Farewell Chinwuba, Justice and John - "Blow in the winds, glow in the darkest room and in all our hearts"
The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) community in Africa has been devastated by the deaths of ActionAid International Nigeria activists Chinwuba Egbe and John Moru, and GCAP Nigeria National Coordinator Justice Egware in the Bellview flight that crashed after take off from Lagos Airport in Nigeria on Saturday, 22 October. Tributes have been pouring in all week via the GCAP email listserve. Below are details about the three activists from the www.whiteband.org website and summaries of the tributes that have been sent. The full tributes can be read by following the link provided.
CHINWUBA EGBE
Chinwuba Egbe (34) was an Education Team Leader and Co-ordinator of Stepping Stones and REFLECT (STAR) with ActionAid International Nigeria (AAIN). In their media release, AAIN called him a “grassroots man to the core who was ‘at home’ amongst the poor and excluded, discussing and helping to shape issues of common interest and empowering them through participatory approaches.” Egbe had contributed to many poor peoples’ livelihood through the Reflect Project in more than 30 communities in Nigeria.
JOHN MORU
At 34, John Moru had already made his mark as an activist who was dedicated to the fight against pervading poverty in the midst of plenty in Nigeria, denial of political and human rights to the people, and the threats of international capitalism. Moru contributed to the emergence of a strong governance team in ActionAid International Nigeria (AAIN) and the initiation of the Nigeria Social Forum (NSF).Together with Egware, he was in the forefront of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) campaign in Nigeria. He is survived by a wife and a daughter.
JUSTICE EGWARE
Justice Egware (36) not only sustained the growth of the National Coalition on Education (CSACEFA) but also contributed to the building of the organisation as a strong force in educational issues in Nigeria with a view to bringing the ‘voice’ of civil society into national discourse. In addition, Justice was in the forefront of the struggle for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria through the MDG Campaigns and as GCAP Nigeria Coordinator. Activists across Africa will remember him as a powerful voice during the Africa Standing Tall against Poverty concert in Accra in the days before the World Summit. They will recall how motivational he was at the World Summit and in the days thereafter at the International Facilitation Group. He is survived by a wife and son.
Any person who watched the Standing Tall against Poverty concert in Accra on television or who attended the concert will remember the powerful and immortal words of Justice Egware on September 3 when he said, “Today, we are standing tall together to say No to Poverty. Africa is not a poor continent and we all agree that we are a generation that believes that poverty can be eradicated.”
Tributes:
- Dear fellow campaigners and friends,
It is with great sadness and deep shock that we bring you this news. Justice Egware, co-ordinator of GCAP Nigeria and John Moru of Action Aid Nigeria are believed to have been on the fateful Bellview flight 110 that crashed after take off from Lagos airport on Saturday night. 117 people were on board. There were no survivors. Justice and John were returning to Abuja from Lagos where we launched the Nigeria GCAP publicity campaign at the Galleria media Centre. Other campaigners arrived from Abuja and we are trying to acsertain who else was on board that fateful airline. We are totally devastated and we pray that the gates of eternity shall open gently as their spirits rise across the African skies with all our dreams, all our hopes....blow in the winds, glow in the darkest room and in all our hearts. - Kwesi Owusu
- The Centre for Democracy and Development wishes to sympathise with and extend our condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the incident and pray that they find the endurance and strength to bear the grief of these irreparable losses.
- AWEPON kindly conveys our sincere condolence and prayers to the families of our dear campaigners.
- On my personal behalf and The Civil Society Movement-Sierra Leone we express our unreserved sympathy for the demise of friends and brothers.
- Coalition Jubilee 2000 Angola wishes to extend sincere prayers and condolences for all the families bereaved in this tragic air accident.
- On behalf of the Global Sustainability Watch Network, it is with shock and sadness that we receive the terrible news. Heart felt condolences to the families and friends.
- Deepest condolences from Charles Nyambe.
- Really sorry about the death of Justice and John. They were great people and will be missed a lot. - Christine Misiko
- Girl Child Network and the Women`s Coalition are in great shock and we share the loss.
- It is with shock and sadness that MWENGO receives the terrible news. Heart felt
condolences to the families and friends.
- Condolences to their families and G-CAP fraternity from Julius Kapwepwe.
- Please accept SANGOCOs sincerest condolences and support to family and friends, regarding this great tragedy and loss.
- Helen Tomobo is sending her solidarity to the families and friends. We have lost the best folks among us.
