, Gbaramatu Kingdom, on Friday, November 8, 2024.

The tribute, which was signed by the Fiyewei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, High Chief (Amb.) Dr. Godspower Gbenekama (JP), praised the late Sgt. Tonlagha whose life they acknowledged is a challenge on those that are alive to emulate.

Below is the full tributes in honour of the late Hero and Father of the prominent philanthropist and leader, Mr. Matthew Tonlagha, Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited and Executive Director of Fenog Nigeria Limited.

"Words are not enough to express the life and time of Late Sgt. Oweiyegha Rowland Imoun Tonlagha (of blessed memory), his kind of person is rare, a man who served his country fearlessly, selflessly, sacrificially, and brought alluring prizes to his community, kingdom, and the Ijaw Nation. Indeed, his contributions are beyond just Ijaw Nation alone, but to the entire Nigeria.

"Today, our late Hero is being remembered 28 years after is a demonstration of the fact that a good name (reputation) is more precious than gold, and it also goes to tell us that our good sacrifices can never be in vain as such will always endure for all ages. Moreso, this is also a challenge to us that are still alive and a reminder to all that we do not live for ourselves, but for others. If our lives cannot touch others positively, then what are we living for?

"The life of the Late Sgt. Oweiyegha Rowland Imoun Tonlagha is like a canvass painting that portrays beauty and depicts positive lessons to humanity, and we can draw lessons from. A man who, with three wives, forged a bond of unity under one roof; a man who abandoned his comfort by leaving abroad to enlist in the Nigerian army during the Nigerian Civil War; a man that do not only preaches justice, but demonstrates it; a man who hated oppression and confronts it head-on; a man with a compassionate heart… We could go on and on.

"It is therefore not surprising that his genes reflects on his descendants who have continued to contribute to the development of their father land and to the Ijaw Nation at large, who have a passion for the wellbeing of humanity; and above all have continued to demonstrate that sense of unity, an hallmark of our late Hero.

"Today, as we honour the legacies of our late Hero, it is also a time for reflection. AS the popular American President John F. Kennedy once said, “…ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” should resonate more in our hearts as we rephrase “…ask not what your community can do for you, ask what you can do for your community.

"May the soul of our ever loving Hero rest peacefully, and his memories remain ever golden."

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