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By Gabriel Oze and Oze K. Oze
Dr. Ike Onyike Oze was born at Ndi Erim, Ameke, Abiriba, Abia State, in 1936. He was the sixth son of the late Chief Oze Arunsi Oze, a highly successful businessman. He was the last child of the late Chief (Mrs.) Eririmma Nnenne Oze Arunsi Oze (Women’s Leader and Queen of Abiriba Community).
Dr. Oze started his primary school in Lagos in 1951 where he lived with his step-sister who was married to a Briton. He completed his standard two there, and later relocated to First Century Primary School, Abiriba, in 1953, still under the care of his step-sister. He completed his standard four there. He later moved to Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) Primary School, Abiriba (currently Presbyterian Church Primary School, Abiriba), where he completed his standard six in flying colours, in 1956.
For his secondary education, he studied at the famous Hope Waddel Training Institution, Calabar (1957-1961), where he obtained his Cambridge Secondary School Certificate in 1961. He worked briefly as an agric officer with the Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture, Mbawsi (in the present Abia State), before proceeding to the University of Oxford, England, in 1965 for his first degree.
He traversed the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada to acquire academic laurels with distinctions. Notably, he was a citizen of Nigeria, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Although Dr. Oze’s main profession was medical radiography and radiology, he was quite eclectic with education, acquiring multiple academic qualifications: DCR, BSc x2, MSc x2, RN, MA, MBA, Ph.D x3, (10 academic degrees). With a DCR (London), B.Sc in Radiography from University of Oxford, M.Sc in Nuclear Medicine, an MBA and Ph.D Management from Columbia University, New York, he was poised to make giant strides in academics and management.
Dr. Oze worked in various hospitals in Manhathan, New York, USA, as a medical radiographer. He then moved to Toronto, Canada, and continued practicing alongside running the business, Oze International Enterprises.
Notably, he was Nigeria’s first degree holder in Radiography and Nuclear Medicine, and the first PhD holder in Radiography in the South East of Nigeria.
He became head, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Health Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. He was one of the pioneers in the establishment of the faculty, having been recruited from Canada for that purpose in 1985. He was the first professional radiographer to head the department.
He is credited to have started the post-graduate programme in Radiography at UNN, as he led his colleagues in conceptualizing PGD and M.Sc Radiography (Medical Imaging) programmes in UNEC in 1994.
After serving his tenure as Head of Department, he returned to London for medical reasons.
In the United Kingdom he was: Director, Multicultural Community Development Network (MCDN), UK; Director, Community Accountancy Project, Hackney, London.
Community and Social Development:
Dr. Oze was a member of the Akanu Age Grade, Abiriba, that built and established the Akanu Abiriba Divisional Library, reputed then as the biggest public library in the old Imo State.
He participated in the various cultural and traditional rites in Abiriba:
-Igwa Mang (coming of age) in December, 1980;
-Ime Uche (traditional retirement) in December, 2004;
-He was an active member of the Abiriba Communal Improvement Union (ACIU), London Branch, until his passing.
Some of his close friends and associates included the late iconic pharmacist, Ifeanyi Atuenyi, founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Pharmanews; the late Prof. Gilbert Onuaguluchi, accomplished physician, renowned Clinical Pharmacologist, former Vice Chancellor, University of Jos and former Provost of the College of Medicine, UNN; Prof. Maurice Iwu, former INEC chairman and accomplished researcher and scientist; and the late Chief Onuma Mkpa, CEO, Unisales International, Togo and Nigeria, a revered businessman who was his childhood friend and also hailed from Ndi Erim, Ameke, among many others.
Dr. Oze believed and practised the philosophy of the American poet, Edwin Markham, who stated that, “In vain we build the city if we do not first build the man.” This was the premise under which he greatly assisted in the training and guidance of his step-siblings, members of his extended family and other members of the larger society.
Dr. Oze was a member of the Unity School of Christianity (Unity Church) where he laboured hard as a youth in evangelism, visitations and propagation of the gospel. He also belonged to the Quarker religious group in the United States of America and United Kingdom.
He passed on to eternity on March 24, 2025, in London, United Kingdom.
•Gabriel Oze is a Professor of Medicine at Imo State University, Owerri, and Oze K. Oze is CEO, Crossmantle Consulting, Lagos.
