CHIEF ANTHONY CHUKWUEMEKA EMERUE: AN IRREPRESSIBLE TRAILBLAZER A Tribute by Paschal Emeka Egerue .

Chief Sir Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem has passed on. The news of his death saddens all of us Nsu people. He was unarguably, a great Nsu son who made the Community proud at the highest echelon of the corporate world and national politics. Chief Tony Emeruem was born 88 years ago, precisely on 13th May, 1935 to a clergy father from Ezeoke Nsu. His Mother came from the ancient Umuezeala Nsu kingdom and was a regal princess in her own right that bestrode her marital home with beauty and brawn, raising all her children to prominence in diverse spheres of human endeavor.

Chief Sir Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem had his primary education in Nsu and later attended St Augustine’s Grammar School, Nkwerre where he performed so well at exit in 1955 that he was invited to be a teacher in the great School.  Chief Tony remained so proud of his alma mater and continued to support the Aba branch of the Old boys Association until his death. It is noteworthy that it was the excellent academic foundation that he got at this school that made him gain admission through a highly competitive national entrance examination to Yaba College of Technology to Study Pharmacy. Yaba College and the University College at Ibadan were the two higher institutions at this time. It was at Yaba College of Technology that the first generation of pharmacists in Nigeria were trained.

Sir Tony had a very successful pharmacy practice but was later to join the services of the then famous multinational – RT Briscoe where he shone like a thousand stars rising in quick succession to the enviable position of General Manager. In this position, he became the biggest benefactor of his people and assisted to raise generations of entrepreneurs and careerists who were either distributors of one of the products of RT Briscoe or as employees in the diverse branches of the company. Teaming up with his friends such as the late Collins Obi who was the Chief Executive of African Continental Bank(ACB LTD), credit schemes were extended to Igbo men and women to start transport business with RT Briscoe Toyota Cars and trucks or to become car dealers. Today, the business of car dealership in Nigeria especially in the informal sector is dominantly owned by the igbos.

It is significant that even while very busy at the apex of the corporate world, he found time to be active in community development activities. He was a President General of Nsu Development Union (NDU) and in this position he brought landmark peace and collaboration among the towns of Nsu. By becoming the President General of Nsu Development Union, he raised the bar of eligibility for that prime position and encouraged his other successful peers to follow his foot step. It is a thing of joy we can always look back to with nostalgia that there was a time a man of the caliber of Chief Anthony Emeruem was the President General of Nsu Development Union while a distinguished scholar like late Professor Martin Ohiaeri Ijere was the President General of Umuanunu Nsu Welfare Association under the banner of Nsu Development Union. It is unfortunate that this trajectory was truncated by truculent and visionless interruptions which took their toll not just on the once vibrant clan but virtually rendered rudderless, it’s once respected traditional cohesion with which the entire Nsu was bound as a strong and united political behemoth.

A grateful Nsu gave Chief Tony Emeruem, the Prestigious and apt title of Odokara Ome 1 of Nsu.

It is of the type of Chief Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem, that Gustav Nossal made his foremost statement “Community leadership is the courage, creativity and capacity to inspire participation, development and sustainability for strong communities”.

When Chief Tony Emeruem retired from RT Briscoe, he launched into politics, becoming one of the top politicians in the then ruling National Party of Nigeria(NPN). He made Nsu proud by bringing the Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme to visit Nsu.  This was a spectacle and and an unprecedented and unsurpassed feat so far. Brimming with ideas got from our first year lectures at the University, most of us young lads joined him in NPN and were mentored to be very vocal in our local constituency affairs. Remarkably, this was  happening at a time Nsu Clan had several of her respectable sons as remarkable voices in the Nigerian People’s Party(NPP) which was the ruling party in the State under the able Administration of HE Sam Onunaka Mbakwe, PhD.  HE Samuel Mbakwe was more or less an adopted son of Nsu. He had his primary school education at St Paul’s Primary School Nsu and knew every person of his generation in Nsu by name. Unlike the politics of today, Mbakwe displayed sagacity and gave a telling response to this political ‘provocation’ and disruption which Emeruem caused by bringing the Vice President of Nigeria Dr Alex Ekwueme to Nsu. HE Mbakwe’s response was to establish the Imo Tiles and Ceramics Industry on the soil of Nsu Clan. Unfortunately, each of the Governors that succeeded Dee Sam Mbakwe never let this industry to breath hence it’s asphyxiation.  All the heavy equipment which Mbakwe imported and brought to site were vandalized and stolen, leaving Nsu clan haplessly prostrate on the ground.

