Lord Mayor Ndigwe Goes Home At 89

 

Lord Mayor Ndigwe Goes Home At 89 

By Nkiru Nwagbo.

On the month of July 20th , Lord Mayor Prince Charles Kanayo Ndigwe passed on to glory at the age of 89 to the land of his forbearers .

Ndigwe's departure indeed painted the picture of life and the its end which is encapsulated in William Shakespeare death as a necessary end that must come when it must .

The death of Mayor Prince Charles Kanayo Ndigwe also confirmed the world as a stage where all mere mortals must come to play their roles and leave the stage and that is what the Mayor of Umuayom Village in Awka did .

Born on the 3rd  day of January 1937 to the Royal family of Ndigwe , Prince Charles Kanayo Ndigwe; a committed Roman Catholic was married to the love of his life , Princess Francisca Chizoba Ndigwe aka Akwoaka while he was in far away Northern NIgeria ; Kano state and was blessed with seven children, 37 grant children and three great grand children.

Mayor was a veteran soldier having served in the Nigerian Army and later the defunct Biafran Army at the outbreak of the Civil War .

Shortly after the Civil War , he founded the Charles Franca Security System Nigeria Ltd at the headquarters in Sarki Yaki Sabongari in Kano state.

He was also a resource person and Director of Training in several tertiary institutions in the country as he groomed up coming and younger security operatives as it where.

At some point,  he became the oldest of the Royal siblings of the Ndigwe dynasty until his demise in July 2025.

According to his tribute to his late father , his first son and heir  apparent before his death King Martins Ndigwe (Ezeudo) ,

"Prince Charles Kanayo Ndigwe was a living husband to our dear mother who stood by him through thick  and thin to support our  up springs "

"His final moments were a testament to his love , as he passed away peacefully on his bed with phenomenal care from his wife , holding hands with his only daughter a beautiful symbol of unity and affection "

"He will always be remembered for his selfless devotion as a father to many , a grand father to son many and a mentor to generations and loved by many " he recalled.

Similarly the 4th son to late Mayor Ndigwe, Prince Charles Daddy Ndigwe couldn't come to terms with the reality of the moment over the death of his father.

According to him "I can't just comprehend the fact that you are no more, I know this journey was inevitable but then I wish you had stayed a bit longer"

"Oh !  how I miss you , I get ready every other day to come bath , shave and clean you up only to be reminded that you are no more "

"I will not question God , I will only thank Him for being your son and to have learnt certain life disciplines and principles from you " he said.

To the only daughter to the late Mayor , Princess Diana Ndigwe observed that ; 

"Your prayers and steadfastness have been the anchor holding our family together. There are so many things I still wish I could tell you . The last moments we shared remain forever engraved in my heart that sacred moment when as  your only daughter, you held my hand while you peacefully passed on and it is an honor I will never forget " she said .

Indeed life is like a walking shadow that fades when the light of transition beams on it and as Lord Mayor returns to his Maker is a good night for those on earth and good morning for those across the void of everlasting peace .