Ochendo, the quintessential Leader at 73!

According to a sage who once lived in Africa, ‘If you are ten years ahead of your countrymen, you are a leader.’

The above was said by nobody else but our Statesman of blessed memory, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. As a young person crazy about books, I savoured biographies of great and  successful men as if I was taking exams on them. I was thrilled to discover that most of them were self-made and had very shocking barefoot days.

So were Abram Lincoln, the former president of America who split wood in a restaurant, a menial job of serious brawn content, just to get a meal on one rough day. Nelson Mandela with his 27 years in jail that made him iconic or Mahatma Gandhi who sojourned to South Africa on harsh conditions and when back plunged into poverty alleviation, desegregation and caste system problems.

Another great man, an author, orator of a towering height, Sir Winston Churchill, noted worldwide for powerful quotes and anecdotes like: you must be the change you wish to see in the world/the only thing we have to fear is fear itself/ darkness cannot drive darkness: only light can /well done is better than well said. He had near death experiences in the service of nation and humanity.

Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher first female PM of the British Government, never believed that a female could be Prime minister in her lifetime nor come close to No. 10 Downing Street are enriching tales.

Do you know that  Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of the Zik fame  emigrated to America in a ship without a passport or visa as a stowaway called Japa today? The good news is that he got good education and came back to lead the anti-colonial struggles.

Obafemi Awolowo had one of the most frightening experiences where a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria ordered the auctioning of his properties leaving him almost bankrupt but he didn’t give up but worked hard to revive himself and rejig his enterprises, became a trailblazing leader with most of his dividends still available and evident in men and material today.

The above caption and article were used by Awo in most speeches and articles to prove his leadership quality and achievements giving valid and solid examples.

Supported by history, the first free primary education in Nigeria started in Awo’s Wester Nigeria in 1955, the magnificent Mansion in the air, the Cocoa House was built in 1965, the liberty Stadium finished and came into use in 1965, the WNBC and WNTV which are radio stations and T V station came alive in the Western Nigeria for the first time, and Chief Awo exemplified these in defining what a leader and leadership  should be or look like: that you have to be ahead of your countrymen in some ways. No doubt, the elder Statesman was talking about vision which sparked the idea of this article when I read in the papers about the bill on the floor of the  House of Reps by Hon Fremes Waive,  Ugheli North/ South/ Idu Fed Constituency, the Sun Oct. 30, 2023 –A  Bill for an Act to prohibit kidnapping, hostage taking and related matters.

Judging by Awo’s definitions, Senator T A Orji as proven by many groups, journalist, awards, plaques, chieftaincy titles and more is an outstanding leader. The present bill now debated in the House of Reps was sent to Abia House of Assembly over ten years ago when kidnapping reared its ugly head.

Kidnaping was prohibited by law, branded a capital offence and many more based on an executive Bill dispatched to Abia House of Assembly by Governor T A Orji then. Mohammed Dikko, the former I G of police in acknowledging the gallantry of Ochendo exclaimed that Abia is a case study.

Many awards came, tumultuous praises from Abians rented the airwaves, avalanche of blessings by churches in one voice acclaimed Senator T A Orji, not excluding admirable testimonies from Royal fathers who were hitherto banished from their palaces by the rascals.

By all standards and measures, deeds and achievement, approval ratings from far and near coupled with dividends on the map of Abia state and the entire Nigeria with exceptional policies in gender and the deprived, not excluding the triumph of  8 years as a Senator, Ochendo let us remind you today, the 9^th of November, 2023, that you are a leader and visionary of 24 concrete years  evident in your public service, humanitarianism and still counting.

Eddie Onuzuruike