Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, husband to late Ibidunni Ighodalo recently granted an interview to Punch where he spoke extensively on how he’s coping with her sudden demise.When Ibidunni Ighodalo, former beauty queen, event planner, and philanthropist died on June 14th, it came as a shock to many. She was known for her kind, gentle, and selfless spirit always ready to lend a helping hand.

 

People also marveled at how Pastor Ighodalo handled her passing seeing as he was very functional and showed little or no emotion. He says he refused to focus on this pain.

“It has always been God and a refusal to think about myself, pain, and sorrow. I decided to think first, about God and secondly, about my wife”, He says

“I asked myself what would my wife want and thirdly, I decided to think about other people. How can I send the right kind of message in the midst of this to help other people? I refused to think about myself and what I was going through. I thought more about what God would want me to do. As soon as I focused more on those things and less on myself, it wasn’t a very difficult thing to do.”

On breaking the news to his children:

My children are young. My daughter is nine years old and my son is two and a half years old. So, it wasn’t so difficult. When I got home that evening, I hugged and kissed them. Then, I whispered to my daughter, “Your mum has gone to be with Jesus Christ.” She asked what I meant and I explained that her mum had passed on. She understood what passing on meant, so the question was, “I won’t see her again?” I said, “Not physically but in eternity.”

 

Then, she cried. My son was too young to understand what I was saying but he knew that his mum had gone somewhere. He eventually saw his mother in a coffin. My daughter asked me more questions and I did my best to console her. But then, children are strengthened by God. From time to time, even till today, she asks me one question or the other and I answer her.

On his healing process:

I’m still healing and getting used to the situation. It’s not easy; it’s like cutting off half of one’s body. We used to think together and think through one another. I won’t say that I have deliberately engaged in any activity to help me through. I just live the way I need to and react to situations the way I want to. However, I didn’t rush into anything; I took my time. I did only things that I felt were proper to do.

Also read:
-On Her Life & Legacy: Media Hub Magazine Pays Tribute To Ibidunni Ighodalo With Its June Issue 
-Tope Alabi Releases Powerful Song As Tribute To Late Ibidunni Ighodalo 
-Denola Grey Talks His Style & Journey To Self-Awareness As he Covers MC! Magazine Debut Issue

He says he’s being able to find peace and is spending more time with his children. His life has however been altered forever

My life has changed and I hope the other people I’m responsible to (my professional practice and church) will understand and accept that they have to deal with me from a slightly different perspective going forward,” he says.

On his wife’s kind spirit and effervescent soul, he said:

My wife was a very good soul — extremely caring, compassionate, and loving. She was very interested in people. She met people, took to them very quickly, and made them feel special. Most of her friends thought they were her favourites but there were so many of them. She had the ability to make people feel special and got involved in their lives and their children’s lives too.

She wanted to celebrate her 40th birthday which would have come up on Sunday, July 19, 2020, by granting 40 couples in dire need of reproductive interventions a once in a lifetime opportunity to become parents. That was her last wish.

On the ‘Project 40@40’ Ituah Ighodalo said:

Project 40@40 is a dream my wife had for 40 couples at the age of 40. It’s what she wanted for her 40th birthday, which was on July 19, 2020. She wanted to give 40 couples the opportunity to get reproductive grants ― money for in-vitro fertilisation. The grants range from N1.5m – N3m, depending on the complexity of the issue at hand. We are trying to raise between N120m and N150m to be able to take care of these people and also ensure that we can see them through. It’s not just the process but the pregnancy, and, if necessary, the delivery. We’ll not leave them halfway if we need to.

 

Read the full interview here.

 

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