Bethel Amadi: Family, friends gather for Memorial Service

A memorial service for the late former President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Bethel Amadi was held on Monday February 10, 2020 at his Amii Akabo country home in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria.

The service which began at about 11 am, was officiated by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Ikeduru (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Maduwuike, Ph.D who also preached the sermon.

Taking his text from Psalms 112 verses 6 to 10, Bishop Maduwuike reminded the gathering that a righteous man will always be remembered for ever and that his memory will never be forgotten.

Bishop Maduwuike stated that late Bethel Amadi devoted his life to public service and lived for humanity as evidenced by the presence of his former close friends adding that to “praise what is lost is to cause remembrance”.

African Parliamentary News recalls that the late parliamentarian was a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives for twelve (12) years (2003 to 2015) and a member of the Pan African Parliament from 2007 to 2015.

Bethel Amadi served as the First Vice President of PAP from 2009 to 2012 and was in 2012, elected as the President of the Parliament, a position he held till May 2015 (Third Parliament). In recognition and appreciation of his selfless service to Nigeria, Bethel Amadi was in 2014, conferred with the national award of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was during his tenure that the Twenty-Third Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on June 27, 2014 adopted the Revised Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union Relating to the Pan African Parliament (The Malabo Protocol).

This Revised PAP Protocol has as at date, been ratified by twelve (12) member States of the African Union with sixteen more ratifications required for it to come into force. It is hoped that the ratification process will be expedited in memory of this quintessential parliamentarian.

It would also be recalled Third Parliament of the Pan African Parliament in recognition of his outstanding contributions, conferred on him, the status of Ambassador of the Pan African Parliament.

Those in attendance included his widow, Lady Barr. Mabel Amadi, his children and siblings (Sir Morgan Amadi, Pharm. Donald Amadi, Dr. Victor Amadi, Ada Amadi and Ikechukwu Amadi  and other members of the Amadi family. Others included elder statesmen Chief Dr.  Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, and Chief Dr. Josiah Odunna, the member representing Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Henry Nwawuba (lBethel Amadi’s successor), Prof. Ossey Nwebo (a former director of Bureau of PAP and former Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University, Owerri), member representing Mbaitoli State Constituency at the Imo State House of Assembly and former Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Okechukwu Onyekanma who moved the vote thanks. Others are a former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nnaemeka M aduagwu, the member representing Ikeduru State Constituency, Hon. Uche Ogbuagu; former Imo State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Sir Bon Unachukwu and a host of other political associates and former employees of the late parliamentarian.

The memorial service witnessed the unveiling of the tombstone by Bishop Maduwuike.