In starting this tribute, I have to quote the Middle East saying, 'When you were born, you cried and the World laughed; live your life so that when you die, you will laugh and the World will cry'. Again, in the words of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 'Watching a painful death of a hero reminds us of a falling star from million lights in a sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever'. This was what happened recently when the ex-Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeke Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba of Nnewi, died. However, since his contributions have been adequately captured in several documentations, they will speak for his bravery, rare intellect, charisma, courage, nationalism and unequivocal response to national issues. I think and believe that was why in an interview with the Vanguard of Monday, July 25, 2005 p. 37, the ex-Biafran warlord said: 'I prefer to be continuously part of the fight for emancipation than staying behind to be revered and having chickens slaughtered in my honour. In James Chapter 4, verse 14 the Holy Bible says: 'Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life' It is even a vapour that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away'. The truth, however, is that we live to die, and die to live again. God, in His love, has not entirely condemned man. It is appointed to man once to die and after that, the judgement. There is a life after this one and we can only get there by dying. We die to live again. So, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu will live again, let us not weep for him. This is because death is indeed the ultimate appointment everybody would be ready for. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was born on the 13th of November 1933, at Zungeru, Niger State. His father, Sir Louis Phillip Ojukwu, a transporter was the first publicly-acclaimed Nigerian multi-millionaire. His father ensured that his son had the best of education that could be got. To this end therefore, he attended St. Patrick's Primary School, CMS Grammar School and King's College, all in Lagos. He later proceeded to England where he attended Epsom College and Lincoln College, University of Oxford. The mercantilist elder Ojukwu drew his son to the business and eventually released control of the business to him. The plan of the elder Ojukwu was that his son would read law, but when he got to Britain, he changed from Law to History and obtained a first class bachelor's degree and later bagged a master's degree. When Emeka came back, he joined the Eastern Nigeria Civil Service as an Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO).One day, Sir Ojukwu received an urgent call from Sir Macpherson, the colonial Governor-General. On arrival, Sir Ojukwu was shown the application letter written and signed by his son to enlist into the Nigerian Army. At that time, the army was considered a dumping ground for those thought to be never-do-well. However, Emeka was more than qualified for the profession he sought, being the first application letter (1957) that the Nigerian Army would receive from a graduate of the university. For Emeka, it was a mild frustration because the army refused to take cognizance of his degrees saying that he must start from the lowest rank that is, recruit. He continued and later got commissioned as an officer of the Nigerian Army. Apart from routine postings to the Royal West Africa Frontier Training School, Ghana (1958 ' 1961) as an instructor, and as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master-General, Brigade Headquarters, Kaduna (1961), Emeka's life in the army was uneventful, until 1963, when things took a dramatic turn. Consequently, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1963, and made Commander of the 5th Battalion, Kano in 1964. However, in January 1966, as a result of months of tension and violence across the country, five young majors, popularly thought to have been led by Chukwuma Patrick Kaduna Nzeogwu (Ojukwu insisted Emmanuel Ifeajuna was the leader of the group), staged the first military coup in Nigeria on the 15th of January 1966, which effectively brought down the post-independence civilian government led by Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Regrettably, many Nigerians that were thought to have helped in holding Nigeria back from achieving her full potentials were killed in the attempted putsch, power never transferred to the coupists. To be continued'Soeze, fhnr, fcida, fcai, cpae, son, emba Chief Officer (Administration)/Head, Academic and Physical Planning of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State. charlessoeze@yahoo.ca
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