Civilization and development are important to the dynamics of nature. But some times they erase the past and make one feel empty, even when nostalgic.
I remembered “Old Owerri” yesterday when I ran into my old good friend in the secondary school days, Chief Amanze from Orji, while at the mechanic village fixing the radiator of my car.
This chance meeting took me to the “old school” days, when Owerri was barely a town, and was reeling in the euphoria of being made a capital of the oldImoStatewhich comprised ofAbiaStateof today and some parts ofEboyiState.
I followed my civil servant parents to this village-town that was looking like a construction site with MCC caterpillars every where.
At that time, I was not mature enough to know the difference between Military and Civilian Rules. But all I can vividly recall was hearing names such as Ndubuisi Kanu, Sunday Adenihu and Sam Mbakwe.
Old Owerri was beautiful and peaceful. There was no kidnapping, armed robbery and other sophisticated vices found in the society of today.
That time, you could easily visit a friend and if he is not around, you simply collect the key to his room, stay as long as you wish, and lock the door and go your way. You won’t lift any thing. Not now that youths engage on imaginary and elusive hallucinations of how to maim one another over riches. There was no “ALUU treatment”, Yahoo, 419, or other get rich quick-tendencies. Yet we enjoyed our lives to the brim.
In this old Owerri, we knew who were the millionaires, and how they made their monies. Civil servants then had no reason to live above their means. They simply live their middle class lives and were contempted with what they had.
In Owerri then, the millionaires were the likes of Obiekeas,Uwandus,DCOparas etc who drove Toyota Crown or Citroen. The civil servants could afford Beetles or Peugeot 504 L, or GL, depending on status.
Headmasters and Teachers made due with their Benly Honda Motorcycles. As kids we could easily say your status in the society, due to your life-style which cannot be influenced by any other source, except genuine incomes.
Then the Ikoyi of Owerri was today’s shellcamp where the Commissioners lived. You could see their houses, as they were fenced with wire. No block fences.
Those of us who had Chopper bicycles as children of senior civil servants, rode to shell camp to see our friends on Sundays.
You had Loveday Ememe, with his white Range Rover, KK Ogba, Agom Eze, Henry Okwusa, Rev Dr Anozie, Chief Ukelonu, Gloria Akanwa, etc. Seeing a Commissioner then was like meeting a Governor. They were role models and those of us close to the Commissioners because of our parents were respected by our peers. It was fun.
The best primary school then wasShellcampPrimary School, with a swimming pool. This was where all the Commissioners and Senior Civil Servants who were inEnugubefore the creation ofImoState, sent their children. AtShellcampPrimary School, most of the pupils had met before at Ekulu Primary School Enugu, another high profile primary School. So, it was a reunion of sort.
Mbakwe later became the Governor of Imo State, Isaac Uzoigwe was his Deputy, and my Uncle, Dr Alex Ekpe’s friend, Egbesa Ihutte was his Chief Press Secretary.
The State Secretariat was located at Okigwe road, Owerri. Engr Mbakwe, one bearded man was the contractor of the project. He lived with my Uncle, Sir RU Ekpe at No 4 Christ Church close beside White House Hotel Owerri. I knew because water was scarce in Owerri then. And each time we went to fetch water at Okigwe road Secretariat, I usually see him there supervising work.
Then, contractors don’t take jobs from Government because before you get paid, Government must be sure that you met all the agreement in executing the project by not only completing the job, but maintained the standard. My uncle told me that was why contractors avoided Government contracts then, but not now.
The major roads then in Owerri were Wethdral, Tetlow, Royce and Okigwe roads. Ama JK then had a big clock like the one found inLondon. The post office has ever remained where it is today, without renovation.
The Big men then could be seen at Kagha,ChristChurch, Onumonu and Mann Streets until a few new houses started springing up in Owerri. It was at Onumonu Street that Nze PC Onuoha, who had a Poultry Farm lived. He was one of the few with a farm, and made money. I can remember that Barr ABC Egu, who today is a Judge lived aroundOsuji Street. Other big men also lived there.
But my Uncle, RU Ekpe lived atKagha Streetbefore moving toChristChurchclose, the four story building near White House Hotel. On that building were Engr AC Egu, Engr Nwosu, Engr Mbakwe, Mr Wilson, (the white husband of Magistrate Wilson, PC Onuoha’s sister) and Kampsax, (a white company laying phone lines in Owerri). In the neighbourhood were Dr Umunna from Mbaise, Tonyson Electronics owner, Chief Ukpabi etc.
By this time, Ikenegbu Layout and Aladinma housing estates were not yet into being. By this time, the areas were only tick forests and for dumping dirt, and for guys to go and “smoke”.
You cannot talk about “Smoke” in Old Owerri without mentioning Aluma, at Wethral road, Okon at Government House Owerri. Yes! right where they have mammy market today. There was a former top musician atSchool Road, too, at Naze we had Paddy Yama, Agbala was Wazobia. I don’t know if these men are still alive today.
Social life in Owerri was fantastic. Although then, what really existed was Disco. Either at nights or day times until White House introduced Afuruola Night club atChristChurchclose. On Christ road was Kakadu which came with “Mercury Light” where you are identified in the dark with your white shirt.
