Rites of passage for Matthew Imerion, the entertainer 
By Alemma Aliu Ozioruva
It was tributes all the way on Sunday, as family and friends of late artiste and script writer, Matthew held a memorial service in his honour. Imerion died in Carolina, United States of America on January 27. He had cancer of the liver and pancreas.
Though his remains were interred in the US, the family had the traditional burial rites in Ewohimi, Esan Central Local Council and then the church service at St Paul's Catholic Church, Benin City.
His first son, Matthew Imerion Junior, an advert executive described his late father as very strict and a perfectionist who would be missed greatly. "He was a perfectionist, he likes doing things well, I will miss his pursuit for perfection although it gets us into trouble with him a lot of times but that is what I will miss most because he always tried to make sure we did everything the right way and I will remember what he always said and by that I will live accordingly."
His wife, Princess Ajoke, however, said she is now married to Jesus the husband of all widows for protection and ability to carry on the family pursuits. "He was my best friend, a loving father and a loving husband. I am going to miss his wahala. There is a saying that Jesus is the husband of the widow so I am Jesus' wife now and he will manage my home for me".
Ajoke's younger sister, Mrs Lawuyi Lawal, a Kaduna- based poultry farmer confirmed the Imerion's family insistence that their late father was a disciplinarian; "Matt Imerion, Bross Matto like we normally called him was a nice guy, a very good disciplinarian, very faithful husband, a loving husband and a brother-in-law, he was a nice man.
"We are really going to miss him, since he died, we've been crying, he was a nice man, a very good father and husband. God will help her (Princess) to fill the vacuum.
A close friend of Matt as he was fondly called, Okoye Frank, an ICT Engieneer, said his loss was a blow to the entire nation and urged the children to sustain the legacy he has left behind.
"Matt was a friend and a father to so many of us, he was a legend in his own right and unfortunately we cannot challenge God's will and in all things we are supposed to give thanks to God but I will say we've lost a rare gem both in the family and as a nation, we pray that wherever he is, he goes and intercede for Nigeria and not just his family. The people he left behind should live according to the tenets he preached while he was alive and to do what it takes to ensure that his does not die in vain, his work should live and precede him.
He was diagnosed of cancer in August 2009 and was told he had just six months to live but he succumbed to nature's call few weeks to the six months estimated. "His death is a big vacuum which I cannot describe and in fact since August when we heard the news we have been crying everyday and I even told my children I am not sure I will cry if he dies because they told him that he had cancer of the liver and pancreas normally people have one kind of cancer but he had two and we've been crying since August last year, he told me that the doctors gave him six months to live and if you count six months to today, February would have made it six months, so he died on the 27th, on my last born's birthday, so it was a big blow to," the wife had told The Guardian shortly after the man's death in January.
The late Matt wrote the script of the famous television drama, Hotel De Jordan.
Imerion was born April 4, 1945, in Warri. He was educated in the Nigerian school system, and was a graduate of Pat Robertson University in Virginia Beach. Mr. Imerion had also been invited by Benedict College and other universities in Nigeria, to host several workshops on Theater and African Dance.
In 2004, he retired from CBN Studios Nigeria as director of programmes - state and local. He then moved to America, where he realised his dream of becoming a permanent resident, passing away shortly before becoming a U.S. citizen.
He is survived by his wife, six children, Ruby, Naomi, Matthew Jr., Ose, Amy and Duke Imerion, all of Benin City. He is also survived by siblings, Ceceila and Mary of Benin City, Nigeria, and Grace of Columbia. He leaves behind very special nephews, Dr. Sylvester Osazuwa Odigie of Atlanta, GA, and Fredrick Odigie and wife, Bernadette Odigie of Columbia.
