HOW MY MARRIAGE SURVIVED AFTER 56 YEARS…. 80 YEARS OLD MONARCH—HIS ROYAL MAJESTY EZE PROFESSOR EZEUDO S. IFENWATA REVEALS
The royal diadem has been a shining realm sitting upon the head of Nigeria’s modest serving royal father Eze Professor Samuel Ifenwata the Ezeudo of Ibere Autonomous kingdom of Ikwuano Local Government Area in Abia state and as he celebrated his 80th birthday and 22nd Coronation anniversary which took place on Sunday 2nd of January, 2022 he also reflected his 56 years old marriage with his 72years old pretty wife Lady Ifenwata.
He was so, brilliant in his days that he got East Central state of Nigeria Scholarship to study abroad in Boston University United States of America-USA where he earned Master’s In Education M.Ed. and Doctoral Degrees PhD. He won accolades for being the best International graduating Students in 1978 in Boston University.
He retired from Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri Imo state in 1985 at the age of 45 years. His Royal Majesty Ezeudo Ifenwata was Pioneer National President of Association of Executive Secretaries of LGEA in Nigeria. He also served as member of Imo State Open Spaces Commission, Member of Abia State Library Board, Member Secondary Education Management Board. Member Governing Council, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State. Member of Scholarship Board. In the year 2000 AD he was elected as Eze Ugwu Ibere Autonomous Kingdom in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
On Monday 3rd of January, 2022 The Ear Witness Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Emeka Amaefula-+234(0)8111813069 was at the exotic Palace of His Royal Majesty Professor Sir, Ezeudo Ifenwata at Ugwu Ibere in Ikwuano LGA of Abia state where he spoke extensively on how he emerged as the king over his people and how his 56 years old marriage has survived. READ ON
Turning 80 years in this part of the world is not an easy feat, how do you feel being 80 years old?
(laughs) I am highly elated. First of all, I am His Royal Majesty, Eze Professor, Sir, Ezeudo Ifenwata. And my wife is Lady Catherine Ifenwata. We celebrated our 80th and 72nd birthdays on Sunday 2nd of January, 2022. In addition, we celebrated our 22nd years on the throne as traditional ruler of Ugwu Ibere autonomous ancient kingdom. And most importantly, we celebrated my recovery from deadly disease which we don’t know where it came from. So, because of this everybody in my family even those abroad everybody came home because some people thought that I have died. (laughs) But by God’s grace I am living. I should be the happiest man on earth to have died and risen.
Let us look at the kingship how did it happen?
In 1999, the four big villages in Ibere decided to have their own autonomous communities. Formerly we had only one autonomous community ruling the old 14-viilages in Ibere town. So, by mutual agreement as they agreed and they applied and Government approved autonomy for them. And they came back and selected me as their Eze. The selection was unanimous.
In the past 22 years on the throne what has been your achievement so far?
I think we have been one of the most progressives as we have attracted one of the development organizations such as UNDP that gave us electricity that you see here. We have attracted New Nigeria Foundation which gave us the Health center. We have also opened up dilapidated roads and since that we have been pushing our people forward, giving people scholarships and more activities has been on rural development. We now have approval for Skill Acquisition Center. We are waiting for funding.
And we are organized in such a way that the Eze is a Paramount Ruler he has a cabinet, there is a Development Union, with the Youths aside and Women organization, so that everybody is taking path. We are all going together.
Is this the organization of the grass root?
That is what I am saying that the grass root is intact as we are following one objective.
Let’s look at the social melee that we are facing now being the insurgency and insecurity, how does it affect your own community?
We are safe here and we participate whenever Government give alert in combing the bushes around and being extra vigilant. We have our vigilante group. If you were here yesterday you would have seen them as we didn’t call any Police. It was my Vigilante group that took care of all the people who came here. So, we are not happy that this insurgency is increasing. But it appears to me that our government is doing something to reduce it. I like to tell people what Tafawa Belwa said when he was a Prime Minister of Nigeria. His highest qualification was Higher Teachers Certificate, HTC. He told them, “my brothers make haste slowly.” I am telling Nigeria to make haste slowly. “Uwa adighi agwu agwu, ikpatachaa aku nke uwa bulaga yaa ala bekee, gi azua ndi mmadu ha ana egbusi mmadu ibe yaa, obu ihe oma?” when translated “If you gather all the wealth in this world and hide it away in overseas and you hire people to be killing fellow human beings, is it good thing?” I think we should make haste slowly and know that its God that owns the earth.
