By: Ike Philip Abiagom
[dropcap]J[/dropcap]esus, the king of Kings and the Lion of Judah lived for 33 years but he accomplished his life mission in 3 years as confirmed by the Bible. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was President and leader of the free world for less than 3 years but he made an impact and left a legacy that many of his predecessors and successors could only dream of in 4 to 8 years. Murtala Mohammed was Head of State of Nigeria for only 200 days and in that short time frame, he did what Yakubu Gowon or Ibrahim Babangida and even Olusegun Obasanjo could not do with their longevity in the same office.
The litmus test for any great leader is not how long but how effective and productive his life was and how beneficial to the people he led and what mattered to him the most. If we judge the Late Obi Joseph Nwaokocha Okeze by those indices of leadership, I will agree that Obi Okeze has done pretty good and could have done more.
History is laced with events of the past, and this could be positive or negative. However, looking back at the events surrounding the life and times of Late Obi Joseph Nwaokocha Okeze and Obi(Mrs) Agnes Nkemdilim Okeze,Traditional Chief of Ibusa Clan in Oshimili North Local Government Area ,it would be safe to claim that Late Obi Joseph Nwaokocha Okeze and his beloved wife Obi(Mrs) Agnes Nkemdilim Okeze lived a fulfilled life that is worthy of emulation.
The truth is that the Late Obi Joseph Nwaokocha Okeze served his people beyound measure, an epitome of peace,traditionalist and Igbuzor Patriot who had the love, progress, and development of his people at heart at all times and this he exhibited in his words and actions till his last day on earth.
Late Obi Joseph Nwaokocha Okeze was a hard-working man. He lived his life to the fullest and fulfilled God’s will. He was a devoted traditionalist and God fearing Man who always loved the words of the Bible.
“He was a disciplinarian, caring, loving, committed, supporting and a devoted father who instilled discipline and the fear of God in his children.
“He was passionate about doing things in the right way and got annoyed if one didn’t get it right. He was compassionate and loving, always pushing, encouraging one to pursue a goal to achieve success and to stand high.
“He taught his children that the greatest commandment of God is to love one another and he led by example to all members of the family when they came around.”
In all respects, he was a titan and a brilliant traditionalist: a good man, an inspiring leader and a remarkable statesman, a nationalist whose intellect, integrity, hard work and vision impacted significantly on his personality. It is to the eternal credit of the late Obi that he strove to carve a niche for himself in several spheres.
“His zeal and resourcefulness were without deference to his noble background. He brought prodigious energy to bear in whatever he did and it was not surprising that he became a well-established traditional chief in Igbuzor and an astute farmer of note.
“Late Obi Okeze’s name will live forever in the minds and hearts of those who experienced his warmth, generosity and guidance. His underlying commitment to education and his quiet philanthropic activities which culminated in his children’s establishment of Obi Okeze Foundation cannot be over-emphasised.
“Having lived for 78 years, and only months to his septuagenarian celebration, Late Obi Okeze by any stretch of the imagination, cannot be considered to have died an untimely or premature death.
“I pray that the Almighty God will grant him sweet repose and his family members the strength to bear the heavy and irreparable loss and continue to remember him and his beloved wife Obi(Mrs) Agnes Nkemdilim Okeze forever.
We all know that when we say good bye to the earth of flesh and blood, We are welcomed in the spiritus mundi. May their gentle soul continue , rest in perfect peace, Amen.
