Foreword
Please, permit me to display in your website
Anthony Ukpabi Asika's Obituary written by an organization that holds a
different view on the role of Asika in the Nigeria Biafra Crisis.
May I make a correction on the views held by some of your subscribers regarding
Asika's position on the Nigeria-Biafra question? I asked Late Mr. Asika
in 1992 why he did take the stand he took in the 1967 political Crisis.
He replied that he was aware that certain elements in Northern Nigeria went beyond the threshold
of civility in their response to the 1966 military coup. However, he did not
believe that secession was the answer to the Nigerian problem.
He went on to say that his position was one of
whatever device that the Ibos constructed as their collective response to the
Nigerian problem should be within the context of one Nigeria. In principle, he was
opposed to secession as a means of solving the Nigerian problem. Don't we
all respect this position, given that hind sight is twenty-twenty?
Mr. Anthony Ukpabi Asika was never anti-Biafra.
Neither was he anti-Ibos, he just had a different view on how to solve the
Nigerian problem. Anyone who has the opportunity to read Asika's
history would understand why he took that position. Asika was among the
very few Nigerians in 1966 that studied in the United States of
America. Back then, American College degrees were equated
with Nigerian High school education.
Because he studied in the United States he was exposed to the
best experiment of Federalism ever conducted by man, hence he took a federalist
perspective to solving the Nigerian endemic problem. Mr. Anthony Ukpabi
Asika is a Federalist and this accounts for why he vehemently opposed secession
as a solution to the Nigeria/Biafra question. It may interest your
readers to know that Asika was not the only one that held this view.
There was one military personnel, I happened to
serve with in the Biafran Air force as a Bombardier in Port Harcourt at the
outbreak of the civil war. �He and
General Aguiyi Ironsi were the only personnel of the Nigerian Army that served
in the Queen's Regiment. As a course mate, General Aguiyi Ironsi regarded
him with highest esteem. So When General Gowon and his group planned a coup to
remove Aguiyi Ironsi, this soldier advised General Ojukwu through Major Idika
of 12th division of Biafran Army to accept Gowon as the Commander-in-Chief. That
way they will be able to plan a counter coup to oust General Gowon and return
the army to its status quo and remove the civilians from being involved in the
Nigerian crisis. In other words, this Queens Regiment highly seasoned
soldier opted for a military solution to the Nigerian problem that would not
involve the civilians.
Does this mean that this soldier is anti-Biafra or
anti Ibos? NO. THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH. Some of your readers may ask
the question how authentic is my account of the Ibos search for an answer to
the Nigerian crisis? Well, with all modesty, I will say that I was
in Class three at Baptist High School, Port Harcourt at the outbreak of
hostilities and I joined the Biafran Air Force at Umumasi Air Force base in
1967. I fought at One, Egbema, Oguta, two, and lastly at Umunna
Okigiwe. I belonged to IBAF Regiment and was trained in Port Harcourt by Wing Commander Emeka
Amuchienwa and Late General Chudi Sokie.
Can you believe that the Nigeria civil war ended about
thirty three years ago, yet I am still fighting in that war, i.e., the only music I listen to is
Marshall Music; the only movies I like to watch are Second World War, Vietnam War and Cesar's Gaelic
War movies? Every other movie or music is too dull and not action packed
for my liking. Therefore we need to be very careful with the tone of our
rhetoric, for war is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.
We
as children of God should come to the realization that though God gave us
dominion over all His creations here on earth, this privilege does not in any
way make us the creator. If it is God's Will that Biafra will come to stay,
there is nothing that can stop it. But if not, we all labor in
vain. With this I will say farewell Adminstrator Anthony Ukpabi
Asika the Federalist
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IN MEMORY OF DECEASED
Ejirika
Foundation, Inc. A Charitable Organization In Austin, Texas, United
States of America Took
Action This Morning.
LATE ANTHONY UKPABI ASIKA
President Becca Orunta presided over an electronic
conference which was held this morning for the purpose of adopting suitable
resolutions on the death of the late Anthony Ukpabi Asika, the administrator of
the then East Central State of Nigeria.
