RESTORING THE DIGNITY OF MAN (1)

Sonnie Ekwowusi remembers the good old days at a UNN’s reunion

How is it possible to find meaning in a world in which you are constantly told that the only way to be happy and make progress is to acquire enormous material wealth and constantly entertain yourself with the most sophisticated electronic gadgets? The answer to this question may be difficult considering that somehow we have all become prisoners of our epoch. Like trees, human beings have roots which tether them. However, it is characteristic of our human nature to rebel against the tethering roots to ensure that old principles do not lose acceptability. For instance, the little kids in my neigbourhood now converge every evening to play among themselves. Obviously they have plenty of video games, DSTV movies and music and other things that could occupy them in their respective homes. Yet the kids prefer converging in the evenings to laugh together, run together, jump together, shout together and sing together with their mates. You see, we are adrift in cosmos in search of meaning, forgetting that a man is ontologically worth his dignity, the values he cherishes and the services he renders to his fellow men. It is a self-flattening conceit to think that we deserve another world outside the world within us. That is why I think that my neigbourhood kids are the wisest kids I have ever encountered. They prefer to live in their own world where they could happily celebrate their intrinsic worth unmindful of the tragedies around them.

In the same vein, driven by the passion to celebrate their intrinsic worth in order to come to terms with the meaning of life, the University of Nigeria Law Class of 1986 (UNN Law Class 1986) organized a re-union in Enugu last weekend. The reunion was prompted by the motto of UNN: “To restore the dignity of man”. At UNN, dignity is perceived as the foundational value for human rights. Dignity is a sense of pride in oneself, not what one has. At UNN, dignity is rendering selfless services to others; understanding the meaning of human existence and living a quality life. To be a noble and excellent student worthy in character, worthy in learning, worthy in integrity is more valuable at UNN than all the material wealth in the world. At the UNN, there are opportunities to connect passions with purpose. And when passions find their purpose, man’s dignity is enhanced and the world can change for better. This conscious sense of dignity makes the UNN Law Class 1986 feel that it deserves a respectable place on mother earth to celebrate its intrinsic worth.

So, off to Enugu, the coal city, for the much-vaunted re-union. While some class boys and girls came from Ilorin, Aba, Owerri, Lagos, Abuja and so forth, others flew in from different parts of America and Europe. Of course, food and assorted drinks were plenty except that Deputy-Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who hosted us at his house in his village, failed to supply the Obele-agu palm wine, which, in my humble view, is the best palm wine in the world. I can’t remember whether “ukwa” and isi-ewu delicacies were served also. How can you be feted in Igbo ancestral home without being served “ukwa” and isi-ewu delicacies with palm wine to wash them down? After restoring the dignity of man with abundant food and drinks our class boys and girls were brimming with smiles. I

AT UNN, DIGNITY IS RENDERING SELFLESS SERVICES TO OTHERS, UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF HUMAN EXISTENCE AND LIVING A QUALITY LIFE

don’t know whether the smiles came under the influence of alcohol or not. All we know is that they were overjoyed as they busied themselves taking different snap shots.

Anyway, you may be well aware that the UNN Law Faculty is situated at University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC). UNEC is regarded as the “only professional campus south of the Sahara”. Why? Because only professional courses such as Law, Medicine, Architecture, Estate Management, Quantity Survey, Accountancy and so forth are offered there. By the way, the UNN Law Faculty is the oldest law faculty in Nigeria. Our passage through the Law Faculty was a passage of the best and brightest. Flooding my memory now are the names of some of the brightest boys and girls: Muhyideen Adekoyejo Bello Esq., (a consummate wag). Till date, Bello still wears a boyish look. B.S.C Asogwa Esq., Ndiya Ukiwe Esq., Pauline Nwandu Esq., Toyin Oladipo Esq., Chijioke Dike Esq., (the best in penmanship), Edechime James Esq., (JCN), Benbella Anichebe (SAN), Emeka Maduwest Esq., Chief Mbanugo Udenze Esq., Deputy-Senate President Ike Ekweremadu (Ikeoha), John Duru Esq., Alhaji Abdul Azeez Chuba Ogbui Esq., (He converted to Islam at UNEC), Chinyere Ikpa Esq., Sonny Nwankwo Esq., (Charm Sonny), Ifi Achebe Iloani Esq., Peter Ntefe Esq., Chief Uzama Okpaleke Esq., Prof. R. A. C. E Achara, Okey Anoh Esq., Chidi Nwuke Esq., Ebele Iyayi Esq., Kerian Enechi Esq., ex-Deputy-Governor of Central Bank and presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu OON , Nnenna Uko Esq., Franca Agbasi Esq., John Emefieh Esq., Cletus Ilegbune Esq., Jude David Mbamalu Esq., Justice Anthony Onovo, Honesty Anyanwu Esq., Okey Chukwuezi Esq., Hon. Tony Anyanwu (of the blessed memory), Paul Ezeobi Esq., Oliver Eze Esq., Dr. Theodore Okonkwo and others too numerous to mention here.

Pastor Chris Okotie was not our class mate: he was our contemporary at the Law Faculty. He was graduating in law when we were barely being admitted into the Faculty. He had a sportish-looking red car. Above all, he was a talented musician. He sang. I can’t remember now, but I think it was at the time he was graduating from the Law Faculty that he sang “Carolina in mind”, “I need Someone” and “Fine Mama”. Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) was also our contemporary at UNEC. I remember him now. We were both at Manuwa Hall (the moi moi hall). I might have shared a room with him at some stage. He was bright but rascally. He struggled to be among the Manuwa Hall Football team. Talking about Halls, there were only seven halls at UNEC at the time of our passage- Manuwa Hall, Ojukwu Hall, Adelabu Hall, Mariere Hall (for post-graduate students only), Mbonu Ojike Hall, Kenneth Dike Hall and Lady Ibiam Hall (Babylon), the only female hall. Dubbed Babylon ostensibly owing to the cultivated scepticism about the sort of life that was lived at that hall at that time. Desperate male students do not visit Babylon in the afternoon. They visit at night when they were sure their faces would not be seen. Mbonu Ojike Hall (GH) and Kenneth Dike Hall (IJ) stood out for their great exploits in the game of football and also for “carrying bush meats”.