‘Iwuanyanwu was a lesson worth learning’

The late President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has been described as a life-long lesson, which every Igbo man should endeavour to learn in a bid to achieve success for self, community and nation.

Okenze Felix Amadi, an Igbo stakeholder, who eulogized Chief Iwuanyanwu, categorized the life trajectory of the late icon in four parts with each highlighting a great impact from the sage. The first, according to him, was when Iwuanyanwu as a youngster saw war and fought gallantly in defence of his traumatised kinsmen in the Nigeria civil war.

The second was in the immediate post war years, when he led the path of hard work and success in business endeavors and ultimately mentored successive generations of Igbo youths in the entrepreneurial space. He with many of his mentees was responsible for giving the Igbo nation the unprecedented economic turnaround after a devastating civil war.

As a civil engineer, his company, Hardel and Enic was a leading indigenous construction company. His Oriental Airline was a star airline from the East. His Champion Newspapers delivered Igbo views more effectively to the rest of Nigeria and the world.

“At a time the likes of MKO Abiola promoted Abiola Babes football club in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Chief Iwuanyanwu equally promoted, Iwuanyanwu Nationale Football Club in Owerri, Imo State. His philanthropic tendency was legendary.

“The third was after the mid 90s, when he tactically slowed down in business pursuits in order to support effective leadership of the Igbo in national politics. In the political transition efforts of the Babangida military regime, Iwuanyanwu was one of the top presidential aspirants of the National Republican Conversation (NRC).

“From being a founding member of the ANPP, he became a strong voice and leading figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that ruled Nigeria from 1999 – 2015. The fourth stanza was when he again slowed down in partisan politics for a good reason.”