Take us down to your academic background?
I started my Primary school education in 1948 when I was six years old. From Standard One to Standard Six I took First position. I couldn’t go to secondary school.
Why couldn’t you go?
But listen, I passed the Entrance examination to Hope Waddle College Calabar, now in Cross River state. I also passed Government College Umudike in Umuahia now in Abia State and Government College Afikpo now in Ebonyi State. But nobody to pay my school fees. Our people at that time preferred initiating one into Okonko Society and Marrying wife for you to help in farming instead of going to college then. Because of that I could not go to formal secondary school. I came out from Standard Six in 1954. I would have entered secondary School in 1955 but my colleagues who had people to sponsor them entered. Then somebody showed me an alternative, so I wrote to those Tuition Colleges from 1955 to 1958 I got my General Certificate in Education GCE from Tuition college based in London Bennett College London. When I came out there, it was a kind of God’s own preparation as my Uncle who was in United Kingdom was happy and wanted me to come to London and study Accountancy or Secretarial Studies. But when I prepared and got all the papers then somebody had agreed to sponsor me because you must have somebody to sponsor you, just to sign that paper for you. Then somebody told him not to sign for me because if he signs it that he would not sign for his own children. But today I am signing for myself, I am signing for my own children and I am signing for everybody. (laughs).
In fact, I had prepared as I had done my interviews with Scholarship board and everything before this man gave up his sponsorship. And I thought the world had ended with me yet it did not end. Then I started another Tuition School of Accounting London,
How did get the money that time since you had nobody to pay your school fees?
The I have started working as Office Boy not even as a Messenger. Then I was very young about 15 to 16 years of age. Then they couldn’t give me appointed as a full-fledged Civil servant in Electricity Company of Nigeria-ECN Enugu. I taught myself type Writing because after the Clerks had left the office I will sweep everywhere before I go. In 1955 that was the year they employed me as an Office Boy, then when I got this certificate GCE and RSA they converted me to Typist. Then the Typist cadre or any other cadre as soon as you passed your relevant qualification examinations you are promoted. All of us started as Typist as Grade One to Junior Typist. So, we wrote RSA exam which was 50-words per minute and I was the only successful candidate to pass it so, I became the Senior Typist above all those who taught me how to type. You know that will bring a kind of hatred.
From here I became the Secretary of the Trade Union but they didn’t like that as I started from Enugu and they transferred me to Abakaliki now in Ebonyi state. Then I was coming from Abakaliki to Enugu when there was industrial Strike in 1959, I was the Secretary of Clerical and Allied Workers Union. I was the one who went to Oji Rivers to remove the source of Electricity Power in Oji River Power Plant. By god’s grace I thought that I shouldn’t stop there. So, I bought myself a Tape Recorder to teach myself Short-Hand. Then I had only Intermediate skill in Short Hand and that won’t make me a Secretary. I bought myself a tape recorder and taught myself Speech writing. By God’s grace I passed the 120 Words Per minute exam and I left ECN and joined Eastern Nigeria Library Board. Then as a Personal Secretary to Director of Library Service Kalu Okorie. Lo and behold God had brought me to a better place with books and everything that I wanted. So, I was studying for my CIS Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators. That was the Course I was doing in United states of America -USA. Yes, by 1963 I joined Library Board and by 1966 I have completed the examination of CIS and I became a Chartered Secretary. And I was immediately promoted executive officer. Then, I should have been placed higher than that as I have got a First degree as I now qualify as a Scale A Administrative Officer. Then they couldn’t do that and God opened way for me at Institute of Management Technology IMT Enugu.
