Terminally ill Nigeria’s affable funk master and former
president of Performing Musician Association of Nigeria, Mustapha Amego is
dead.
He died on Thursday morning after he was discharged from the
Maryland Medical Center, United States.
We gathered that he was discharged from that hospital on
Wednesday. Musky as fondly called by friends was expected to begin a hospice
home care, indefinitely.
Amego, widely known to Nigeria’s music lovers of 80s through
late 90s, as “Funky Mallam” has been incapacitated by colon cancer that had
spread to other body organs in the last few months.
According to Mr. Azuka Jebose, who had a telephone
conversation with Mustapha before his passing, his voice waning, weak and
frail, barely audible, he expressed appreciation for the support and empathy
from well meaning Nigerians since his family went public with his health
challenges.
He reportedly told Jebose, “Zuky, I just wished God would
give me more time to thank every Nigerian. I am grateful to have been born
Nigerian. I hope someday we would resolve our various differences and live as
one Nigeria, be as great as the United States. We are a resilient people,
regardless of our diversity.
“Where else can you find a unique ethnic people under one
nation, with beautiful and diversified cultures, people, traditions and
customs? Nigeria is such a glorious nation and I pray the powers that be would
someday allow our children to tell the stories of our resilience and our great
people.
“Zuky, I thank you, Joel, Jude, Alex Zitto, and everybody. I
am at peace and have accepted my circumstance. I don’t have much time left. But
I am fulfilled… I want to be remembered as a son, a father who did his best to
reach out, remember me as somebody who, despite disagreements, always found
ways to put myself in people’s shoes.
“Zuky, it’s in God’s hands now. And I am a happy man,
because I started this life’s journey with half full cup and filled it. It was
difficult, but I filled it. I am fulfilled.”
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