Pa Onianwa, Delta oldest newspaper vendor @85

BARRY OSA AGBANIGBI, Asaba

Sir Utomi Ubakaeze Onianwa was born on the 31st May 1938 to the late chief Utomi Onianwa of Umuaga, Asaba in Delta State and Mrs Obi Nwanyi Hanna Onianwa.

He attended Holy Trinity Elementary School, Asaba. Young Onianwa’s dream to achieve his secondary education was almost cut short following the sudden death of his loving father.  Hope, however, was not lost as his uncle’s Ogbueshi Ikemefu and Efumuwe Onianwa, who felt challenged by the reality of that moment, stood by him. They provided all that was needed by the young and upcoming Onianwa to fulfill his long conceived ambition.

After his secondary school education, Chief Onianwa left for Lagos in 1962 in search of employment. His first job then was weights and measures, a federal government owned agency and Nigerian Railways. He opted for the Railways with a monthly salary of 18 pounds,11 shillings and 4 pence then.

He worked briefly in Lagos before he was transferred to Zaria, Northern Nigerian on request. His four years stay in Zaria was however traumatic as he had to return to his hometown of Asaba. He had barely arrived when federal troops launched an attack on the community killing innocent citizens in1967 during the Nigerian Civil War.

After the civil war which lasted three years from 1967 to 1970, he left Asaba again to Lagos to join his elder brother, Chief Uso Onianwa.

A few days after he arrived at  the former federal capital, the promising Onianwa, with the help of his elder brother secured another job with Nigeria Tobacco Company located at Ibadan, then capital of Western Nigeria, where he excelled with outstanding performance. He had barely settled down at the Ibadan based company when he got another offer from Daily Times of Nigeria as a marketing officer.

He worked in the newspaper company for twelve meritorious years before joining The Guardian group of newspapers, also as a marketing officer.

At 85, there is no doubt, that his life as a newspaper vendor is worthy of emulation as Pa Onianwa was honoured with the Most Outstanding Marketing Officer award severally by The Guardian while in the organisation.

After 29 years in the nation’s commercial capital as a marketing officer , first with The Daily Times and later,The Guardian, he relocated to Benin City, Edo State to continue his newspaper vendoring he had started while in Lagos. His news stand in downtown Ring Road, Benin City, where he had a collection of newspapers and magazines, was one of the most well stocked in the historical city.

A few weeks after he arrived Benin City, Pa Onianwa started to receive several telephone messages from friends, well wishers and relatives, urging him to expand his flourishing newspapers business to his home town of Asaba., then headquarters of Oshimili Local Government Area of the defunct Bendel State.

He heeded the home call and established a thriving newspapers vendoring business. Located on Chief Onianwa Close, Off Nnebisi Road in the heart of the Delta State capital, a few metres away from his county home, it was known as Onianwa Newspapers Business and became a household name in Asaba and beyond.

For a better society

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