Okoku Obomba: Generous and gentle soul

Last week our colleague, Mr Okoku Obomba as we knew him, was laid to rest in his home town of Koch, in Nebbi District on September 30. 

Our Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication, although not many but where we operate as a close knit family, led by the Dean, Prof Monica Chibita, travelled to send him off with gratitude for his years of service. I still feel sad that I was not able to join the team due to some earlier commitments.

I joined then Department of Mass Communication in 2014. He was welcoming and insisted on calling me Maractho, with an emphasis. He never called me Emilly, as the rest of the faculty do. 

I will remember Mr Obomba as a deeply caring person. He demonstrated commitment to his students in ways that clearly endeared him. 

When I became Head of Department, Journalism and Media Studies, after becoming a faculty in 2018, it fell on me to supervise him and conduct his performance appraisal. Despite the age difference between us, he still respected and reported to me, subjecting himself to the appraisals without a problem. 

I had to explain to him where I gave him a B or C, often in one area of timely submission of results, because he did take his time to grade and sometimes, his results were not in at the time we needed to discuss them. But he would always assure me, that ‘Maractho, I am working around the clock, I will deliver’.  And often, he did. So throughout the years I led the department, we never went to Senate with incomplete results. 

Like Prof Chibita mentioned in her very touching eulogy, I too rode home with Mr Obomba quite often, and got to know him very well. At the university, I sat in the School of Research and Postgraduate Studies (SRPS), while his office was at the faculty. Although I visited the faculty often, he still found time to come to my office just to greet me, and ask how I am, which I appreciated. 

We often talked about many things, from teaching to farming, his children and sometimes about Nebbi and its development. I got to know about the many other things he did, which amazed me about his hard working nature. 

Mr Obomba was not just caring, he was also a generous person. When Covid-19 happened, Prof Chibita encouraged us to check on one another. One day, I passed by his home with all the children at my house. As we were leaving, he disappeared a bit and returned with a sack of 10 kilogrammes, handed it to my cousin and pointed to a sack in his dining, ‘fill it up’. I protested that it was alot but he insisted that it should be filled since I had children. So we left with ten kilograms of rice. 

There is something touching about a person giving you so much without expecting anything in return. That was not the only thing I left his home with. His wife, Joanita Ngabiroch gave me a lot of onions from her garden, which I planted and continue eating to date. 

Through his family, I got to appreciate why his students and staff all loved him. It was clear, Mr Obomba was a very good parent. 

Three weeks before his passing, I went to the faculty and met a colleague. There was a young lady seated by the corner frantically typing on the computer. I said hello but went on to tell my colleague that I desperately needed a graduate trainee to recruit. I had not taught the current group set to graduate so I did not know them. And he said, ‘that one’, pointing to the lady. 

I decided I would ask her a few questions, which turned into a full blown interview. She was very impressive. I told her I would give her a chance if she could please submit an application. 

But before leaving, she said, ‘Ms Emilly, I am Mr Obomba’s daughter. But you will not regret giving me a chance, because I am hard working.’ I was taken by surprise. I returned to the one who recommended and said, ‘of all students why would you recommend Mr Obomba’s daughter to work for me?’ 

To me, he was a staff member. I had given her the opportunity without knowing, but appreciated her disclosure. 

So I set out to find out from other colleagues who taught her, and they all said one thing, please do not disadvantage her just because she is Mr Obomba’s daughter, she is very good and you will not regret. 

I gave Mr Obomba a lift that day, and he assured me his daughter would not give me trouble. With that, I offered Laura Cenge, their only child to do journalism, a place at the Africa Policy Centre, as Graduate Trainee for six months, where she has quickly proved herself worthy of the placement. 

Looking back, I now realise his very generous and gentle soul, needed assurance that in his absence, his young daughter would have good professional guidance. 

It never ever occurred to me, that the ride home would be the last time I see him. Fare thee well Mr Obomba. 

Ms Maractho is the head and senior lecturer, Department of Journalism and Media Studies at UCU. 

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