Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, and former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, were among dignitaries who gathered in Akugbene, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, on Saturday to honour the late Prince Isaac Firimokumo Penawou.
Penawou, who died at the age of 104, was the father of the Delta State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Prince Kelly Penawou, and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Marine Engineering Services Limited, Chief Joseph Penawou.
The funeral service attracted political leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, business executives, friends and associates of the Penawou family.
The presence of Jonathan, Oborevwori, Diri and Ibori highlighted the significance of the funeral and the relationships the deceased and his family built over the years.
The mourners gathered to celebrate a life that spanned more than a century, while offering prayers and condolences to the Penawou family.
Among those who attended the funeral were former Delta State Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro; Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas; former Senator James Manager; and Hon. Nicholas Mutu.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was also present, alongside the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor.
Others included the Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy, Tony Attah, and the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat, Engr. Effiong Okon, among other political leaders and public figures.
The gathering brought together people from politics, government, business and the community, reflecting the broad network of relationships associated with the Penawou family.
Mourners described the funeral as an opportunity not only to grieve but also to appreciate the long life of the deceased and the memories he left behind.
At 104, the life of Prince Penawou spanned more than a century of changes in Nigeria and the Niger Delta.
Family members and friends reflected on his journey, while dignitaries joined them in paying their final respects.
The funeral rites ended with prayers and tributes as the Penawou family received condolences from relatives, friends, political associates and other sympathisers.
For the family and community, the passing of the 104-year-old marked the end of a long life whose memories, they said, would remain with those who knew him.
