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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
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With heavy hearts, tears, and wailing but total submission to the will of God, the Bassange community in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday laid to rest one of their brightest lights, Mrs. Grace Ali Atanze, whose life of service, they arrested to,touched countless souls.
In his sermon titled “Live to Serve,” Rev. A. G. Akamisoko, President of Victory Bible Church, urged mourners and the living to embrace the fleeting gift of life by dedicating themselves to service,service to God, to humanity, and to the society in which they live.
“Whoever serves God and humanity with sincerity is never forgotten,” he said, reminding the congregation that dignity and eternal reward are found in a life lived for others.
Lamenting the decline of true service in Nigeria today, the cleric called on all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, to adopt a culture of selflessness and compassion, stressing that only through such values can society become more peaceful and just.
Rev. Akamisoko described the late Mrs. Atanze as “an illustrious daughter of the Bassange community, a woman whose doors were always open and whose hands never tired of giving. Nobody ever came to her for help and returned empty,” he noted.
The cleric urged her grieving family to carry on her legacy by walking in the path of service that she so passionately trod.
According to her biography, Mrs. Atanze ,born on August 8,1964,was an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where she obtained her first degree in sociology in 1986 and two master’s degrees in sociology and another one in Public Policy and Administration with with PhD in view all from Bayero University,Kano.
She was a senior lecturer at the Federal University of Education, Kano.
She passed away on August 19, 2025. Beyond her academic brilliance, she was celebrated for her tireless generosity.
The deceased sponsored numerous children through school, secured admissions for many into higher institutions, housed and cared for those in need, and faithfully supported elderly relatives with regular financial assistance.
“She bore the burdens of others with joy and gave until it hurt,” the author of her biography noted, adding that her benevolence and kindness would remain unforgettable.
The funeral service, held at Waterside, Gadumo in Lokoja, drew mourners from all walks of life,family, colleagues, friends including her husband, Mr.Abraham, daughter, Wisdom
and other mourners, who came to pay their last respects and bid farewell to a woman who lived not for herself, but for others.
Indeed, the Bassange community buried more than a daughter; they laid to rest a rare jewel, a woman whose legacy of love and service will continue to speak long after her departure.
The deceased also left behind her siblings among whom is Mr.Sylvanus Ali, formerly of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA,