I worked them from 1973 when all the Teachers in that Department non-had a University degree as what they had was Higher national Diploma and by University regulation you don’t appoint them as Head of Department. Because of my Qualification I was appointed Head of department. It was a hectic experience to head those who were supposed to lead me. By 1974 to 1976 I have to go to USA by IMT to do Master’s Degree in Education. I thought it was a joke as I carried 3 of my children to America and later came and took 2 of them making all of us 5-ci and they gave me 2-years to do that but after 9-months I have done that and graduated. And I got First Class recognition by the University of Boston Massachusetts. I got back to Nigeria to report back to IMT. You the University paid for me for one Semester to do my Doctoral degree. So, when I came back here and I told them they were all very happy. But as soon as I left here not quite three to four weeks, they wrote to me to come back. That they asked me to do Master’s degree and not Doctoral degree. And before then I had done two Summer Semesters. That what they now call two Winter semesters for the PhD. What was remaining for me was to do my Field Work. So, they did not agree with that I returned back to my house in Boston and decided with my wife that we should not go home. We stayed and God was very wonderful. As IMT Enugu stopped to pay my School Fees. But when I was in Nigeria about three years earlier, I had applied for Scholarship from East Central state of Nigeria. Now that I was in difficulty, I was asking God to help me. Then I got a job as Office Assistant in Boston USA. And my wife had finished her Studies in Cosmetology and we began to earn income. And the wonderful thing is that the Scholarship that I applied three to four years earlier Nigeria sent at that time one United States of America Dollar was equivalent to fifty naira or so. They sent me Check for Six thousand Seven hundred Naira which was plenty of Money in America. I thought it was a joke. I know that I have had visions telling me not to panic that instead of the smaller Certificate that I will get a big one. So, we worked hard day and Night to make sure that I will finish in two years. I didn’t take up to two years for the PhD I did it a year and nine months or a year and six months. I came to Nigeria and collected my daughter. When God wants to open the way, he opens it properly all the teachers in Education and all the administrators in Education they all answered my questionnaire and I went to USA as it was very easy. I did my project. I went back to USA finished my Doctoral Degree and won the International Merit award. As People spend 4 to 5 years doing their PhD but, in a year, and six months, I have finished my PhD and got the overall best award as Best international Student. So, we came back and returned to IMT Enugu. That time they had created Imo state. Those people who were with me at IMT they were scared as a PhD holder someone that they taught how to type now coming to head them. And I didn’t want to waste my time there. However, Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri had advertised to recruit and I applied. And they employed me. So, I stayed at ALVAN IKOKU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OWERRI, and attended many conferences in Nigeria like the evaluation of Foreign qualifications in Eastern Nigeria and I was in the Committee. Well in 1985 when I was about 45 years old I retired voluntarily from Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri now in Imo State. And I started my own business as I have a very big Farm Plantation as everything was there. And by my qualification I ran a very good Management Consultancy company. So, I tried it and did it and I succeed up to the time this Ezeship issue came up. After my retirement, I worked with Imo state Open space Commission. And I worked with Abia State Secondary Education Management Board. I worked with Abia State Library Board. I worked with Abia State University Governing Council under Major General Ike Nwachukwu retd. as Military Governor, And the last was a member of Abia State Scholarship Board. I am a member of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers and Patron of Ikwuano Council of traditional Rulers. I am a knight of the Methodists Church of Nigeria. I can say that I am enjoying my stay here because since they elected me as Eze of Ugwu Ibere autonomous kingdom our people have been showing kindness towards me. Because I don’t have something to regret.
When we look at the society now most marriages are not working as there are high rate of divorce cases, in your own case how did you meet your wife for the first time?
(He beacons his pretty looking light complexioned wife) look at her and she is younger than this (pointing at a photo frame of his wife).This was when she had finished her Primary education. She was in Standard One then I was about 16-years old and my parents were interested in my getting married then. They brought women who were at the same age with me that kind of thing so I rejected them at that time. And when they brought this small girl, I agreed. We went to her parents. So, what I now did was to send her to my uncle at Oji River in Enugu State now. She was at Oji River from 1950 or so and was there till 1963 that was when she joined me. And it seems to me that God has planned that it should be like that. And the marriage has been very progressive full of love and excitement.
How many children do you have?
We have four boys and four girls being 8-children. All the girls are mothers and all the boys are husbands. If you were here yesterday you would have seen them taking photographs with me family by family. I keep telling people first thing first “Mee ka Obi gi di Ocha iheoma mere onye ozo… join the person and rejoice”. “make sure that you have a pure heart when some good happens to someone join the person and rejoice.”
How old is the marriage now?
We have celebrated our golden jubilee and we are expecting Diamond Jubilee marriage celebration in some years to come. The marriage is about 56 years old.
————————Emeka Amaefula———–+234(0)8111813069
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