In between this period and when  Buhari struck in 1984 to terminate the second Republic, Chief Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem in a deft strategic move,  relocated entirely from Lagos to Aba knowing that Aba held the key to economic development of the South East. Aba was the epitome of commerce and a host to a congregation of Igbo millionaires(billionaires were rare then) most of who were his friends and people he assisted to expand their businesses while he was at RT Briscoe. The Aba ecosystem was enthralling, what more with people like the Anyaehies, the Nnanna Kalus, the Mike Merchandise and others including Tony’s kinsmen who followed in tow. Chief Tony’s younger brother Dan, Ezedibia Nsu already had a sprawling medical practice in Aba as the proprietor of Wimpole Hospital. Our other big personalities like Chiefs Ikechukwu Ogu(Akara Ugo Nsu) Charles C Anyanwu (Ikeoha Nsu) and Brown Ekeigwe(Igwe)were already well established in Aba. To fit into this ecosystem, Chief Tony had to establish his own business and make it thrive like others. He started two companies; A.C Motors and Comfort and Anthony ltd.  Aba was fun. Aba Sports Club 1926 was the meeting point of the creme de creme and the unofficial business ideas incubation and exchange market of Nigeria.  Chief Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem, a social impressario and political mobilizer was beckoned to this club and was later to be elected to the prestigious position of life Member of Board of Trustees of Aba Sports Club, 1926.

This tribute to Chief Tony Emeruem will not end without a mention of the fact that when Babaginda lifted the ban on politics and created his two parties, Social Democratic Party(SDP) and National Republican Convention(NRC), Chief Tony was elected the Chairman of NRC in Imo State, a position he held without blemish and for which providence brought him together with another distinguished son of Nsu, Dr Clement Nnadozie who was appointed by the Federal Government as the youngest Sole Administrator of a mega political party in Nigeria – the National Republican Convention.

When a few months ago, Chief Tony was among the elders invited to the Government house by the Governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodinma, a few social media commentators who never knew Odakara Ome criticized him for making that trip. That was very unkind. First, it will be naive of any Governor of Imo State not to consult a political colossus like Chief Tony Emeruem on State matters. Chief Tony Emeruem at 88 remained very well accomplished and had nothing else to aspire to other than the good and well being of every person. It is people like him that tells truth to power and damn the consequence. Having risen so high in politics and contributed his best to the development of Nigeria, it will be most impolitic not to honor an invitation from his Governor and to offer advise to him whenever such was required. The age of apotheosis such as he was, is  the age of complete transmogrification and any person in it should be  beyond politics.

Chief Anthony Chukwuemeka Emeruem was a good man, a pillar and knight of the Anglican Church, a thorough bred family man who ensured that his siblings remained united without rancor. It is with this spirit that he and his wife Comfort raised up their own children. His wife Comfort was indeed his comfort and an epitome of a better half. To a large extent, Chief Tony virtually died when he lost his wife; a woman she so loved and adored with a proclamation that there was non better than her and hence her cherished title Anuka ibeya.

Adieu Chief Tony Chukwuemeka Emeruem, Odakara Ome, nwanwa ukwu Ezealadike. You have gone the way of flesh and will surely meet your wife Comfort in happiness borne out of worthy reminscence and both of you will hold each other again in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless your soul and the souls of all the faithful departed. Amen.

Paschal Emeka Egerue, B.Sc(Hons), LL.B(Hons), M.Sc, MBA, LL.M, ACII, FCIB, FIIN, Ugomba Ezeala Dike Nsu writes from Nsu.