Adieu, Baba Ali, the Last Patriarch Standing By Betty Abah As long as I have remembered, Baba Ali had remained my mum's unofficial twin brother. They bore a striking resemblance, he was a constant visitor to Mama at home and in her shop. They never argued, always chatted sweetly. Moreover, Christmases, the highest points of our childhood, were never complete without visits to our Number One spot-- Baba Ali's home in Otukpo where we got all the goodies meaning special food and money. A jolly good fellow, a large heart. Yesterday (March 12), that heart stopped beating. He joined the ancestors. More significantly, we lost the only surviving one of my mum's siblings. End of an era. Baba Ali is no more, that voice is forever silenced, the unforgettable smiles frozen in living memory. Almost four years after the passing of his immediate younger sister, Omoche, my mum. It's so surreal. I will always remember Mr. Ali Achanya Ayegba aka Baba Ali aka Achanya Oyi...
.... things you need to know....