‘ From Childhood, I Found That I Was Always Concerned

Engr. Chris Okoye ( KGS), a doyen of the engineering profession in Nigeria, a serial entrepreneur, a consummate community leader and a non- partisan Statesman, turned 70 years recently. In this interview with REGINALD FACAH, he spoke on his background, fa

Firstly, let me congratulate you on your birthday. 70 years is a tidy grand age – very biblical and spiritual. What are your thoughts exactly at this point in time? ELL,

Wlet me begin by thanking you very much for finding time to converse with me on a day like this, on which I have become 70 years old. It is a very, very, significant turning point in one’s life in the sense that one is obviously entering into the last phase of one’s life and sojourn here on earth. I remember now that when I was growing up, if one says he was 60 years old, I would always wonder when I would ever get to that age. However, here I am today clocking 70 years, with all my faculties intact.

Well I do not feel anything particularly different; I still feel my usual self. I still feel my normal self. I still do the same things, physically. And I thank God almighty that I am particularly healthy; I am well. I am not sick. All I can say is that one is in a state of thankfulness to God almighty for what has happened in my life. I thank God for this moment and hope the wellness I feel at this age would continue in the foreseeable future. Internally, I do not feel any significant difference in my approach to life. But of course, 70 is a most remarkable moment in my life and I am most grateful for the life and the opportunities given me thus far.

Any plans for a Platinum birthday celebration?

Of course, there is. You do not get to attain 70 years every day. But all celebrations will be kept in abeyance until sometimes in 2022 when, hopefully, the pandemic surge would have abated. Events to mark the birthday would include the presentation of a book on the national polity as well as a book of tributes from family, friends and well- wishers. A public lecture, musical performance, a grand reception and a Thanksgiving Service will round up the activities. All things being equal, the birthday celebrations would hold during my birthday anniversary in 2022.

Going down memory lane, how was growing up like – your nativity, parents and earliest recollected thoughts?

I was born in Jos in today’s Plateau State, but unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity of growing up there; I grew up largely in Enugu. I would say that it gave me the opportunity to interact with a lot of people, as Enugu was then a sort of melting pot for Nigerians from every part of the country. I recall that I started school at Christ Church Primary School, Uwani – a very old school. At that time, young people looked up with respect to the elderly and seniors. It is probably not the way today’s youth see and treat elders. We had a lot of respect for our parents and seniors as well as our teachers. In addition, there seemed to be more order and orderliness in the society of those days, with everyone knowing and doing the duties expected of them. As children, we were very dutiful then, I recall. Unfortunately, I did not grow up in my hometown, Enugu- Ukwu. But of course, I did go there from time to time especially during the festive seasons like Christmas and to visit with my grandparents. We usually went to the village to celebrate Christmas.

Growing up with my parents was quite instructive. Of course, all parents then were an extension of your schoolteacher as great disciplinarians. In addition, my parents, especially my dad was not different. We were all brought up to worship God in truth and in spirit. Usually when we woke up in the morning, the first thing we did was to gather for the morning devotion as a family. It was a tradition and you wouldn’t miss it for anything, even when you were sick. After that of course, we all went to our different morning chores as we prepared for school.

My mother of course is a very pleasant woman who at that time had her seamstress work to do, which made her popular in the area we lived. She looked after the home very well. It was a very godly home as everything was done to ensure we grew up properly.

Your birth date is December 21, in the Christmas Season. How did you mark it in a festive Season? Did Christmas overwhelm or boost your birthday celebrations?

The climate of festivity certainly intensifies the celebratory mood. There is indeed something special about celebrating one’s special day during such an iconic period of joy and family togetherness. It is also special, because it often affords families the opportunity to come together and celebrate to finish off the year. For families with members scattered across the globe, this is obviously a pivotal moment for familial solidarity.

Finally, and most importantly, the religious significance of the mass of Christ coinciding with one’s birthday enhances the feeling of piety and self- reflection. The milestone nature of my birthday further deepens the spiritual contemplation that invariably proliferation during this season.

What great lessons did you learn from your father before he passed away?