- On behalf of the MDG/GCAP Campaign in Uganda, this is to convey our deeply felt condolences to the families of Justice Egware and John Moru, to GCAP Nigeria and all GCAP campaigners.
- Heart felt condolences and support to the families and friends of Justice Egware and John Moru on behalf of Erasmo Mabunda.
- Sincere condolences from Gerald Mwale of the University of Zambia.
Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD) Commiserates With the Nation and
Mourns the Demise of those Who Passed On In the Unfortunate Bellviews Air
Crash of 22 October 2005
The management and staff of the Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD), an organisation dedicated to the promotion and sustenance of human security, democracy and development in the (West-) African region, received with utmost shock the unfortunate demise of the 117 people who were on board the ill-fated Bellviews 737 aircraft 5N-BFN that crashed while flying about 9pm from Lagos to Abuja on Saturday 22 October 2005. We consider this most regrettable incidence as nothing short of a regional and international tragedy, as some of the brightest people from the continent and beyond met their untimely deaths during this painful mishap.
CDD wishes to sympathise with and extend our condolences to those who lost
their loved ones in the incident and pray that they find the endurance and
strength to bear the grief of these irreparable losses. Apart from the
citizens, government officials, kith and folks who passed on, the Centre
mourns the deaths of our associates, partners, and close friends, including General Cheick Oumar Diara, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in-charge of Political Affairs, Defence and Security, along with Mr. Emmanuel Quaye. Also, Mr. Justice Egware of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), and John Moru of ActionAid International, Nigeria office. We pray that the souls of the dead would find eternal rest.
Signed
Centre for Democracy & Development
Dear Kwesi,
It is great shock and pain that we have lost our brothers who have been working tirelessly for a poverty free Africa. Please kindly convey our sincere condolence and prayers to the families of our dear campaigners. May their souls rest in peace.
Immaculate
AWEPON
Hello Jubileu,
It is with deep regret to hear of the great mishap that has befalling us as a new group trying to awaken the minds of our less previleged folk of what they have been denied of.I see this unfortunate hppenning as a mere sabotage.Did the management of the plane not know of the fault of the plane befor it took off?Or management only concern with expoiting the custosmers with little or no concern for their safty>Note it it is clear that the weather had nothing to do with the crash.I believe for such an act to be avoided for the future an investigation should go on and corretive measures put in place.Tarvelling at all level should be made safe for the peac of the world.
Let however on my personal behalf and The Civil Society Movement-Sierra Leone (CSM-SL)EXPRESS OUR UNRESERVED SYMPATHY for the demise of friends and brothers.As already said,let this misharp help to stenghten us the more in our struggle against poverty for our less fortunate people.
May their souls and all the souls of all positve fighters rest in perfect peace.
Festus Minah
AS A MEMORIAL OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND BROTHERS JUSTICE, JOHN AND CHINWUBA!
Today, we learned of the tragic death of Mr. Justice Egware (36 years), Mr. John Moru (34 years) and Mr. Chinwuba Egbe (34 years), Coordinator of the World Campaign of Action against Poverty (GCAP)-Nigeria, Action Aid Nigeria and Ag Education Team Leader and Coordinator of Stepping Stones and REFLECT (STAR), respectively, in the aviation accident which took place on the 22 of October when they were returning to Abuja, after launching the GCAP campaign in Lagos. We are profoundly touched by the tragic loss of our loyal friends and colleagues.
Dear colleagues, Justice and John, no tears can express the sorrow and pain we feel in our hearts.
Time will bring memories which will live for ever. The end is the culmination of a life. The end reveals the unchanging reality; we are merely travellers in this world. You left with a "see you soon".
We continue with yours and our campaign; we continue united in our commitment to struggle incessantly to eliminate poverty in Africa and in the World.
The real value of your contribution begins, now that you have left us forever. Your parting moment demonstrates for all, that you were and will always be great personalities and role models for civil society in Africa and behind the borders of Africa.
May God Almighty take care of you,
Justice and John, rest in peace with the Lord God.
And so be it!
Sincere prayers and condolences for all the families bereaved in this tragic air accident.
Benjamim A. Castello
Coalition Jubile 2000 Angola (LiJuA)
It is with shock and sadness that we receive the terrible news. Heart felt
condolences to the families and friends
Happy James Tumwebaze
On behalf of the Global Sustainability Watch Network
My deepest condolences. May the souls of the beloved departed rest in EternalPeace
Regards to all.