Resolutions Adopted
The resolution, as drawn up by the committee, and
which were adopted, were as follows:
������� � To
the Hon. Becca� Orunta, chairwoman, of
the Ejirika Foundation, Inc, Texas: We, your committee appointed to draft
suitable resolutions of respect to the memory of �Anthony Ukpabi Asika, deceased, the
administrator of East Central State, beg leave to report as follows:
Administrator Anthony Ukpabi Asika, the scholarly,
humorous, nature-loving, sociable and ever seeking justice statesman lived for
sixty eight years. He not only witnessed the passage of those years, he lived
them vigorously.� For example, he was to
travel to the United States in 1994 to witness the Green Eagles soccer matches
during world cup series before he became ill.�
Modest and unassuming by nature, he, at no time, pressed himself to the
front, but was never known to fail in the performance of any duty incumbent
upon him. In 1967, he was married to Miss Chinyere Ejiogu of Eastern Nigeria, who survives him. There were born to him, three children,
all of whom survive him. The leading characteristic of our dead brother in-law was
his unselfish devotion and love to his family, and his whole life was absorbed
in looking after their interest. He was a gentleman, a board member of the Nigerian
Securities and Exchange Commission, and was recognized as an unassuming, but devoted,
board member of this commission. �During the
Nigerian political crisis of the late sixties, he took a stand which was not
very popular among his peers but it must be said that he lived and died for
what he believed in, i.e. the doctrine of one and indivisible Nigeria. �In the annals of Nigerian history, Governor Anthony
Ukpabi Asika was a Federalist; he belonged to the class of Herbert Macaulay and
Nnamdi Azikiwe.
At the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, he was
appointed administrator of the then East Central State of Nigerian. It was
while holding this office, that the characteristics of the man became known to
the public. He became endeared to progressive citizens of Nigeria because of his honesty and justice in all matters
coming before him. There seemed absolutely no doubt in the minds of any
progressive Nigerian, as to the perfect cleanliness and purity of his actions. �For example for the period 1970 to 1975 in
East Central State, all teachers were paid their salaries regularly in a timely
basis, all the civil servants were equally paid their salaries regularly and in
a timely basis and all pensioners were paid the benefits due them accordingly
and in a timely fashion. �On a personal
note, my mother traveled to Enugu, which was the metropolis at that time, to
receive the last pension benefit of my late father and it was with this money
that I was able to finish my secondary school education and when I set out for
United States to further my education in the late seventies, she gave me the
balance of the proceeds of my father�s pension benefits.� Given that our system of governance is yet to
be imbued with the virtues of accountability governor Anthony Ukpabi Asika, had
a choice to keep all the money due pensioners, civil servants and teachers at
the end of the civil war to himself but he did not. �Similarly, all tertiary institutions of
learning, i.e. ATTC, Owerri, MIT, Enugu and University of Nigeria, Nsuka, which had previously, laid fallow for the three years of the
civil war were jump started within two months of the end of the war. �All of these reconstruction initiatives were
largely due to the executive abilities, honesty and sincerity of purpose of late
Anthony Ukpabi Asika. �Uncle Tony Asika
was dedicated to education and donated much of his personal time, income and
property to this cause.� In order to help
resuscitate the economy of the East Central States, at the end of the civil
war, Administrator Anthony Ukpabi Asika coordinated with World council of
churches, International Relief and charitable organizations to provide aid to
those in need during those difficult times.�
Above all, there was no intergenerational unemployment during his watch
as the chief executive officer of the East Central State of Nigeria.� His place
will be hard to fill as a citizen, a statesman and as an official. Much more
could be said in favor of his character, but this will suffice.
Whereas, It is an unalterable law that yesterday,
today and forever remains that it is apportioned unto every mortal once to die;
Whereas, At this time, on September 16,
2004 that grim messenger,
Death, who is no respecter of persons who comes alike unannounced to the high
and to the lowly, summoned to the �other shore,� the noble hearted Uncle Tony
Asika;
Whereas, As an organization who loved and
appreciated his many leadership virtues, his great executive ability, and his
winsome, gracious personality and the exalted nobility of his generous heart,
ever aglow with love and tenderness for those on whom frail fortune never
smiled; we who knew him best would fain place an oblation of affectionate
esteem on his bier, for we deeply mourn his taking away, yet we feel thankful
to God for the period he was with us;
��Be it
therefore resolved. That in his death, the Country has lost one of its
strongest, truest and most sprigth Federalists and one whose career can well be
taken as an example by our young men and women.
�Second. East Central States has lost one of her
most honest, faithful and efficient executive officers.
�Third. The Ozo Fraternity has lost one of its most
consistent and lovable member and society has lost one of its most useful
member.� With his passing, many lives
have been diminished. But we should recall Governor Anthony Ukpabi Asika�s
passion for life and his many professional and personal accomplishments because
they represent the rich heritage of the Onitsha people--Anglican, intelligent, dedicated,
hardworking and compassionate.
�Fourth. But more than all, his bereaved wife and children
have suffered inseparable loss in losing the devoted husband and father.
�Fifth. We tender his wife and children and all his
relatives our deepest sympathy and ask that copies of these resolutions be
furnished the family and also furnished the national dailies in Nigeria for publication. Respectfully submitted.
�
�OLI EJIRIKA,
�IK ORUNTA,
�CHUCK EJIRIKA,
�NINA EJIRIKA,
�CHIEME EJIRIKA,
�KELLY EJIRIKA,
�RENEE GILBERT,
�ROSE STEPHENS,
�FADIMA JONTU,
�WANI YOU,
�FLORENCE BROWN,
�SIR PETER EJIRIKA, KNIGHT OF ST. COLUMBUS�
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