Barrister Edmond Azuka Mbaso: A Life of Honour and Integrity
Mr. Edmond Azuka Mbaso was born on the 31st of August, I942 in Kano, Nigeria to Chief John Festus Chukwudebele Mbaso and Mrs.Theresa Nwinyaya Mbaso. On the day of his birth, there was a great rainfall and his father needed help from his brother, Chief Paul Uzuukwu Mbaso to get his pregnant wife to the hospital. This made his father to name “Azuka”, which means having people behind you is better than riches. This indeed would characterise Mr. Edmond Azuka Mbaso’s life as he heat credence to relationships more than the pursuit of wealth.
Mbaso started his primary school at St.Theresa’s Catholic School Yola before transferring to St. Michael’s Primary School Eziora, Ozubulu, to complete his primary education. He later proceeded to Zickson Grammar School, Ozubulu where he finished his secondary education. Eddie as he was fondly known was an amiable fellow he who loved to play football.
Eddie started his working life as a Clerk at Onitsha, in present day Anambra State in the Ministry of Finance. In 1967, around the time of the outbreak of Biafra civic war. He was subsequently, at the heat of the war, recruited at Enugu into the Special Trained Force of the Biafra Army headed by Lieutenant Colonel Onu Aguruchi. Eddie was commissioned as a Lieutenant upon conclusion of his training. The Special Trained Force was renowned for their extreme dangerous missions and would be engaged in multiple combat missions’ through-out the length of the war. However, in a counter offensive battle launched by regrouped offensive soldiers he was shot on the patella and he lost his knee-cap as a result and was transferred to a medical Camp and treated for his injuries.
This as faith would have it was where he would meet wife and the mother of five children. Bridget Ego Mbaso nee Oliagba was visiting a family friendCaptain Aghaabunam who was injured in the war and also recuperating at the medical camp where she met Eddie. Eddie confessed to his children years later that it was love at first sight and the Love-birds eventually got married on the 31st December, 1969 barely a month to the end of the Biafra War.
After the end of the war, Eddie and his wife relocated to Kaduna where they began their family life together. He attended Institute of management and technology Enugu (IMT) He started working with Peugeot Automobile Manufacturers (PAN) while his wife was employed at General Hospital Kaduna. He left PAN to start up in Construction Company, (Eddico contractors Ltd) with his best friend George Okoye and the company.
Having nursed a long time ambition to become Lawyer, Eddie in 1984 embarked on a Law Degree programme at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from where he graduated in 1989 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School Lagos after bagging an LLB Hons degree. He was called to the bar in 1990. He was also the principal Partner at E.A. Mbaso and Co. Law Firm from where he retired from in the year 2013.
As a mark of honour to him and recognition of his sterling qualities as one of the leading light in his community, he was admitted to the exalted membership of AGBALANZE in the OBI’s Cabinet, OZUBULU he was given the title of Agbalanze Ononenyi. He also acted as the life-long Legal Adviser for the Peoples Club, Kaduna Chapter and was a member of the Nigerian Bar Association Kaduna chapter.
Perhaps the words of his son in-law, husband to his first daughter, Barrister Chijioke Nzekwe from Nkwerre, Imo State, will be an added and apt characterisation to our father. For Mr. Nzekwe, a leading politician, Ononenyi was a rare and peerless type. He lived his life in fecund contentment, which he passed to his children. Yes wives are the gifts of God, but as moulded by their parents. In my wife and our marriage I confess to the testimony of a father who was excellent in bring up his children, and thus in making my home a model of marital union. In essence, Ononenyi personified the best in our humanity. And that best is in our ability to not only to hold our own in the professions of our choice, but to bequeath to the world children who will stand as living testimonies that love and fidelity are some of the greatest values we can transmit in life. In a most humble manner I thank God for the great life that he lived. And we must not forget to recount of course, the most entertaining stories and endless jokes we shared with us. And these leave memorable remembrances of his sojourn as it crosses my path as a son in-law.
Finally, Eddie is survived by his wife Mrs. Bridget Ego Mbaso, five children, Mrs. Maureen Ifeoma Nzekwe nee Mbaso, Mrs. Francisca Ebele Akpamgbo nee Mbaso, Mr. Theophilius Chijioke Mbaso, Mrs. Evelyn Adaobi Ohuruzo nee Mbaso and Barrister Jerry Nnamdi Mbaso, relations and grandchildren. Ononenyi’s remains will be buried on 16th February at the Mbaso country home, Udoji road, Egbema Ozubulu, Anambra State.