Charles Nyambe
Dear all,
Really sorry about the death of Justice and John.it is very sad, and I just want to wish them a long and happy eternal life. They were great people and will be missed alot. May God be with them and their families.
Christine Misiko
Dear friends
I received the news of Justice and John with great shock and we are in big pain.I always share all the GCAP messages with my girls and women here in the high density surbub of Chitungwiza and I communicate all the messages on the campaign.Sometimes I fail to get words to pass on to families in such great pain and loss. On behalf of girls and all women in Zimbabwe I just want you to know that we are in great shock and we share the loss.When we lose so much we really battle to know why and answers do not come our way. My dear friends know that such big loss is loss to the whole world. Sometimes we part in very painful ways ..and we just wonder!!!!!
Betty Makoni
Girl Child Network-Director
Women`s Coalition Zimbabwe-Chairperson
It is with shock and sadness that we receive the terrible news. Heart felt
condolences to the families and friends.
Idaishe Chengu,
MWENGO,
ZIMBABWE
Really sad,
Our condolences to their famlies and G-CAP fraternity.
Julius Kapwepwe
UGANDA
Plse accept our sincerest condolences and support to family and friends, regarding this great tragedy and loss. We speak from the South of Africa but know that all the worlds people seeking justice are with the family and friends.
Hassen Lorgat
South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO)
You have worked with Justice
From near or far.
Your have lived with Justice as family
Or as friends.
You have met him, known him
Loved him.
You have seen him smile.
I share with you the pain.
I share the powerlessness
I share the questions without answers
I grieve with you
May his smile, his energy, keep on shinning.
Coumba Toure
Dear Comrades,
I just got to see this and it is deeply and truly devastating and too sad. Last week, the GCAP Africa planning team held a teleconference on Wednesday. When the members present were asked for A.O.B Justice told all of us that He loved us all and he is very proud of everybody. We all got excited and we all laughed and joked about it. Sadly did we know that these were his parting words....I spent alot of time with Justice in New York and exchanged emails after that encouraging me never to give up on what I believe. I have lost a friend, brother and and a comrade.This is a great loss to the two families and all of us. I am sending my solidity to the families and friends. We have lost the best folks among us.
In Solidarity
Hellen Tombo
Comrades, Friends, Fellow campaigners,
We are deeply saddened by the news of this tragic event. It was bad enough to learn of the plane crash in the media, but the news got truly devastating when it emerged that close friends and associates - people who share our values and are part of the movement we are trying hard to consolidate - were on this flight.
While thanking Kwesi for letting us know as soon as was possible, we would humbly ask that Kwesi take on the burden of extending our very deepest sympathies to the families of Justice and John on our behalf. We know they did a splendid job at the publicity launch in Lagos and we were looking forward to sharing in the assessment of this and other aspects of the campaign in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole together with Justice and other colleagues, in a few days time, in Harare. This event precipitates a great loss in numerous ways to us all. It is undoubtedly an even greater loss to the families and we feel with them at this difficult time. We owe it to these departed comrades to make everything of the campaign for social justice that we are all actively engaged in.
We will remember them fondly and invoke the spirit of their commitment to the campaign as we continue!
In solidarity
Ezra Mbogori
MWENGO
Mes cherEs amiEs,
c’est avec grande tristesse que nous apprenons le deces de nos amis dans le crach d avion survenu au Nigeria. Aussi, nous adressons nos condoleances aux membres de leur familles, a leurs amiEs et a tous ceux qui les connaissent.
El Hassan SAYOUTY
Espace Associatif
Morocco
Dear Kwesi,
It is with shock and sadness that we have learnt of the death of Justice
and John. On behalf of the MDG/GCAP Campaign in Uganda, this is to
convey our deeply felt condolences to the families of the Justice Egware
and John Moru, to GCAP Nigeria and all GCAP campaigners.
Deo Nyanzi
Uganda National NGO Forum
It is with shock and sadness that we received the terrible news. Heart felt condolences and support to the families and friends of Justice Egware and John Moru.
May GOD almighty give them internal rest.
Erasmo Mabunda
On behalf of ABIODES, GCAP Coordinating group and the GCAP campaigners in
Mozambique
Dear All,
I didn't know John or Justice, but please accept and pass on my condolencesalso. Their deaths leave the world even poorer.
Sincerely,
Melanie
Dear All,
Please accept my sincere condolences. This is
indeed a great loss to the campaign.
Gerald Mwale,
University of Zambia, Lusaka