Good afternoon my brother. I like your patriotism and good write-ups. You make me proud. God bless you and give you good health and long life.
Nnamdi Odeomelam, Editor-in-Chief, Statesman Newspaper, Owerri, Imo State.
So happy to hear you on Bridge Radio. Prof. Isichei taught me Chemical Pathology in UNIJOS while Elizabeth his wife taught me GS History in 1980. Happy to hear that they are still alive. Keep up the good work.
From Dr. EmekaAgbasi, Onitsha.
Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu
Ndubisi came back to the Navy after the war and still rose to rank of Admiral and appointed Chief of training and operations at NHQ.
Kolade Roberts. Tel: 08065263338
‘Admiral N. Kanu. A life in humanitarian Service’ There is no doubt that Ndubuisi Kanu is our hero and icon but bringing again to the fore his roles during the civil war is insensitive at this period. I mean you have not done the gentleman any good by this exposition whatever your aim is. This is capable of creating more enemies for him than friends. Right now the nation is volatile and we pray that people like you will not set the country ablaze with your pen. Nwosu-Imo State
Governor Masari ….. Katsina State
Sir, please I want to inform you that just at the beginning of this year the Bello Masari Government sacked most of the nonindigenous workers that have been employed under contract without notice, without their entitlements this has made life unbearable for many of them, please sir, if possible bring this to the knowledgement of Nigerians. Thanks FIDELIS EKWEALOR in Katsina, fidelisekwealo@gmail.com
Good day Sir my name is Sekibo Reks I want to know what is the meaning of Biafra. Tel: 08036331005.
Oga Emma you got it wrong when you share INEC Budget and every Nigerian get 150 Million each is wrong Arithmetic even if you share the National Budget of 8 Trillion Naira to 180million Nigerian nobody earn 10.000.00 for a whole year if you doubt my note consult a chartered accountant. Thanks Afolayan Oni
Sonny Odogwu
Sake, your riveting tribute to the Ide Ahaba in your column in the Daily Sun Newspaper of November 14, 2018 was simple a masterstroke nay, a scintillating masterpiece. I hail you Bros. More grease to your elbows.
Bar Emma Chukwuka, Owerri.
Tribute to Chief Sunny Iwedike Odogwu, Ide Ahaba
Chief Philip Chikwuedo Asiodu, CFR, Conizoma Ahaba
We mourn today in Chief Sunny Odogwu, CFR, a great Nigerian, a hardworking great achiever in his profession and in business, who made his impact beyond Nigeria – in several countries in Africa and Europe and in the United States of America. Chief Sunny Odogwu, CFR, lived a full life.
Not long after his birth in Calabar, his father, a Customs and Excise officer, was transferred to Lagos where Chief Sunny Odogwu had his early education and he finished his secondary education at Ilesha Grammar School. He then worked as a Trainee Airways Pilot for one year before resigning to become an Insurance Inspector and discovering his true vocation.
Chief Sunny Odogwu, together with people like the late Chief J Akin-George, and the late Chief Bayo Braithwaite were the indigenous pioneers in the Insurance sector in Nigeria. Chief Sunny Odogwu made rapid progress and by 1953 he founded his own Insurance Brokerage firm, Dyson & Diket. He went to London in 1954 to obtain full professional qualifications in Insurance and was in Europe until 1958 – working diligently with Pearle Insurance Company, CT Bowring and Swiss General Insurance.
On his return to Nigeria in 1958, he worked for one year as Assistant Director of C. T. Bowring and then set up African Underwriters Limited and later African Prudential Insurance Company Limited. His Insurance business grew and prospered fast. He numbered amongst his clients several multinational companies in the oil and gas sector, but he was also able to persuade young Civil Servants and professionals like myself to subscribe to Life Insurance Policies and policies to guarantee the education of our children should one die prematurely.
Chief Sunny Iwedike Odogwu was very enterprising. Besides his very successful insurance business, he engaged himself in major profitable projects of real estate acquisition and development in several countries in Africa, the United Kingdom, and USA. He also invested in manufacturing, distribution of motor vehicles and electrical goods, in newspaper publishing and in hotel ownership and management. He contributed very significantly to the development of our ancestral town, Asaba, where he bought Catering Guest House on the River Niger from the Government and built on the site the luxury Grand Hotel and Conference Centre equipped with all modern facilities. He also established in Asaba under S. I. O. Industries, a factory to produce polypropylene bags and plastic chairs. How I wish he had agreed to be linked with well – known International Hotel chains in his hotel ventures, at least for management purposes and international advertisement.
Chief Odogwu made great impact in Asaba. Indeed departing from our tradition he was able to take an Olinzele title, Ide Ahaba, while his father, Obi Odinma Odogwu was still alive!
Chief Sunny Odogwu was much blessed in his marriage to a charming patient spouse, Theresa, who was herself a fully qualified professional accountant but was able to devote enough time in bringing up their eight children, five daughters and three sons.
I was privileged to have enjoyed close friendship with Ide Ahaba since I became conscious of the world around me. His father and my father were from the same Ebo in Asaba, Umuaji Quarters, and they were both Customs and Excise officers, serving together in Lagos. Ide Ahaba told me how he and his siblings used to visit our home in Lagos every Sunday. I shall always remember the pleasant send–off party he arranged for me in September 1953 at Olympic Hotel, then the most modern and the only air conditioned hotel in Lagos. That was on the eve of my departure to the United Kingdom for further studies. We spent much time together socially in London in 1958 when I was on posting to Nigeria House and he at Pearle Assurance. We saw each other very frequently when I returned to Nigeria in 1963 and moved from the Foreign Service to the Home Civil Service.
He was as a youngman a popular socialite and I remember him as one of the best ballroom dancers in Lagos. He liked good and elegant things and must have inspired many younger ones to aspire and to be daring.
We mourn a very hardworking, successful and very prosperous achiever, a very illustrious son of Asaba who made great impact in many climes and who lived life to the full. He will be long remembered in many parts of the world. Adieu Sunny Iwedike Odogwu, CFR, Ide Ahaba. May your brave soul rest in perfect peace.