Anambra monarchs, politicians, others pay tribute as business mogul, Mendu is buried

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

 

 

It was a roll call of who is who in Igbo land during the burial ceremony of a popular philanthropist and business mogul, High Chief Samuel A. Mendu, at his Ogidi country home, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra state.

 

Among those who paid tributes included, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Pharmacist Alex Onyido, Anambra State Leaders of Thought, Idemili North/South, led by Dr Boniface B. Agbala, former member of House of Representatives representing Idemili North/South, Hon. Christie  Okeke, current and past Presidents General, PGs, Ogbaru Relief, (Main) market, Chiefs Ndubuisi Ochiogu and Victor Nwawulu, respectively.

 

The traditional ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Onyido, in his tribute, disclosed that the late Mendu was a philanthropist who contributed immensely to the human capital development in the community and beyond.

 

“He was a great philanthropist whose penchant for human capital development cut across ethnic barriers, an embodiment of love and merchant of peace, a strong advocate and promoter of egalitarianism who could not stand the suppression of the downtrodden,” Igwe disclosed.

 

Also, the Idemili leaders of Thought in their tribute through their chairman, Agbala, described Mendu as a great man per excellence, worthy of sincere  cum profound respect by all Idemili North and South in all ramifications.

 

“It is on record that some major crises within his community were resolved with his intervention. His philanthropic disposition was equally worthy of mention as he provided solid platforms to empower some Idemili youths in business and academic activities and welfare of elders in his community as past chairman of Idemili Leaders of Thought during which time he transformed the organization,” Agbala further disclosed.

 

In his tribute at the reception ceremony held at Ebenezer Anglican Church Primary School field, Ogidi shortly after Mendu’s interment in his compound at Ezi-Ogidi Village, the PG of Ogbaru Relief market, Ochiogu, described Mendu as someone who doesn’t tolerate lies as well as a philanthropist and a business mogul who used his resources for the betterment of others.

 

Ochiogu revealed that he was a confidant and friend of Mendu among all his friends and was the only person who had slept with Mendu in one bed, disclosing that he had played with him for over 20 years.

 

” Onwa loved me because I spoke the truth and that was why he insisted that I must be the President-General of Ogbaru Main Market. He knew that I have the capability to transform Ogbaru Main Market. He told traders that if I could become the President of the Market, stories of burglary would stop. And indeed, when I became the President-General of the Market, all forms of criminalities and traders losing several millions of Naira in the Market ceased” Said Ochiogu.

 

He noted that he has repositioned Ogbaru Main Market by recovering the Market from flooding menace, innovation of solar lights in the Market, borehole, provision of assorted fire extinguishers and other structural and infrastructure for the Market.

 

He, also, eulogized people who supported him both financially and in kind to see that Ogbaru Main Market gives Mendu a befitting burial, saying that people raised more than #5 million during the burial arrangements.

 

He lamented the vacuum created by the exit of Onwa Ogidi in the Ogbaru Main Market, even as he advised Vice Chairman of BOT to emulate Chief Mendu, saying that after he concluded his idea on how to Immortalize Onwa Ogidi, he would communicate to the entire traders through his executives.

 

Also, a Chieftain in the market, Chief David Obidike, in his tribute recalled that Mendu was the grand patron and BOT chairman of the Ogbaru market and a philanthropist to the core.

 

” I served him as an apprentice trader for 10 years and he did me very well. He was not discriminatory and that is why we resolved to give him a befitting burial ceremony,” Obidike further maintained.

 

Late Mendu, born in 1952, into the family of late Chief Mendu Chieke and Eunice  Mendu, in Ezi Ogidi, attended St. Luke primary school in Jos, and Molumba High School in Jos, he relocated to Ogidi due to the Nigeria/Biafran civil war.

 

He later was admitted as an apprentice trader by Chief E. O. Mbaekwe of Ogidi and served him for 11 years before opening his own business outfit with the name  Slams  Easter  Enterprises Ltd, Onitsha and was a major distributor for Cadbury Nigeria plc.

 

For a better society

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