Encomium
+ Daughters narrate her last moment
THE sudden death of Connie, the wife of Revival Assembly’s Senior Pastor Apostle Anselm Madubuko, on Friday, July 6, 2012, at Humana Hospital, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, at about 1 p.m has been described as painful but ordained by God.
The widower, Apostle Anselm, who was on a missionary work in far away Russia, when the wife surrendered to death, said he was shocked when he got wind of the story but took consolation in God. In an emotion-ladened voice on Sunday, July 8, 2012, he expressed his pains and joy.
“I was in my hotel room around the time she died. I suddenly felt something leaving me. I began to pray and strangely, my phone batteries drained and went off. I knew something was amiss but only got wind of it around 8 p.m when I was about to minister. It was my daughter, Velma who broke the news to me. I was shocked but knew it. I came back on Saturday night. And for the first time in 28 years, I woke up as a single. When I woke up this morning, I cried to God and asked why and He reassured me that He alone can give and take. He said the devil does not have the power to take her life. That was when peace returned to me. I missed her because her life was my ministry. She was organized.
The two daughters of the deceased, Velma who wore a multi-coloured gown and Sandra, garbed in a green dress narrated how they watched her lose the battle to death and exclusively recapped her last moment.
“It all began in the morning when she was working on decoration, she loves decoration. Later, she felt the urge to pray and called someone to pray along with her in the room. While praying, she suddenly felt hot and told us to pour water on her. In the process, she slumped on the bed. We attended to her but lost her. Although her mouth was moving like she wanted to talk but she laid lifeless on the bed. Immediately, we rushed her to Humana Hospital. She was rushed into the doctor’s office but gave up the ghost. As the doctors and nurses were crying, we took her to the mortuary. We missed her because she was a very strong woman. We never knew she could leave us in the next 20 years because she was a very strong woman. When we were taking her to the hospital, we prayed with faith like she should resurrect. We were praying that God should give her a second chance but we realized our selfishness. The reason was that man never rested. Nobody could make her rest. She was ever energetic and always working. She deserved the rest death can give her. She left behind a fond legacy. We have wept and mourned but before she died, she gave us a look and muttered inaudibly like telling us we should be strong.”
It would be recalled that the ebony skinned wife of Apostle Anselm Madubuko, Senior Pastor of Revival Assembly, gave up the ghost around 1 p.m on Friday, July 6, 2012, at Humana Hospital, Ashabi Cole, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
Insiders said that the mother of three children was rushed to the hospital gasping for breath but kicked the bucket as soon as she was wheeled into the emergency unit of the hospital.
It was alleged that she suffered cardiac arrest and her hubby was on a missionary journey in Russia, but her children who quickly rallied round to rescue her didn’t succeed.
ENCOMIUM Weekly’s checks on Friday, July 6, 2012, at 1 p.m at Humana Hospital confirmed that she was actually brought there unconscious. At the entrance of the ward, we saw her children in a pensive mood with tears rolling down their cheeks. An official of the hospital who pleaded anonymity confirmed the death. “Yes, she was brought here and they didn’t stay for up to 10 minutes. She was brought here in an emergency situation gasping for breath. When she died they took her corpse away in an ambulance to an unknown mortuary.”
Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions by worshippers at Revival Assembly, Akilo Close, Ogba, on Sunday, July 8, when her death was officially announced in the church.
The service which commenced at 10 a.m was sober and moody when Apostle Anselm and his children walked into the church. Some women wept profusely openly. However, Apostle charged them to be strong that his wife was not dead but sleeping in the Lord. He rendered a hymn entitled, Lord I give you my life and dropped a bombshell that he made a covenant to God to keep himself holy after the transition of his wife.
“I made a covenant to God this morning to keep myself celibate (not to remarry). That’s why I sang the song, Lord I give you my life. Thus, my daughters in the Lord, I could hug and peck you before because I was married but now that I am single, I can’t do that again. Please, bear with me. I surely miss her. She was supposed to preach today since I was away and Azusa 10 is just few days ahead.”
His assistant pastor, Pastor Sope opened up the energy and laughter in the congregation with his exhortation, What do you believe? Afterwards, Apostle ended the service with a hymn by Spafford Horatio G entitled All is well, When peace like a river attended my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”
This elicited tears from some worshippers and he finally declared, “Please, pray for me and my family. We need your prayers in this trying period.”
Pastor Connie, as she was fondly addressed, was the stylish wife of Pastor Anselm Madubuko of Revival Assembly. She was known as one of the principled wives of Nigerian pastors. She was addicted to a low hair cut and a stylish patch of grey hair which served as her identity. She was from Umodo in Ezi, Oshimilli local government area of Delta State. She was born into a family of nine and was the fourth. She worked with Ibon International Computers Limited before she went into full time ministry with her hubby, Apostle Anselm Madubuko.
The couple got married in August 1984, at the Chapel of the Healing Cross, Idi Araba, Lagos and Dr. Tunde Joda solemnized the holy matrimony. The union is blessed with three children, two daughters and a son. The eldest, Velma is married while the second daughter is Sandra. The only son is also named Anselm.
‘She called me every week’, Bishop Bola Odeleke
“I was shocked when I heard she was gone. Since December 2011, she called me every week and we prayed and discussed on phone for over an hour. She called me on Thursday, July 5, 2012, and said she was not going to the office that she needed rest because she would be preaching on Sunday (July 8), since her hubby was on missionary journey to Russia. We prayed and her prayers were for her husband, children and Revival Assembly. I never knew the rest she was referring to was death.”
‘Her death was peaceful’, Apostle Wole Oladiyun (CLAM)
“Psalm 37:37 says Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. Her death was peaceful and brought peace to the ministry. I pray for them she was a wonderful woman.”
‘We chatted for 35 minutes’, Elishamah Ideh
“I was shocked and found it hard to believe when I got the news of her death. The reason was that she called me on Thursday, July 5, 2012, and we spoke for 35 minutes. She was even the one who informed me her hubby was on a missionary journey. Her life was about Apostle Anselm and Revival Assembly.”
- FEMI OYEWALE
This story was first published in Encomium Weekly edition of Tuesday, July 10, 2012