Oh! My late father, Felix Godson Nwenechukwu ( FGN),

Chinyelugo of Enugu- ukwu na Umunri supported by his wife and my peerless mother, Lady Monica Chiebonem Okoye ( Nee Okonkwo). Ochiora was a very meticulous person; he was a stickler to everything that was straight, honest, clean and appropriate. He never got himself involved in anything that was shady and dirty. Even in his dressing, you could see that cleanliness, too. So, one probably learnt a lot from him in making sure that I had no part in anything that was not right and in dressing spritely.

All my siblings imbibed our father’s virtue and legacy of honesty and being straight forward, no matter what. He taught us all to be truthful and godly and to think kindly of our fellow men. He taught us to live a transparent life, a life of honesty and decency. We got these unique virtues from him, and it stayed with him all through. Of course, ever ybody saw him as a clean person.

What were your early school years like, any particularly remarkable experience?

Again, my early schooling was at Christ Church School, Uwani. At that time, Infant classes ( what is now called pre- school or nurser y school), was part of Primary Schools. We had a very tough Headmaster, Mr. Oguejiofor. He taught all of us, his pupils, to be punctual to school. Again, that virtue stayed with me till now, as I try very much not to be late for meetings and appointments.

I recall that there was a particular spot where Mr. Oguejiofor would stand to assemble all late comers. Usually, he would have them publicly flogged at the school assembly, where, with all the students present – each late comer was given ten strokes of the cane across their buttocks. It was quite severe then, that pupils would rather go back home once they were late to school!

There was also the farming in school; pupils were apportioned ridges where we each planted crops. During class breaks, we tended the crops in our ridges. The pupils were in this way, taught how to farm and to look forward to the fruits that would come out of their efforts. It was a culture we adopted and we all left with it. I do not think they still do all these things in our schools these days. Of course, we also had serious sporting activities, which were called PT/ PE ( Physical Training/ Physical

Education) in those days.

How much farming and physical exercise have you been engaged since Christ Church School?

Well, for farming, not much because right after Christ Church, I got so immersed in academic activities and would only engage in farming activities when I visited my grandparents in the village during holidays and had to go to the farm to help like every young child.

However, since I left Christ Church, I have always been engaged in physical exercises. It may amaze you to know that I go to the gym twice a week where I do really strenuous and exerting exercises to keep fit. I am also a stickler for eating very healthy food with lots of fruits.

One of your most common traits revolves around seeking avenues for the pursuit of the public or common good. What does this mean to you and would you say that you have been able to achieve your set goals along these lines?

Let me put it this way, my life’s spring, which has been centred on the pursuit of the common good, might have come from the unique family experiences that I have gone through. Somehow, from childhood I found that I was always concerned about the wellbeing of others, especially those around me. I am always seeking for ways to reach out to others in need, as well as ensuring peaceful coexistence among people of any group I belong to; my family and my friends know me for this. I don’t know how it came about, but it seems to me as a char

“Well I do not feel anything particularly dif ferent; I still feel my usual self. I still feel my normal self. I still do the same things, physically. And I thank God almighty that I am particularly healthy; I am well. I am not sick. All I can say is that one is in a state of thankfulness to God almighty for what has hap“pened in my life.

acter trait that ensured that I was not selfish, self- centred or greedy.

I am concerned about how others felt and I am always willing to extend a helping hand. Of course, this character trait stayed as I went into public life, as I found out that some people hardly go the extra mile for others, even their family members and friends. But for me, the reverse is the case, as I am ever ready to pursue the common good of all. And I think that is what is required to hold families, societies and even institutions, together.

My take in life is that whenever you find yourself in a position to contribute to the growth of your society, do it because you would also benefit from whatever comes to the group. So, that is my explanation for the concept of the common good, making sure that everyone in a group benefits.

What would you consider as your greatest lesson in Life over the years?

I believe that the greatest lesson I have learnt in life has been never to accept failure as an end but a lack of success, in a trial. I believe that whatever happens to one in life, the will to move on and never give up must be there. Indeed, wherever and whenever I have faltered and fallen, I never give up. I pick up myself and keep looking forward, believing that I can find a solution to the challenge. But where I have seen that I face a brick wall, I would make sure I explore every possibility to get it right.

