Written by Uche Nworah, Ph.D
The pictures show my parents (Late Nze Edwin Nwora, Nkaonadi Enugwu-Ukwu na Umunri, and Ezinne Gloria Nwora), and their spanking new residential building located at 52 Ozubulu road, Aba, Abia state completed around 1965.
The adjoining plot housed his business, Enugwu-Ukwu Dying and Weaving Industry, one of his many businesses. He also owned a poultry farm, a contracting and building materials company. He had not married my mother at the time.
Young Igbo men of his generation will first build a house in the village, and in the town before considering marriage. He still managed to achieve all these under the age of 30 years.
Attached also is the same building, bombed – out and badly damaged during the Nigeria/Biafra war. He, like other Igbo men, had to start life all over after the war, with just 20 pounds for those who were lucky. Many didn’t get anything from the federal government.
My father, defiant, used some pieces of chalk to scribble boldly in the frontage veranda his many businesses that once operated from the building. He also reminded the world what became of the businesses. His own way of telling Nigeria, ‘Though I am down, I am not yet out. Just like Maya Angelou wrote, ‘And Still, I Rise’.
He would later sell this house to raise capital for his business post – Nigeria/Biafra war, and then moved to his other property located at number 50 Ozubulu road, Aba.
As the drums of war beat in Nigeria fuelled by the murderous Boko Haram sect, and rampaging herdsmen, we say Ozoemezina.
Share, follow and like our page at Umunna TV or visit www.umunna.tv. #umunnatv