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Fare Thee Well! by Odo Akaji akaji@igbomail.com The
Late Elder Eke Akaji Eke
Papa Eke Akaji Eke was born in
the house of late Papa Akaji Eke Agbayị (of Umuanyịm
Kindred) of Nde-Ngwoke in Nde-Ụyọ
compound, Amaekpu –Ọhafịa
as the first son of his parents on About Parents & Childhood: Papa often spoke of his parents with much fondness
especially his father Akaji Eke Agbayị
who was among the first to receive and work with the white
missionaries against slavery and the killing of twins. He’d supervised the
construction of a sizable portion of the major road network within the old Bende division.
People from Amaekpu Ohafia still refer to
certain strategic places along the major roads as “agbala
Akaji” (Akaji’s tent) where
he’d erected tents both for his weary charge and other way-worn travellers. He
gave life a meaning to many and equally made it worthwhile for others. Omepe Ụzọ (the trail-blazer) was his nickname. Papa did not speak much of his mother Nma
Nwanne-di-ya from whom his kindred derives in our
matrilineal Ọhafịa society. It seems to me that it was not because he was
a male chauvinist, but because of the tenderness of his memories and his
admiration for her. She hailed from the neighbouring Ọkagwe
clan and was a cheerful, loving wife, mother and grandmother. Papa received his early childhood education in Ọhafịa In addition to holiday tours with his father on road
construction sites, Papa also exercised himself in the art, craft, farm work
and culture of his people under the careful tutelage of his father. We used to watch with pride and admiration as
he swung his ever sharp and glistening akparaja
(machete) and cut off tree branches with a single strike. His little Orchard at Ahawa
Road Amaekpu was a beauty to behold; from the well
manicured hedges to the carefully arrayed exotic trees. My mother once scolded me when she came to
visit my family in On It has been fairly easy for me to
establish that in a setting where totemistic placing
(i.e. Odudu) is popularly deployed in record keeping,
that my grandfather was averse to the Odudu placing.
It also seems to me that through our generations conforming to archetypal patterns is considered
taboo. White man's war?: The
Late Elder Eke Akaji Eke as a Young Soldier
In 1958 Papa married my mother and his heartthrob –Comfort
Aja Uduma the youngest
child of Nma Ịnyang
of Nde-Edike Compound of Amaekpu
Ọhafịa.
In keeping with Ọhafịa tradition,
Papa gave his new bride the pet name Enyi di ya which means “ a friend to the husband.”
Nma has always been by his side in patience
and support and was at his bedside when his eyelids closed in death. Papa had equal love for all of us his children. And most importantly he encouraged every one
of us to be our individual selves. I
recall a moment when an old lady reported me to Papa for being “anti
social.” Papa had “apologised” casually
on my behalf while casting a knowing wink in my direction. He believed in self-discipline and personal
responsibility. I remember once when as
a primary school pupil I had gone to complain to Papa about being caned by my
teacher for a minor offence. Papa
patiently listened to me, massaged the inflamed skin with his index finger and
then gently instructed me to go back to school and sit down and listen to my
teachers. On another occasion Papa had
walked up to a teacher and told her privately that he would rather his children
participated in actual “hand-work” than being made to pay money in lieu. That particular teacher a then Miss Ifeyinwa Anyanwụ always
motivated me by reminding me how erudite and well rounded my father was. When he returned to the village in
December 1984, he found himself useful again as a community leader in Nde-Ngwoke, counsellor, children bible teacher, elder in
council amongst others. He also served as the secretary of his age grade (UKE UNION) a post he held till death. The
Late Elder Eke Akaji Eke
The
Late Elder Eke Akaji Eke
My maternal grand mother used to call him “ọkọ ji ma nde abịanya ria One of the loveable characteristics of Papa was his great
sense of humour and desire to give pleasure to others and ensure people were at
ease around him. He was never greedy,
too assuming or a worrier and never looked on the dark side of life. A “once
met, never forgotten” type of person, he had an uncanny capacity for tolerant
observation, mimicking People’s voices and a flair for languages. Papa spoke
all the Igbo dialects of every area he ever lived in. He spoke the Ogoja
dialect and flawless awụsa (Hausa) the latter
from his interaction with WW2 soldiers of the awụsa
stock. My lovely daughter Nasachi (Natachi) leaned over the
other day in church and whispered into my ears: “I can’t get your father’s face
out of my head and I only met him once”
Although Papa never mingled with
persons he considered as snobs, he nevertheless felt a certain obligation
towards those less fortunately placed than him. His best friend was his childhood friend the
late Ọnụọha Kalụ
Ajike whose name he adopted for one of my
brothers. They were like the Biblical
David and Jonathan and it made us chuckle to see them behaving like teenagers
together when they were well in their seventies. Papa remained too sublime to allow
treasures of this world to weigh him down. In plenty or few, he remained
contented. Like his own late father, too, he hated oppression and will resist
it at all cost. He was courage
personified. I recall an incident in Ọhafịa after the cessation of hostilities in
the Nigeria-Biafra War when Papa had to confront a Nigerian soldier who was indiscriminately
flogging some young Igbo boys and girls.
Papa spent some time lecturing him on the right conduct expected of a
uniformed soldier and in the end he was made to see reason to the surprise of
all who had been concerned for Papa’s safety. I do not believe in praying for
the dead, as every individual would have decided where to spend eternity before
and not after death. I can only thank God that I had a
father to look up to. When the Ọnyịrịmba tower clock in Amaekpu chimes at With the values he inculcated in
us so early in life, I can have my colour fastened to every mast without caring
where the deluded multitude want to go.
I recall with much nostalgia how he had carried me in addition to the
load on his shoulder as I had refused to walk in one of the numerous flight to
the bush during the Biafran Vs Nigeria war.
He was the epitome of fatherly strength and I know I must follow in his
steps when Natachi at five prefers to be carried by
daddy rather than walk. If I get the
chance I’d like to work with the pallbearers at Papa lerua
anya! Ọgba ndọwuu,
Ọchụsu nde ọgụ, ọkwara ukwu, Eke Chi ọma, Ubanị yee ọkụ, ode zịgị-zịgị-zịgị,
ya gazie! Kaa Papa m! Good night Odo Eke Akaji (omere nde
akpa nzụ n’olu) PS: On behalf of the entire Akaji
family, I want to express my profound sense of indebtedness to all our friends
and well-wishers who have stood by us in our time of bereavement. I want to thank the leadership and the entire
members of the Overseas Fellowship Of Nigerian
Christians British Isles. I also want to
appreciate the G4 and my friends and associates from the Igbo Heritage
Foundation. And to all our in-laws we
say kaa n, unu emele!
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