Ekene Dili Chukwu, Eight Years After
July 1, 2007, the sun set on Chief Augustine Ejikeme Ilodibe. The 75 years eventful journey of the man ended gloriously. For his family, they have derived solace from one of Rossiter Worthington Raymond piece that life is eternal and love is immortal and death is only a horizon and a horizon is nothing save the limit of sight. They have struggled to stay afloat, managing to fit into the big shoes their patriarch left behind. They have equally been relishing his legacies of affection, honesty, friendliness, diligent work and love for humanity.
For the nation however, we have failed to deepen from the knowledge and insight of the man Augustine Ilodibe- whose pioneering activities in long distance luxury passenger transit system and road haulage is second to none. Because of worrisome situation of poor and depleting road infrastructure, luxury passenger road transport has almost grinded to a halt. Today only a handful of those inter- state luxury buses ply our roads leaving the landscape with those smaller commuter buses whose safety and comfort records are modestly put abysmal.
Ogbuefi Nnanyelugo, Eze Onwanetiliora, founding chairman-Ekene Dili Chukwu Group, Member, Order of the Federal Republic (Mfr) came, saw and conquered. An entrepreneur par excellence, his enterprises and investments spanning the steel, agricultural, property development, motor transport, insurance and logistics sectors of the economy, well founded and driven in his time, provided quality jobs for teeming Nigerian citizens. His partnership with Daimler Benz, Germany and facilitated by the Government of Nigeria gave birth to ANAMCO, Enugu where Mercedes Benz mass transit and haulage truck heads were assembled.
Onwa’s record in philanthropy was legendary. His Augustine Ejikeme Ilodibe foundation sponsored the ambitions of the indigent to secure higher education and skills. Many of today’s profiled Nigerian men and women benefited from Onwa’s kindness. A recipient of several honorary doctorates from prestigious Nigerian universities, Ogbuefi Nnanyelugo put up sizeable funds and infrastructures in these universities to advance knowledge and skill acquisition in transport and logistics sciences. Chief Ilodibe was a fellow of the transport institute of the United Kingdom
As we remember and pay tribute to Chief Ilodibe on this his eight year of departure, it will gladden the heart of the nation for the family to further his aspirations and attitude by ensuring that the firms he empowered be now fully developed to continue to create jobs and value for humanity.
Greater and enriched stories are expected still from the Ilodibe dynasty that has roots in Ndimgbu, Otolo, Nnewi and now span across all corners of the globe. Our prayer is that the iconic Ilodibe name and contributions to nation building would continue to wax stronger much longer with his exit.
So long Ekene Dili Chukwu, the Onwa himself, the entrepreneurial pathfinder of the Nnewis, nay the Ibos.