{UAH} Tribute to the Late Dr. John Taban Dada
|
12:08 AM |
No comments |
Tribute to the Late Dr. John Taban Dada
October 9th will never be the same until my last day! I had planned to call Dr. Dadabefore the end of October after learning of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia! I last spoke to him in 2010. Little did I know that I would never again talk to or see my nephew!
I first received the news of Dr. Dada's untimely demise from a cousin sister, Susan Alibe of Edmonton (Canada). Susan had heard the news from another Ugandan friend based in the USA who had read the sad news on the internet! An hour later, when Mr. Simon Dradri emailed me confirming the death, I felt very numb and cold – a feeling I experienced on March 16, 1983 – when I returned home after accompanying Dr. Dada and Mr. Simon Dradri to the Juba International Airport (present day South Sudan) to take their flight to Khartoum (Sudan) for the onward trip to what was by then, far away Liberia!!
Dr. Dada's departure had a profound impact on me because I had "lost" my nephew and a great friend! I believe I have lost my nephew twice!
I first met my nephew Dr. John Dada when I joined St Charles Lwanga College for my first year of secondary education in 1975. While I had met the rest of hisbrothers and sisters years earlier, it would take until 1975 when I would finallymeet him in his second year of secondary education.
Dr. John Taban Dada was born to Mr. Michael Amunu Dada, a now retired Police Officer and the late Mrs. Mary Apayi Amunu, of the Kakwa tribe, found in Koboko district, located at the extreme corner of North Western Uganda bordered by the Republic of South Sudan to the North and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr. Dada's father hails from the Drombu clan while, his late mother, my aunt – from my clan, the Ponyura clan. Dr. Dada, was the second born of sevenchildren. In Uganda, Dr. Dada is survived by his father, his sisters Ms. Elizabeth Kadayi Muto, Margret and Nola; brothers James and Candiga, many nephews and nieces – notably, Dr. Idroru; aunts and uncles. Dr. Dada is predeceased by his momwho passed away in 2009; and his youngest brother, in 2003.
The family had moved from the village to live in Koboko town, the administrative headquarters of Koboko district, which is approximately 575km away from Kampala, (Uganda's capital city); only 2km from the Democratic Republic ofCongo border (formerly Zaire) and 16km from the South Sudan border.
Although his home was barely a kilometre away from his school, Dr. Dada studiedand lived in St Charles Lwanga College, Koboko, the District's only government boarding school at that time - where he completed Senior four in 1977 performing extremely well in his "O" levels. Besides excelling in academics, Dr. Dada was a gifted soccer player and athlete. He made the school soccer team when he was only in Second year (grade 8) and would remain on the team until 1980, beating many older boys. If it wasn't for the war, I believe Dr. Dada could have made a career as a professional soccer player! As a track and field athlete, he was at one time the school's champion in 110 meters huddles!
In 1979, Dr. Dada, like many students from Koboko District and the greater West Nile region of Uganda, was forced to abandon his "A" level studies and fled Koboko District for the neighboring DRC due to the Ugandan civil war followingthe overthrow of President Idi Amin Dada's Government. Dr. Dada could not therefore take his "A" level exams in 1979 due to the war, and choosing to rejointhe same school in senior five (5) again in 1980 following the end of the civil war.By the way, some of you may have already realized that both Dr. Dada and the late President of Uganda carried the same name "Dada", but had no relations except for hailing from the same region of Uganda and same linguistic group – the Kakwa people who are spread across Northwestern Uganda, Northeastern DR Congo and Southern Sudan.
Unfortunately, the lull in the civil war was short-lived as the defeated army that had camped across the border in Southern Sudan regrouped to attack the new Uganda government. Being close to the border where the fighting mostly took place, St. Charles Lwanga College was closed again and would not reopen until well into the mid to late 1980s.
Fortunately, Dr. Dada's eldest sister, Ms. Elizabeth Kadayi had decided to relocatedirectly to Juba, the capital city of South Sudan after the 1979 war – where she met her husband, the late Michael Muto Atia, a senior United Nations Development Program official (and a fellow). In 1981 Dr. Dada left the DRC to join his sister and brother in-law in Juba where he was able to get a job as a laboratory technician in a Secondary in Juba. Many of Dr. Dada's relatives and contemporaries,including Mr. Simon Dradri, had also relocated to Juba so that made living in the new place more bearable. Although I resettled in Yei, approximately 100 milessouth of Juba, we would meet very often.
As an interrupted refugee student, Dr. Dada dreamt of going back to school one day. He therefore registered with the UNHCR office in Juba. In 1982, theUniversity of Liberia offered places to UNHCR for refugee students living in Sudan and the DRC. Based on his excellent "O" level results, Dr. Dada wasadmitted by the university and subsequently awarded a UNHCR scholarship to resume his studies at the University of Liberia in 1983. He left Juba, South Sudan in May 1983, with Mr. Simon Dradri, another Ugandan refugee student who would be known to many in Liberia – during their student days in the 1980s and when he returned to Liberia to work with Save the Children in early 2000s following his postgraduate studies at Oxford University, England. Over the years, Mr. Dradriwould be the only link between us and Dr. Dada!
Dr. Dada loved Liberia and its people for the opportunity that the country gave him to resume his education when there seemed to be no hope after the war in Uganda!Even in the heat of the Liberian civil war where Dr. Dada had many opportunities to join us in Canada and the United States, but he chose to remain in Liberia where he became a naturalized citizen!
As relatives and friends of Dr. Dada, we remain completely devastated by the news of his untimely demise. We take solace in the fact that his death resulted from doing what he wanted to do best – heal the people of Liberia who had given him the gift of becoming a medical doctor when he could no longer pursue that dream in his country of birth! We thank his immediate family, Mrs. Munah Dada, in-laws, the Liberian medical community and the Ugandan community in Liberia at large for the support they gave Dr. Dada in his hour of need.
Although we are not in Liberia to celebrate Dr. Dada's life with you, we greatly appreciate you individually and collectively! May God guide and richly bless youall!
Dr. Dada, we will miss you BUT never forget you!
Charles Malé
Uncle to Dr. John Taban Dada
On behalf of the family, relatives and other Ugandan friends
Ottawa, Canada
Tribute to Late Dr. John Taban Dada – By Charles Male Page
0 comments:
Post a Comment