Exit Of An Icon: A Tribute To Chief Ezeogo Uma Nchege Nwoke

By Polycarp Onwubiko

The traditional ruler of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has made an emotional appeal to the government of Anambra state to increase its appreciable tempo of road rehabilitation programme in the state with emphasis on strategic metropolitan city like Onitsha which nets tremendous internally generated revenues that complement the statutory revenue from the Federation account.

The charismatic Royal Father while delivering the maiden edition of the "Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Annual public lecture series on Igbo culture, traditions, and values" at the ASUU secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe university, Awka Anambra state, believed that if a handsome amount of internally generated revenues from Onitsha metropolis is invested in the rehabilitation of the vast deteriorated roads and streets in sprawling urban centre, there would be quantum leap in commercial activities which in turn lead to many traders and service providers meeting the demands of the state government in the internally revenue drive to achieve the mantra of liveable and modern society with functional amenities and facilities to uplift the living standard of the people.

The lecture highlights the need for urgent attention to four critical areas in Igbo history and culture namely: a definitive determination of the origins and ancestral linkages between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Edo language groups. The highly revered monarch said inter alia:

"...the search is necessary for positioning in contemporary Nigeria...the search of Igbo history is a necessary pedestal to anchor the history of Onitsha presented three alternative versions for Igbo origin, namely, the Autochthony, the internal migration, and the external migration hypothesis...the two migration hypothesis mentioned the possibility that the Igbo, Yoruba, and Edo language groups, and others, shared a common ancestral root prior to separating in different directions and developing different languages and dialects".

Igwe Achebe further believes that"there is a need for building a closer relationship among the descendants of Eze Chima, the central figure in the founding of Onitsha Ado N'Idu and a host of other sister communities on both sides of the lower course of the River Niger, and authenticating the folk histories of Umu Eze Chima".

Re-emphasizing his passionate appeal for greater Onitsha urban renewal, the Royal Majesty added: "... while the Onitsha indigenous community continues on its journey of transformation , it is urgent for the Government to take urgent measures to address the decays in the greater Onitsha metropolis to restore its past glory as a leading industrial, commercial, educational, and cultural city in Nigeria. The establishment of a Greater Onitsha Development Authority becomes very imperative".

According to him, the epochal event marks the beginning of a new era in the promotion of Igbo culture, traditions, and values. A part of the highlight of the event was the laying of the foundation stone of the "Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Dome that will house the World Centre for Igbo Repository".

In his introductory remarks, the chairman of the organizing committee of the event, Prof Godwin Onu, former Rector, Oko Polytechnic, Anambra state, recalled how the proposal for the"Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Annual public lecture and Dome was discussed in the university Senate and was happily approved during the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone, and finally actualized by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu.

The professor of political science believes that as the initiative gains momentum, similar event would be rotated among Igbo speaking areas in Nigeria ostensibly as "a touchstone of knowledge of Igbo origin, cultural renaissance and exchange for posterity to treasure and maintain as in the days of yore".

Welcoming a United States of America Igbo World Congress, Professor Godwin Onu said that reinventing the Igbo cultural values and ethos of industry, wealth creation, and creative ingenuity which distinguished the Igbo nation from other tribes calls for enthusiastic response from the Igbos in the country and in the diaspora to fund the great initiative of His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe.

In his response to the lecture by the Onitsha monarch, the traditional ruler of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, who described the lecture as thought-provoking, commended the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe university for approving the initiative of His Royal Majesty, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe Annual public lecture and building of the Igbo centre for cultural renaissance.

He regretted the "Monday sit-at-home" sequel to the unfortunate insecurity in the Southeast Geopolitical zone decrying its disastrous effects on the Asaba people not coming to Onitsha since they depend on the great metropolis for socioeconomic activities.

He humourously raised a question to Igwe Achebe for not mentioning Asaba at all in the course of his lecture and wondered whether he has forgotten the closer ties with his Community with Onitsha in the hoary past when inter marriage between the two Communities was very common and cordial!

The chairman of the occasion, the Governor of Abia state, His Excellency Dr Alex Oti, represented by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emeto, expressed profound appreciation for the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe university and thanked Igwe Achebe for the marvelous initiative and pledged the unalloyed cooperation of Abia state government to sustain the noble intuitive to preserve the Igbo cultural values and ethos for the knowledge of the posterity.

Also speaking, the Governor of Enugu state represented by the Hon Commissioner for water resources, Dr Felix Nnamani, described Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe as "epitome of intelligence and advised that great event should be documented to encourage research on Igbo culture, traditions and values so that Igbo language would not be lost in the effluxion of time.

In his brief remarks, the former Governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi, who was represented by her former former Hon Commissioner and chief of staff, Prof Stella Okunna, now Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul University, Awka, commended Igwe Achebe saying that Peter Obi has been his long time friend and promised to back him in the worthy initiative.

Earlier, the Acting Vice Chancellor ot Nnamdi Azikiwe university, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, dwelt extensively on Igwe Achebe's great initiative and the full backing of the citadel of learning. He said inter alia:

"I much excited with this epoch making event: the Foundation Laying of the World Centre for Igbo Repository in Nnamdi Azikiwe university, and the maiden edition of His Royal Highness, Obi Nnaemeka Achebe Annual lecture series with the topic: "Onitsha Traditional Society--Origin, Spread, and Culture. The Guest Speaker is no less a person than the Obi of Onitsha himself: Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, Agbogudi,mni, CFR".

Prof Ikechebelu partly explained the need for a "World Centre for Igbo Repository" thus:

"A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2012 Report had predicted that the Igbo language would become extinct by the year 2025 if nothing was done to arrest the creeping decline in the usage of the language....

"Under this unsavoury situation, there is need for concerted efforts to save the history of the Igbo and their culture from going into perdition. This has necessitated the creation of a central hub , digital, physical or hybrid, where data, information and other resources on the Igbo people and their culture are stored, managed and made accessible.

"...We must therefore give credit to scholars, many of Igbo extraction, who subsequently took up the challenge of researching into the history and culture of the Igbos; Prof. Kenneth Dike, Prof. Adiele Afigbo, Prof. Ikenna Nzimiro, MA Onwuejeogwu, Elizabeth Isichei, and others.

"Contemporaneously, with the Foundation Ceremony of the Centre, what should be given further serious consideration is the very important matter of funding, to ensure that the Centre, and the various platforms that may emerge within it, function continuously, much like our Zik Annual Lecture Series. I therefore passionately appeal to individuals and corporate organizations for a perpetual endowment of the World Centre on Igbo Repository".

Present at the occasion are the traditional rulers namely Eze Uzu, Awka, HRH, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, Igwe  Joel .Maduadichie of Umuawulu,  Prof Amechi Egbunike who read the intimidating Citation of HRH Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, Prof JO Ogbuagu, Prof Collins Okafor, Dean, Social Science, principal officers and distinguished Professors of the great citadel of learning.