There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra Read Free Page B

man—Jonathan
     Obimdike Okongwu. He was also known as:
Ara eme ya eme na uno akwukwo Okongwu
or
Ara eme ya eme
, for short. 1 He was one of a handful of Nigerians who had attained the distinction of headmaster
     of an elementary school. His reputation as a disciplinarian sent chills down the spines
     of all pupils throughout the Eastern Region. St. Philip’s school lore holds that he
     once spanked every pupil in every class in each form of the entire school in one day—and
     continued the very next day where he left off! 2 Okongwu’s unorthodox methods produced top scores on exams, which placed his students
     in the best boarding schools throughout West Africa, and made him one of the most
     sought after headmasters in the entire region. 3
    Okongwu was transferred to St. Michael’s School, Aba, a well-regarded school in one
     of the largest commercial cities in eastern Nigeria. Chike Momah and Dr. Francis Egbuonu,
     who later became students at Government College, Umuahia, completed their elementary
     school education there. My wife, Christie Okoli, for a brief period, also attended
     that school. Christie recalls being the only one in her class to evade Mr. Okongwu’s
     cane during a spelling lesson. The word that produced a score of sore bottoms was
     “because.” For every word missed the pupil was “rewarded” with a spanking. The majority
     of the pupils came up with “becos, becus, or becoz.” They never forgot how to spell
     because ever again.
    Okongwu was a pillar of the Igbo community for his time. He was extensively admired
     for his achievements in education. It is difficult to convey just how important teachers
     like Okongwu, who were seriously committed to their work, were to the Igbo community,
     particularly as that is no longer the case today. Education, the white man’s knowledge,
     was a collective aspiration of the entire community. It was the path to individual
     and family success, and headmaster Okongwu and others like him held the proverbial
     keys to the kingdom.
    Okongwu was a generous man and sponsored a number of children in various schools in
     Nigeria and abroad. There is a well-known story of how he sent one of his nephews
     to America to study. He clearly had great expectations for his nephew. In those days,
     men like Okongwu, who had the means, sent family members abroad to advance their education
     with the hope that they would return and improve the standard of living of their family
     and community. Apparently this nephew did quite well and earned his PhD. Sadly, just
     before he returned to Nigeria, he became quite ill and died. Okongwu was devastated. 4
    The last time I saw Okongwu was at the train station in Enugu, the capital of the
     Eastern Region. He came there to see his son Sonny Chu Okongwu off to Government College,
     Umuahia. He was standing, leaning on the railing with his right hand holding on to
     the bars. He spotted me from a distance and called me over, introduced me to his son,
     and asked me to “take care of Sonny at Government College.” It struck me that the
     senior Okongwu appeared unhappy. The loss of his nephew clearly had taken a lot out
     of him.

Leaving Home
    For a brief period I spent some time living with my older brother John, who was working
     at Central School, Nekede, as a teacher. My father had wanted John to follow in his
     footsteps and become a teacher too. John was a gifted student and successfully fulfilled
     that dream.
    It was John who, quite wisely, thought my own education would be enhanced if I lived
     with him in a school environment. So I packed up my few belongings and set out with
     my older brother to Nekede, near the present capital of Imo state, Owerri, about forty-three
     miles from my ancestral home of Ogidi. That was the first year I spent away from my
     parents, and at the time Nekede seemed like a distant country.
    John enrolled me in Central School, where I prepared for my entrance examination into
     Government