Ndubuisi Kanu: Community goes into mourning

By SAM ODITAH

Isuikwuato clan in Abia, popularly called “the land of the Generals”, has been thrown into deep mourning, following the death of its prominent son and great Nigerian, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd).

Kanu, who hailed from Ugwunta Ohoroho Ovim in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the state, died on Wednesday in a Lagos hospital at the age of 77.

Eminent personalities from the area have continued to speak glowlingly about his life and footprints on the sands of time in Ovim, Isuikwuato and Nigeria at large.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in his Eluama country home on Thursday, the former Military Administrator of Cross River, Navy Capt. Chris Osondu (rtd.), described Kanu’s death as “shocking and unexpected”.

“We attended several occasions together at the beginning of the year in Isuikwuato.

“He did not show any signs of ill health and no one ever imagined that he would not live to see the end of January.

“His death has turned the whole Isuikwuato into mourning,” Osondu said, describing the deceased as a good man.

He further described Kanu as peace-loving and philantropic, saying that he was always making peace and reconciling feuding communities in the area.

He said that the deceased would also be greatly remembered for his contributions to the human and infrastructure development of the area.

According to him, as the former Military Administrator of the old Imo, Kanu built the road from Akara Junction in Isuikwuato to Okigwe.

He said that the deceased also used his exalted position to influence the recruitment of some serving and retired natives of the area in the military.

Also, the former Nigeria’s Country Director of Ipas, Dr Ejike Oji, said that Kanu’s death sent shock waves across the area, entire Igbo land and Nigeria.

Oji described him as “one of the icons of our town”, saying: “Our town has lost the biggest icon you can think of.”

He said that Kanu and Sen. Ike Nwachukwu, who is also a retired General in the Nigerian Army and former Military Administrator of Imo, were forebears to the present crop of Isuikwuato men, who made great career in the military.

“Kanu and Nwachukwu made the military uniform attractive to our young ones.

“They were like beacon bearers, followed by the likes of the former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd.), Navy Capt. Jerry Ogbonna, Gen. Sunny Anyalechi, amongst many others, who got to the top of their careers before retiring in the military.

“This is why Isuikwuato is popularly referred to the ‘land of the Generals,” Oji said.

He also described the deceased as one of the pioneer Igbo leaders, who emerged after the demise of late Premier of the defunct Eastern Nigeria, Dr Michael Okpara.

He said that as the military administrator of old Imo, Kanu left legacies, which could not be easily erased.

“He was a detribalised Nigerian, who believed strongly in the Nigerian state and was very close to the Yorubas,” he said.

He recalled Kanu’s leading role in the pro-democracy struggle by the National Democratic Coalition, in the wake of the annulment of June 12 general elections.

“We were always looking up to him as his younger ones for his advice and guidiance.

“His death is very painful. I do not know how to describe it. It’s even difficult to imagine how this will affect our community,” Oji said.

When NAN correspondent visited Ugwunta Village, some of the natives said the news of the death was still filtering into the area and that many had yet to know about it.

A community leader from Ohoroho Ovim, Mr Victor Nkere, said he heard the news from his younger brother in the army, adding some read it in the internet.

Nkere described the news as “a blow to me”, saying that Ovim, Abia and Igbo land had lost a great man.

“Since I heard the news of his death, I have been sober because we have lost a colossus, a great man, a genius and the vacuum left by his death will be hard to fill,” he said.

Kanu’s nephew, Mr Onyekachi Amos, simply described his death as “devastating”, adding that he had yet to get over the shock caused by the news of his sudden death.

Amos told NAN in their family house that the family had not met to officially announce the death to the community in line with the custom of the area.

NAN recalls that Kanu, who retired as Chief of Naval Operations, served as Military Governors of Imo (1975) and Lagos State (1976). (NAN)