By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Evelyn Asiayei, widow of Bayelsa driver, Banalayefa Asiayei, speaks to an online medium on the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death.
No, because the government has not said anything. They are the ones who are supposed to give him a befitting burial. 
It’s been over a month since your husband’s death. How has it been for you?
It has not been easy. He was a good father and husband. For the three children I gave birth to, I don’t know how much they sell diapers because he buys them. I’m a woman, but I’ve never gone to the market to purchase diapers any day. I don’t know how much they sell the toothpaste I use or the soap I use to bathe, because my husband buys everything. He just wanted me to tell him when it was about to finish, not when it was finished. For the one month that I’ve carried expenses, I know how expensive these things are. Right now, our rent is expired. Feeding, school fees, and shop rents are still there. A lot of things are just going through my mind right now. It was when my husband died that I realised how much we used to spend on food. My husband didn’t allow us to go hungry. With the little he had, he cared for his family. It has not been easy. I’m wondering where I will start with the fees. School is closing in two weeks, and the first term will resume again. I’ll be talking about N200,000 to N300,000 plus for school fees, books, and everything for three children. My head is full. Every day I think and calculate. Now I know why he always calculated and wrote down things he wanted to do. When he did them, he ticked them off. He didn’t like stressing himself or putting himself under pressure.
How old are your children? How are they coping with the death of their father?
The first is just six years old, the second is four, and the last is two. I have two girls and one boy. They have been asking for their father. A few days ago, they told me to ask Daddy to come and paint the house. They don’t know their father is dead. I tell them that he’s in Canada. So when they make requests concerning their father, I ask them to say it and assure them that he’d hear them in his Canada house. They asked me if he had a phone, and I told them I was using his phone but he was yet to buy a phone in Canada. That’s what I told them. So whenever they want to talk, I say, “Speak, Daddy will hear you.” On Father’s Day, they asked me to call their dad so they could wish him a happy Father’s Day. I just told them to say what they wanted to say and their daddy would hear them in Canada.
How have you been getting support?
My in-laws, family, and friends support me. That’s where I’ve been getting support from. It has not been easy.
What are your expectations from the government regarding your husband’s case?
I want the government to give my children a scholarship and offer us financial support. I need a government job. I work in a private school and they only pay you for the month you work. They don’t pay you for holidays. For the policeman who did this, justice should be served. He deserves his punishment. He should be punished for that. He cannot just go scot-free like that for taking someone’s life. The governor went on air to say that he would handle the issue and that people don’t need to protest.
Do you believe that the issue will be handled as the governor promised?
I believe so. We all agree that when you say something, you should be able to keep your word. That’s it. So I trust he would since he has come out to say it on air. So let’s wait for him to keep his word.
Source: Ourheritagereporters
