My cousin Grace informed us three days ago that Ovim people honoured me. The next day, Dr. Uche Onyemachi -Ify’s cousin called to confirm to us that he was present when the award for leadership excellence award was given and he received it on my behalf.
It was in 1954 that people first saw this trait in me when I was 12 years old and in Primary 5. I was the president of the junior boys in Zik’s house in the school. In 1966, it manifested through football. I was always recruiting players during our inter- towns football matches.
During the civil war in 1967, I returned home from Item community school where I was teaching. The next day, with excitement, I went for Civil Defence parade. There were no ladies and only few guys – less than 10. The commander was an old service man. After a while, I forced myself to go to the person leading the parade and I saluted him in military style, and I requested to take over. He obliged.
My voice rose high, the style changed, and the ovation was high. The news went to town that Osondu has taken over the command. The next day, the crowd was great, as over 50 people, including men and women gathered. The number continued to increase day by day and the community started using us for fund raising, weddings and other occasions.
The Biafran Army recruited some of the members but when the Biafran Army and the militia had some issues, we broke off. I joined the Red Cross and was appointed the Quartermaster which should have been the third position in rank but because it involved food, it was number one. The big and the small people in the community were coming to me for relief materials and I obliged them. One day, I ran into a problem as our Patron, unlike others, who usually applied in writing, came in person to collect relief materials. I obliged him but he insisted that he would not take half tin of powdered milk, but insisted on full tin. I resisted, telling him it was my policy not to dispense a full tin of any product to anyone. I told him he could send someone to pick up the remaining half the next day, but he refused and reminded me he is our patron. I refused to accede to his request.
Whenever we received the materials from Red Cross, I ensured I always took record with date of when I received and how it was distributed. Most of the Quartermasters were arrested for duplicity and I ensured I was not one of them. The Patron left without taking anything and I did not bother.
My elder sister came for relief, and I told her to join the queue. She did, and she was given. My Aunty came and I told her to fall in line and she refused. I suggested that she returns home, and I will bring my own portion for her during the weekend, but she refused, and I refused to oblige her.
In 1970/1971, I was in the university. During one of our lectures, I found out that one of the lecturers was the patron I refused then. After collecting my sessional result at the end of the session in August, the lecturer and wife came to the place I was staying during the long vacation. The wife asked me if I had collected my result and she asked me to bring it. She shouted when she saw second class upper. I refused to laugh. She and her husband were going through the result and found out that out of all the nine subjects I did, the husband gave me the lowest mark.
In 1971, Ovim Students Union elected me to be their President nationwide and I accepted. The first thing I did was to introduce discipline. Before then, during meetings, some students will be loitering around, chatting, sitting on half walls etc. I insisted that everyone must sit down quietly or be disciplined. Incidentally, I was the first undergraduate President. In the past, the Presidents were those in Secondary School or Teachers Training College.
One of the things I also did was to organize film shows arranged with UNICEF from Enugu. They travelled 50 miles for the film on two occasions. The next thing I did was to establish a library in Ovim, and I appointed librarians to man the place. I also established communication between Students Union and our people in different cities in Nigeria- inviting them to our programs in the village. I also built relationships with those in the diaspora, and they occasionally donated towards our cause.
I introduced a magazine called Ovum- a yearly magazine. It was highly appreciated by the community. These are some of my leadership exploits in Ovim.
The leadership traits run in our blood. At the age of three years and four months, we visited a couple in Benin, and someone observed Chiemeka leading their children, though some of them were older than her. The same applies to Chidi from his days in Presbyterian Church and now RCCG. KC rejected a job in immigration, and he now majors in training and leadership on a global scale. Amarachi has a ministry she leads too. When Ify was the National Prayer Secretary in SU, she performed exceptionally to the extent that the Professor who handed over to her was surprised. Our children are doing better than us, and I pray your children will also do better than you. Happy New Year once again!
For further comment, please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0909 041 9057;[email protected]