Opinion
By Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia
On Monday, April 10, 2023, numerous friends and well-wishers, both at home and in the Diaspora, will gather at the BMO Event Centre, Riverplate Park, 174 Ahmadu Bello Way, Wuse 2, Abuja to celebrate our illustrious son, a silent achiever and poster personality, Chief Chekwas Okorie (Ojeozi Ndigbo) on his attainment of the seventh floor in solid accomplishments; stable health, mind and spirit. A little peep into the Chekwas life trajectory will easily reveal enormous factors that lend cause for the high profile
celebration at Abuja.
We are celebrating a man who exemplifies the Invictus by William Henley: he remained unbowed in struggles, proved that he is the master of his fate and the captain of his soul. He thus distinguished himself as a resilient resourceful and astute manager, cheerful in vicissitudes with an uncommon capacity to overcome challenges. With Chekwas, it becomes discernible that the problem is not in falling but in failing to rise after falling.
We are celebrating a man who in his 30s founded the popular Nzuko Imo Na Abia in Enugu and served as the President- General; founded the Igboezue Cultural Association which drew membership from all the nooks and crannies of Igbo Land; and in 1992 was the youngest Member of the Governing Council, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State.
We are celebrating a man who founded three national political parties; the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and lost it to the intrigues, brute machinations and bourgeois vagaries of Nigerian politics; founded the United Progressive Party (UPP) and was the presidential candidate of the party with Mr Bello Umar as his running mate; founded the Peoples’ Democratic Congress and was the Secretary General of the party.
We are celebrating a man who has contested and won some elections and where he lost votes, he won the deep emotional attachments of most men and women. .
In business circles, he was the Founder and Chairman, Chel Water Nigeria Ltd; among others. Professor Chinua Achebe in the Things Apart states that when a child washes clean his hands, he can dine with elders. Thus Chekwas was the youngest to be admitted into the Ime-Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and sat with the likes of Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Justice Eze Ozobu, Professor Godwin Odenigwe, Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, among others.
We are celebrating a poster personality whose life trajectory serves as an inspiration to both the present day youths and the elderly. It was William Shakespeare who stated that some persons achieve greatness while some others have greatness thrust upon them.
Chekwas Okorie remains an Igbo quintessence because he achieved greatness through a robust audacity, ingenuity, dispositional humility, political sagacity, generosity, character comeliness, physical prowess and socio-cultural etiquette.
On behalf of all the organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide we wish Ojeozi Ndigbo many more fruitful years in good health and prosperity.
***Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
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Tags: Chel Water Nigeria Ltd Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia Chief Chekwas Okorie Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Dr. Alex Ekwueme Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia Justice Eze Ozobu Professor Godwin Odenigwe
