I am glad and feel a sense of duty to write this piece to felicitate with a brother on this auspicious occasion because it is in the fitness of things so to do. By the second of April,the prestigious title of Oba will be conferred on George by his people-meaning he’s a prophet recognized at home.
For those who don’t know,our relationship has lasted nearly as long as our sojourn on planet earth.In the sixties,we attended evening Benediction anchored by one of the trio- FRS Macgraine (P.P.),Rowland and Tim Buckley-all spiritans and Irish Rev Fathers.On that faithful day,we saw Angels around the Altar.George and I were among the Children that saw Apparition.Many Adult doubted the story but those who believed it linked it to our child-like purity.This event brought us together.
The war broke our Education and some of us who died during the war didn’t come back after the war.I’ve often told George that the corollary to Paragons is “war victims”.Some of us died as a result of starvation and air raids.we came back to St Patrick’s Primary School after the war,to receive sound education provided by personages like M.C Eze (Head master),Edward Ekeowa(Primary 6 c teacher-were destiny brought George and I together again!), Gilbert Ugbodiegwu and others.
The paradigm was based on critical, creative,analytical,incisive and reflective higher order thinking and reasoning.it is this type of mental climate that produced Ogbunigwe,Ojukwu’s bucket,Sure battery and myriads of other weapons that gave the Federal side sleepless nights during the war.the Federal side described Biafra as an enclave and we suffered economic blockade,a horrendous war policy of starvation as a legitimate weapon of warfare (Initiated by Awolowo and endorsed by Gowon),Incessant air raids and massive land bombardments.under such privation and deprivation,Biafra scientists and technologists proved their mettle.
Many times, insufficiency of petroleum products has been a major headache in peace time in Nigeria but in Biafra,we never lacked petroleum products.A Secondary School, near my home town__Aquinas secondary school (where Ichie CI Osakwe,our principal was once also a principal) was a Research and Production Center(RAP Center) during the war,where processes like fractional distillation was used to generate premium motor spirits(PMS),dual purpose kerosene (DPK), Automotive gas oil(AGO) and engine oil.
Unfortunately,this kind of mental resilience that propelled people in our age_group has been taken over by yahoo mentality among Igbo youths__Okeite,Ezenwoke, Ezenwanyi,etc get_rich_quick_syndrome.They’re no longer prepared to work for years to see achievements that naturally accompany hard work and competence in professionalism.They’re not interested in learning the ropes from those who have something to offer.
In our time,we attended lessons organised by MR Gilbert Ugbodiegwu to shed light on grey areas in the regular school curriculum.My elder brother provided copies of Time, Newsweek and PlainTruth magazines_from where George and I learnt things that enriched our knowledge.George came around and we listened to my brother and Anselm Obidi(maternal relative of C.N.olieh,GM of ACB after Collins Obi and George Oguejiofor’s townsman).
Professor Maurice Iwu was a young pharmacist,who lived in a neighbouring compound before he went to University of Bradford in UK for his post _graduate studies.The ground floor was a Chemical laboratory of Ideal Chemist,owned by Ephraim Onyekwelu (George Aniebonam’s townsman),where he worked.Prof Iwu and Barr joe Anakwenze(from Abagana, too)lived upstairs.
We drank from their fountain of knowledge.We also visited writers like George Okey Offiah at Asata Mine Road and also attended court sessions (from C.I.C),where we observed Dr Augustine Nnamani(Governo Nnamani’s uncle)and Okwerekwu (DPP).All the above shaped our interest in writing.A good mechanic,mason, carpenter,tailor or professional doesn’t need a signboard.
That was the pattern we observed during our formative years.
Following the pattern of our time, George has been working assiduously in his profession and other areas, including playing the role of chief scribe for C’76.Today,he’s a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors(NIQS).He was selected (based on competence)to build the NIQS Headquarters Abuja plus other projects.He also owns hotels that harness up to 120 rooms.Last year,he was appointed a Special Adviser to the Niger State Governor,on inter_tribal affairs_helping us to debunk the northern notion on Ndigbo foisted by the January 1966 coup.
All our travails are traceable to that unfortunate incident.Again,we have been badly misrepresented by a cabal of irascible and ill_bred element’s but the typical Igbo is peaceful, hard_working, investment_conscious,more fearfully docile than is imaginable and equally hospitable to visitors and strangers.
I hail George as he takes this honour _reminding one of the observation once made by Engineer Seba Ezeoke that rewards and recognitions to hardwork begin to manifest from the mid _sixties.Paul A Samuelson,the 1st American to win Nobel Price in Economics,won it at 70 in 1970.Milton Friedman,the 2nd to win it ,won it in 1972 at about the same age.
So,let’s expect more rewards and recognitions as we approach this milestone age _group. May God bless George and all of us.
Emma Okpareke
