NINE YEARS AFTER… TIMI ALAIBE REMEMBERS WIFE, ALAERE

Every January brings back sad memories for the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, who lost his wife, Alaere, to lung cancer in January 2009. She left behind five kids, her husband and thousands of women who benefitted from her benevolence and philanthropic activities especially through her Family Re-orientation Education and Empowerment (FREE), an NGO designed to help the women of the Niger Delta region resolve the development dilemma confronting them and also help them become literate and empowered.

Last January was no less a sad reminder of her passing for Timi. But friends and family members who are strongly advocating that he remarries especially now that his kids are becoming adults constantly console Timi. In fact, his eldest daughter got married not quite long ago. However, the Faculty of Management Sciences, Rivers State University, has unveiled a 500-capacity library built in honour of Augustina Alaere Alaibe, the late wife of Alaibe.

The facility located inside the newly built faculty building, was unveiled exactly on the ninth anniversary of the death of Alaere, an alumnus of the faculty, who graduated from the Department of Banking and Finance.

The Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Donald Hamilton, said the project was in recognition of the legacies of Mrs. Alaibe, demonstrated through “her selfless efforts to touch lives through her non-governmental organisation, the Family Reorientation, Education and Empowerment (FREE) program.” In his remarks, Timi said he was humbled by the decision of the university to honour his late wife, adding that touching humanity and the society is what man was made for.

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