We had Cheside Hotel atLobo street, Awareness Hotel atAjoku Street, Silvado at Tetlow road just after Old Stadium. There was the Tourist Guest House, Mbaise road, Golf Course hotel, at present dayOkigweRoadMotorPark.
There was Third House Hotel at Emekuku, just before the Bridge at Okitankwo river, up there was Lapech Hotel, where late Sir Warrior held sway.
The “reigning” cloths then wereAcapulco, Yobris, Easy and Amos Jeans, Crazy Horse etc. You are no “guy” if you don’t put on any of these wears.
There were happening guys then. I remember Maintain, Martin Momo, Awila (son of late Amanze Njoku) Western, Kofi Nnaji, Kofi Phillips, (son of late Zeb Philips owner of White House Hotel) Major Otuka, the Obiekea Guys of Bro Ken, Uwadi, Nnaemeka. Nkem Ukwuanya (son of Imo River Basin GM) Eze Nnodi and his brother Bobby, Obi Okoro etc, Ngozi and Chinyere (twins) etc.
The music in vogue then include, Shalamar, Delegations, Whispers, Grace Jones, Brother Johnsons, Odyssey, Temptations, Chris Okotie, Felix Liberty, Oby Onyioha, Libalu Sisters, Dizzy K Falola, Jackson Five, Cool and the Gang, Billy Ocean, Ricky James, Raphael Cameron, Sugar Hill Band, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Kurtis Blow, Ray Parker Jnr, KC and the Sunshine, Bony M, Sweet Breez, Jonel Cross, Semicolon etc.
You cannot finish one naira then, no matter what you buy. You pay ticket for your friends, go to Ephraim stores, or Ghana stores or Chanrai to buy Bazoka Joe chewing gum or Smatis, yet you still have enough money left.
If you want to prove you are a big guy, you can go and hire car from Prince Tony at Mbaise road. We hire such vehicles when we want to attend such big occasion as Inter House Sports at Egbu Girls, Owerri Girls (Ojingbo) orFederalGirlsSecondary School, since our parents cannot allow us touch their vehicles.
Do you know one thing? You must return the hired car immediately your time is up. But I guess if it were now, you sell the car. These cars were lent out without drivers!
That time, the only Stadium was Old Stadium located at Tetlow road, which was covered round with zinc. What we do is to dig the ground, and create a hole through which we sneak into the crowd. But thank the Devil if soldiers catch you!
It was fun watching players then playing, not for what they can get materially, but for patriotic reasons.
I remember Spartans, which swept all players of Enyimba of Aba. Isaac Nnado was the coach then. we had players like Emma Ajunwa (Terror) Ben Akanu (Piccolo) IK Madukairo, (Man Mountain), Idika Aku (Pele), Leo Nkwocha (Atila), Sydney Ugorji, Cardinal Onwuegbu, Evan Igwuegbu (Mpoto), Obed Ariri, Jonny Nwadioha, Ugo Harrison, Harrison Mecha, Peter Erege, Eugene Ohuabunwa, Kelvin Onwana etc.
Despite all these funs, you don’t joke with your books. We compare with who would read more of James Hardley Chase and other Novels. I don’t think there is any copy of James Hardley Chase I have not read yet.
I remember that before my parents take you toOgutaLake, which was once every four months, you must pass your exams in flying colours. The youths exchanged books and borrowed more from the State Library, to the extent that we finished what was in stock then.
That time, if you made high score in your entrance examination, you know where you will land. Therefore, from your score, we know them. Those who made high scores enteredGovernmentCollege, Holy Ghost andEmmanuelCollegesin that order. The girls were Owerri Girls, Egbu Girls and Emekuku Girls, in that order. But the truth is that all secondary schools then could be compared to today’s Universities.
Then, in Secondary School, I saw full fledged men in my class. The urge and main issue that brought every body to school then was nothing but studies, and no time to mess up.
There was one bearded Games master inEmmanuelCollegethen named Biafra, who led the School to win all football competitions inImoState. Biafra lured best footballers toEmmanuelCollegeand your exam was how good you were in the field of play.
Goddy Kanu, Nwankwo Kanu’s elder brother, who later played for Flamingos of Benin was a product ofEmmanuelCollege. So was Ben Iroha (Machi) who joined from Eziama High School Aba. What of De Bassey, the Big Libero ofEmmanuelCollegethen? I am not an old boy of Ecol, though.
Suddenly now I have remembered two lawyers in Old Owerri then. They are Barr Otuka and Barr Ike Otuonye. Becaue of their popularity then, I resolved to read law, but could not in the end. Where are these two gentlemen? I know they would be very old now. I really remember my “Old Owerri”.
I also remember the beautiful names of Secondary Schools then like, Sabastine Academy Emekuku, Ejiogu Memorial Egbu, Ecol Owerri, Ocogram Mbieri, Presentation Secondary School Ogbaku, John F Kennedy Obibiezena, Owerri Grammer School Imerienwe etc. oh! How time flies.
