Africa-Press – Uganda. One bright Friday afternoon, Okoku Obomba hurriedly walked straight into one of the lecture halls at Uganda Christian University (UCU) to conduct a lesson on ‘Introduction to Mass Communication.’
Upon reaching the front, he removed his black cap from his head and detached a black bag from his shoulder and placed it down on the floor. He then faced the class to start his lesson.
That day, Obomba, as he was commonly known, had wore a tie which had cartoon characters of the Flintstones, which had caught the eye of his students, forcing them to burst into fits of laughter.
On other days, when he did not wear ties with cartoon characters, he wore trousers above his navel and kept them in check with suspenders.
And, that was Obomba. A man with his own sense of style and fashion who did not give a damn about what others thought about his dress code.
In fact, during his years of teaching as at UCU, he preferred using public means, taxis mostly, when going to the university to conduct his lectures. No one ever saw him drive around campus.
To students and staff members, he was a man of precision who always kept time and loved his work so dearly. And without even knowing it, he had a way of cracking up jokes.
When he recently began complaining of the after-effects from a second Covid-19 jab taken in July, many thought his fighter spirit would enable him to recover swiftly.
Last Saturday, early morning, at about 6am, Mr Obomba breathed his last at Mengo Hospital in Kampala where he was referred from a low grade facility in Namugongo, a suburb located on the outskirts of the city.
Following his death, those who knew him, including colleagues, friends, and former students, remembered him for certain attributes.
Dr Monica Chibita, the dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCU, in her eulogy said Obomba was an honest man.
Gentleman
“Mr Obomba was gentle but firm-the quintessential gentleman. In our staff meetings, he listened to all views but he was clear where he stood on issues, and he expressed this emphatically, yet with grace. He was not afraid to be in the minority but he was never obnoxious in his disagreement,” Dr Chibita said.
Mr Obomba was one of the pioneer staff at the Mass Communication Department at UCU and was instrumental in the writing of the maiden curriculum in which the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication was built.
Despite his remarkable achievements, his colleagues at UCU said he remained down to earth.
“It was only after talking to him and other people that one would know the great things he had accomplished in life,” said Dr Angella Napakol, the head of communication at the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communications at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
For Dr Emilly Comfort Maractho, the director of the African Policy Centre at UCU, she will miss his sense of maturity and parental love he accorded to staff.
What his students say
But his accomplishments and successes did not deter him from human scrutiny as a lecturer. There were claims of students taking alcohol so as to get courage to face him in class because of his strictness. Others said he was mean when awarding marks.
Ms Joan Akello, an alumnus, comes to his defence.
“Mr Obomba awarded marks according to one’s input. This was how he got students who did not attend lectures, participate in class or miss tests,” Ms Akello said.
Outside work, Mr Obomba spent time with his family.
Ms Joanitta Ngabiroch Obomba, the wife of the deceased, said he was such a caring man who loved his family members greatly.
“He surprised me with gifts from time to time. There are occasions he would buy me a new dress and say that it would look nice on me. I will miss him very much,” she said.
Family man
The couple got married in 1986. Before then, Ms Obomba said she had not been interested in his advances.
“I got disgusted and turned down his advances after mentioning that he wanted to marry me,” she said.
Ms Obomba changed her mind after talking to a few family members who convinced her that he was a great match for her.
The duo met at then Radio Uganda in 1985 where Mr Obomba served as a news editor while she served as a programme assistant. They have nine children together and nine grandchildren.
He will be laid to rest today in Jaggi Village, Nebbi District.
KEY TRIBUTES
Monica Chibita, Dean of Faculty of Journalism at UCU
“…In our staff meetings, he listened to all views but he was clear where he stood on issues, and he expressed this emphatically, yet with grace. He was not afraid to be in the minority but he was never obnoxious in his disagreement,”
Joan Akello, UCU alumnus
“Mr Obomba awarded marks according to one’s input. This was how he punished students who did not attend lectures, participate in class or miss tests.”
HIS LIFE AND EDUCATION
• Obomba was born in 1957 in Nebbi District.
• He completed Primary Seven at Akaba Primary School in Nebbi
• He sat Senior Four at St Joseph’s College Ombaci in Arua District in 1975
• For Senior Six, Mr Obomba studied at St Peter’s College, Tororo in 1977.
• He then proceeded to study a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science majoring in international relations at Makerere University, graduating in 1981.
• He enrolled for a post graduate diploma in education from Makerere University in 1986 and later for a Master of Arts in Journalism in Wales at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. He graduated in 1994.
