A Requiem for Sister Osinachi Nwachukwu

By Emma Asie

Sister Osinachi Nwachukwu of the “Ekwueme” fame died on Friday 8th April 2022 at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja where she was being treated for health complications allegedly arising from a physical assault by her husband.

Since her death, the social media has been awash with so many sordid and unbelievable tales of the hellish life she suffered at home even while bringing heaven to our hearts in churches and elsewhere through her voice.

It is indeed heartbreaking and outrightly incredulous.

They said it’s Earth’s loss and Heaven’s gain, but who do we blame?

We should not really blame the man. (Pastor Peter Nwachukwu)
He s a product of a dysfunctional and misogynistic society.

Or rather, don’t blame only him. Others share in the blame as well for the untimely and heartbreaking death of a beautiful soul.

Blame the society for raising a culture of male dominance where many males feel they are gods over the females.

Blame the families for prioritizing male children above females, making males to be all important and much desired offsprings while the females are only good for kitchen and housework (I know a man that abandoned his wife in the hospital simply because she gave birth to a female child,their fifth child. Happened recently)

Blame the religious institutions esp our churches and pastors for twisting the Bible and using it to enslave women in loveless and abusive marriages. In the heat of this issue after her death, one Pastor Newman claimed that remaining in the abusive marriage was Sister Osinachi s “Cup of suffering” which she had to endure in order to make heaven (as if Jesus death and atonement on the cross of Calvary was not enough. Individuals had to suffer their own cup!!!) Osinachi would have been alive today if she had only disobeyed her pastors and moved out of the abusive marriage when her friends were begging her to. But she remained in the name of being a virtuous woman and a good Christian Wife and bore her “cross” hoping to pray her way out of the abuse. Now she paid with her life!

Blame her friends, family members and loved ones too for not speaking up earlier and making concerted efforts to make her quit that hell of a marriage.
Some years back, I had to practically bundle my younger sister from her husband s house back to our family when the physical abuse got too much from her husband. And likewise three years ago, I drove my wife to her sister’s house and together we packed her things and drove her back to her parent’s house. At times desperate situations like this calls for extra desperate measures. Left on their own most victims of abusive marriages often may not be able to quit on their own. Most. I know how many times I spoke to, counseled, threatened and cajoled my sister while she was with her husband but all to no avail. Untill I took that drastic measure along with my other brothers. Even till date I always tell her that if she ever goes back to that man, I and my family will not stick out our necks for her ever again. Though she s still unmarried with a child, yet isn’t that better than losing her life or suffering some permanent injuries in an abusive marriage? At times friends and loved ones need to save a person even from him or herself even at the risk of being labelled home breakers. But the wisdom is not to do it alone. Teamwork and determination is the key.

So in all, Pastor Peter Nwachukwu is obviously a beast. But he s a beast that the society and the church and those around Osinachi allowed to grow and fester untill he ultimately consumed her life.

Rest In Peace Sister Osinachi Nwachukwu, the songster with the angelic voice . Though your beautiful voice has been silenced forever physically, yet we know its sonorous melodies will join those of the angels to enrich heaven and it’s echoes be heard only in our hearts.
You were a victim of a callous society and religious institutions/leaders.

Emma Asie Writes