So, that lesson of persistence in whatever I have been engaged in is what I would consider as my greatest lesson in life. I just keep pushing. I never give up on any pursuit, unless it becomes very clear to me that it would be most foolish and futile to continue along that path, because you cannot flog a dead horse, after all.

You have been married for over 40 year and is bound to have a bagful of marital experience. Tell us, how did you meet your wife and what advice would you proffer for matrimonial stability and longevity?

This is a very interesting question. The story of my wife and I goes back a long time. Interestingly, the parents of my wife and my own parents lived in the same premises, when my parents relocated from Jos to settle in Enugu. They moved into a property along O’connor Street and lo and behold, the parents of my wife lived there too.

Unknown to my wife, when her mother was pregnant and put to bed, it was my mother that took her to the hospital and cared for her after childbirth. We both only got to know about this later. Living in the same compound, and attending Christ School Uwani, together, I knew my wife as a neighbour and a school contemporary. She was about two or three classes below me. Obviously, we hadn’t anything going on then. We were kids then and there were no feelings at all for each other. Only we lived in the same premises and at times walked together to school, until we left Christ School Uwani and we went to different secondary schools.

I went to Colliery Comprehensive Secondary school, owned by the Nigerian Coal Corporation, which established the school in Enugu, at the Hilltop, Ngwo. Mr. Henshaw, a Briton was our principal. It turned out that it was only immediately after the war that I found myself going to visit her at home, as I was inexplicably drawn to her at this time. We were both still in the secondary school. I am sure her parents couldn’t understand why I was always coming to their home, but would have assumed the proximity of our living in the same yard as the reason. There must have been something going on; this love for her and longing to be in her presence. So, that was how we met, but we later grew apart when I went overseas for further studies and she also left to commence her medical studies. It was only when I came back from overseas that we resumed our relationship. But what is important here is that when you talk about marriages made in heaven – ours is one of them.

So, what do you think drew you to her?

There was some uniqueness in her that certainly drew me back to her again and again, because I would have actually gotten married to someone else entirely. When I came back to Nigeria after my studies abroad, there was already some kind of marriage being arranged by my parents, but somehow, I stood my ground and stuck with her. So, there must be something that kept telling me that this is my wife. Her warmness, her truthfulness and of course, she is a very lovely young lady and I call her my darling till this very day.

Against the background of the breakup of marriages contracted these days, what advice would you offer to young and aspiring couples on how to maintain their relationship?

Of course, I have advice to offer. The first and major advice would be to structure their marriage to be God- centred in order to avoid serious problem. There must be very strong commitment of every couple to worship God in truth and in spirit. A husband and wife must also be dedicated to fellowshipping together. Young couples these days do not seem to grasp the relevance of fellowshipping together as it strengthens their bond and deepens their intimacy while allowing them to communicate effectively.

Indeed, the saying that a family that prays together stays together is absolutely correct. And each party must not doubt the sincerity of the other. Once you begin to doubt your partner, there is absolutely no way you can stand together. I think, too, that when challenges arise in marriages, couples should allow God help them overcome, rather that insist on man- made solutions, which ultimately are selfish and contrived.

I would use us ( Ifeoma and myself) as an example here. When we first got married, we hadn’t any child for the first six years. It was a major challenge and if our foundation were not God and His word, we would have had cracks in our union. My wife of course was very distraught and disturbed by this development. I also had challenges with different people approaching me to proffer different solutions to the problem. There were talks behind our backs.

I recall vividly the instance of a dear old lady whom I visited in my village at Christmas. With tears in her eyes, she lamented, asking why I had to go through the challenge – saying why me? However, as difficult as the situation was, it was never really a bother, although I would catch my wife weeping about the situation from time to time. And I think she saw clearly that I was not overly bothered or rather that my faith was in God. But in the fullness of time, the children came – the first, the second, the third and the fourth. So, this is one of the vicissitudes of life. But any marriage that is God- centred would go through them and still stand strong.

Chris Okoye