By Moses Okorie
The district head of Pigba in Garki Chiefdom of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Ambassador Dr. Emmanuel Gade, has eulogised his late mother, Mrs Lami Gade who died on 27th August 2025 after a brief illness, saying she made him whatever he is today.
Gade said the loss of his mother is the greatest thing that would ever happen to him in this world due to the roles she played in his life from childhood to his present age.
Speaking with our correspondent in his palace at Pigba Sama community, he revealed that his parents lost five of their children before he was born, and so his mother lavished her love and care for him, especially being her first surviving son.
According to him, “She loved me so much. She would make a local drink called Burukutu in order to sponsor me. My relationship with my father was not too strong like my mother, because my father was a great hunter.
“He would leave the community, spend two to three days in the bush and in the morning he would go to the farm. He did not have much time for us.
“But my mum took care of our feeding, and everything I learned is from her. She is the one that sponsored my education and some other things.
“Even by the time I joined the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, my dad was not aware. That time it was a voluntary organisation” he said.
Gade described his late mother as a detribalised individual who expressed her love for people from all ethnic nationalities.
“If you like, be Gbagyi, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa; any tribe at all, as long as you are a Nigerian, mama would welcome you, and take you as her own son or daughter”.
Speaking concerning condolences he received, Emmanuel Gade said he never knew people loved him so much until after the death of his mother when personalities from all walks of life were trooping to his palace to sympathise with him.
Meanwhile, while at the palace of the Pigba District Head on Thursday, our correspondent witnessed the visit of the chairman of AMAC, Honourable Christopher Zakka Maikalangu who also came with his entourage to pay him a condolence.
“So many politicians, district heads, paramount rulers, let me say, the key stakeholders in the FCT came”, he said.
Ambassador Emmanuel Gede is also the public relations officer for all AMAC district heads, and Pigba is located after the popular Apo Mechanic Village, Abuja.