By Cyriacus Nnaji
The dates 30th of December, 2024 and 2nd January, 2025, are unarguably sacrosanct in Achina and Amesi ancient kingdoms in the popular Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria.
These two days have been set aside for the honour and conferment of chieftaincy titles on an illustrious son of Achina and a worthy grandson of Amesi, Hon Chief Modestus Umenzekwe (Onwa na Achina). While he will be conferred with the eminent title of Enyimba by His Royal Highness, Igwe G. N. Obiora (Eze-Idegwu 111 of Achina) at the Fourth Ofala Festival on 30th of December; on the 2nd of January, Amesi Community, will confer him with Ugo di Ebube, under the able leadership of His Royal Highness, Igwe Rapael Chinwike Okpaleke, Igwe Akalabo 111 of Amesi kingdom.
This is a quartet if you want to say, having been previously decorated as Onwa Achina and Ezechimereze by his people for his impactful and invaluable contributions to the growth and development of his community, mankind and nation in general.
Enyimba means the people’s elephant. An elephant is of course an imposing and largest living land animal. Due to its imposing structure, it is indescribable. The people touch the elephant and offer different and varied descriptions based on the part they feel and touch. Weighing above six tons and occupying space the elephant is indeed massive, it carries the burden of other animals on its shoulders, the same way, Hon. Chief Umenzekwe carries the burden of others.
Ugo on the other hand, is an Eagle, it soars at a very high altitude; eagles have vision, eagles are fearless and never give up, they are tenacious, and they possess vitality than other birds, it is a bird with grandeur, integrity, splendor, the eagle becomes a metaphor for a man with a difference, glamour, uniqueness, excellence, beauty, distinguished, indefatigable, strong, steadfast, honest, unassuming, stoic, unmatched, sagacious, illustrious, benevolent, realistic, audacious, compassionate, and much more importantly like Umenzekwe, it is characteristically humane and humble.
A consummate politician, a political stalwart with grassroots mien who has deployed his connections to better the lives of not just his community, but also the nation in general, Umenzekwe is also a corporate player in the business world, a mogul in his own right, unmatched and unequivocal, he is also an administrator of repute having served as board member, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Abuja. He is also a philanthropist, who has carried the care and welfare of the less-privileged on his shoulders.
Chief Umenzekwe is a man of many parts. A strong player in commerce, industry and market administration, he helped to conceptualize the establishment of Adem Commercial Complex Limited Lagos, a market he helped to build and nurture into an international market status which is one of his legacies and is run in line with global best practices.
Onwa as he is globally known is not just a businessman and a critical stakeholder and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria, he is also a philosopher, a great thinker who has written more than 200 well documented articles that have been published in national newspapers in form of analysis, features and interviews. More than any he has contributed his quota in the growth and development of Nigeria.
As a community leader he has at various time superintended the helms of affairs in his community, and as a Christian, Umenzekwe has paid his dues. He is a patron, Catholic Women Organization, St Joseph’s Catholic Church Achina and also Patron, Catholic Women Organization, Awka Diocese.
We must give it up for this rare gem, an illustrious son of Anambra State, who also on record is counted among the 50 eminent and prominent Anambarians.
Responding to the letter addressed to him for the conferment of these titles, he said “I feel Great in the sense that as small as I am I was picked by Achina Idegwu, under the leadership of His Royal Highness, Igwe G.N. Obiora (Eze Idegwu 111 of Achina) to confer me with the title Enyimba, the elephant of the town and you know what elephant means. So I feel great and I feel challenged, challenged in the sense that I never talked to anybody that I needed a chieftaincy title. It just came to me from the palace of the entire Achina community, so I won’t take it for granted. So I feel challenged because that would spur me to continue in a greater way what I have been doing for Achina community and for mankind.
“Then the same thing applies for Amesi Community. In as much as my maternal grandfather was a traditional ruler in Amesi, Ezechukwu Umealadi, but then, I am not the only grandchild there, we are many but I was picked by Igwe Raphael Okpaleke, Igwe Akalabo. When he called me and hinted me, I was surprised, I never expected it. I am doing whatever I am doing to leave a legacy that within my lifetime, this is what I have done for Mr A, Mr B or Mr C, that is all. But when he picked me, I said, well if it is money I don’t have, but I know I can talk to people, I can negotiate, I can use the few contact I have to attract one thing or the other. So I fee challenged. Above all, I give all glory to God, God is in control, God has been very merciful to me all through my life. If I should go back to my life history, you will know that God has been very great in my life, and I promised him never to fail. These double chieftaincy titles, I will use them to serve God and humanity,” Umenzekwe disclosed.
Describing the man, Hon. Umenzekwe, Mr. Raymond Eze, the Public Relations Officer, Adem Commercial Complex Limited said that Umenzekwe is simply indescribable and an amazing human being. “I don’t know where to start because the virtue is plenty. Chief Umenzekwe has a lot of virtues, he is an honest man, easygoing, he is so diligent and meticulous in whatever thing he is doing; anything he put his hand in doing he is so passionate about it. Most importantly, he is a friend of all, someone you can always work with and trust. In fact, he is the best of friend I have. I confide in him in everything, no matter how bad it is, and he so understands. He is somebody that over and over again you would like to be with, over and over and over, mlota uwa ozo, agam acho Modestus, meaning if I come back to the world again I will still choose Chief Umenzekwe as a friend. You see, that is the kind of person he is.”
For Alhaji Akeem Babatunde Lawal from Oluwa Royal Family of Lagos State, the Taskforce Chairman, ADEM Commercial Complex, he said “Where do I start from and where do I end it? I always tell people, it is God that makes a man, it is not man that makes himself; God has made Chief Umenzekwe who he is today. Hon Chief Modestus Umenzekwe is strong and pragmatic leader who always want the best for his people. He can go to any length to get something for his people to be happy. Umenzekwe is a leader, a true leader; this is not cherekambia issue, a leader and a very good leader, a good father. Some of us call him baba, you know what baba means in Yoruba, that is father. He is no longer our president, he is our father. We refer to him as father, he is a good man and intelligent man, very accommodating, we hold him in high esteem, any one that went to Onwa School and doesn’t learn anything, that person can never know anything in life, because he gives you work and allows you to do your work. He would only guide and monitor you, what he wants from you is result.
“Even what we wanted for him is not chieftaincy title, I know by the special grace of Almighty Allah, he will be governor of Anambra State one day.
“I am happy for him, he merited the chieftaincy titles of Eyimba of Achina and Ugo di Ebube of Amesi. Once again, congratulations, Onwa.”
