Daddy Horii GA Agwo touched my life in several ways. I will mention two remarkable ones; The first in the secondary school, the other as an undergraduate at UNN.
In the early and mid seventies, we paid our tuition and boarding fees through the school bursar. The challenge of long queues and waiting time made me and late chief Chukwu Ibe-
Second one is the requirement for a term paper I
GS 103. This was a big challenge, writing about Ehugbo culture.
Horii , the encyclopedia of our culture was again at hand.
Horii, I pray for the strength of Caleb and Moses to remain your portion IJMN-
For us your sons and daughters, your mantle of longevity, strength, wisdom and understanding will find expression in our lives IJMN-
Daddy remain ever blessed.
Augustine Egwu
Ebonyi state rep.
SAPRUL project.
home page
Pa Clocks 90 : Onwe Onye Adi Eche
It is impossible to imagine life differently. If ever I am asked to choose a family to be born into, I will always choose mine: -
It has always been an orderly family, with Papa as the chief disciplinarian, cheerleader, pillar, role model, hero.
Papa’s heart is so large and accommodating that despite having only five (5) biological children, we have always had a large, harmonious, warm and happy household, till this day.
We were brought up to have genuine interest in life, and people, in a state of natural love, affection and mutual respect.
The virtues of honesty, diligence, prudence, neatness, punctuality, hard work, gratitude and practical sense of humour, to name a tiny few, were imbibed in us, his children, from birth!
Papa is a repository of wisdom and knowledge; a fountain we are privileged to have. His aptitude to keep and recall events and dates is simply outstanding and astonishing.
There are numerous lessons we keep learning from Papa. One of such is aptly captured in a name he serially gave to his pet dogs: -
As we celebrate you, dear Papa, words are not enough to express our deep love and gratitude to have you as a father. It would take several volumes, and still would not be enough.
We could not have asked for more. THANK YOU, PAPA !
May God continue to keep and bless you in excellent health of mind and body.
Indeed, ONWE ONYE ADI ECHE !
-
This is a Tribute received from Dr. Kenneth I. Nwokike of Ebonyi State University, Abakalaki
The Tribute has been sent in an image document so please select the button to the right to open and read it.
Read the Tribute >
This is a Tribute received from Eleje Campaign Organization
The Tribute has been sent in a PDF document so please select the button to the right to open and read it.
Read the Tribute >
To Papa at 90. What a glorious testimony of the awesome faithfulness of our Almighty God.
Papa, I am so blessed to be one of your daughters. What an amazing privilege for me to be and to have been a member of your wonderful family for the past 26 years.
I am truly grateful to you Papa, for the incredible acceptance, love and kindness you have always shown me. I remember with great fondness, the time you visited with us in the UK and how we would sit at the dining table and talk for hours, there was never a dull moment. You have such an excellent depth of knowledge about such a vast amount of topics and your narration is so alive and interesting, as evidenced by your book, that I would sit and listen with rapt attention.
I also recall our daughter Amara saying to me repeatedly, as she read your autobiography, how interesting your book is, which coming from a young person, further confirms that you are such a great story teller.
Some other very special qualities of yours Papa, that I also admire very much, are your marvellous sense of humour, your positivity and your ability to always choose to see the funny side of a situation, no matter how dire it may seem. This has helped me to always try to keep things in their proper perspective and to always try to remain grateful for the very many blessings in my life -
Papa, you are our Patriarch, a man of immense Godly character, with a heart for people, gracious, generous and kind, full of love and wisdom. You have set a phenomenal example for myself and all your children, both biological and your many 'adopted' children and grandchildren, to aspire to.
Papa, I love you very much and again I say, I'm so very grateful and so very blessed, to have two amazing men in my life, as my Fathers. I look forward to many more years of learning and growing, from your fountain of knowledge and wisdom, by God's special grace.🙏
In conclusion, I quote the iconic scripture in Deuteronomy 33:25b -
Ibifuro Agwo.
90 THUNDEROUS CHEERS TO YOU NNA, HORII (CHIEF) GABRIEL ANIGO AGWO
It's difficult to decide a single pattern, style or form to write to your heart.
B'cos your life is all shades of golden virtues
A rare treasure that dropped to us, fertilizing the ground
Heaven's rare kindness to boundless mortals
Each person battles with amazing proofs to claim best beneficiary of your sweet life
A lovely competition for lovely soul deserving no less love than is showered
Thank you for letting your fragrance freely flow across board
It's hard to exhaust chronicled virtues with you at the epicenter
Your lovely and liberal spirit,
Firm Christian virtues and decency in character
Your indescribable levels of sacrifices for others
Irrespective of creed, clan, religion, region or colour
Selflessness remains your unofficial name
Yeah, 'Onyichiri Oha 1 of Ehugbo' captures the succinct reality
Your blessed 'koboko' cured uncountable madness
Many giants here are in eternal gratitude to your midas touch in their lives
In you is a celebrated hero, a man of enviable colours
An embodiment of rare wisdom
A walking document, an encyclopaedia of some sort
Your love for education is glaring Teaching comes so free in fun with you
Oke Nna,
You are a rare gift to us, and countless mortals
Everyone here has overflowing testimonials of your life
We can't relent going to any level to tell the world how we so much cherish you in our lives
Thanks to God Almighty for the gift of you, and for preserving you for us
In sound mind, good health and amidst lovely family and friends
We celebrate 90 fruitful years of an intellectual sage
A walking document
An oasis to the endless
An instrument in God's hand
A man of silent super-
A case study in humility
A lover of education
A man commanding deserved love
An Iroko standing tall!
A father figure to countless
An endless reservoir of exuding joy
A man that deserves all the love and care he gets, and even more!
Oke Nna,
On this special day, we so gladly celebrate you. As you can see, it is not just the family alone, but the countless lives you touched and keep touching in many good ways.
We covet your grace because you are a special breed.
We pray for and wish you many more healthier, stronger, blessed and satisfying years ahead, Amen!
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY to you, Okenna!
Congratulations!
© Obinna Agwo (Obynno)
TRIBUTE TO A GREAT AFIKPO PATRIOT, CHIEF GABRIEL AGWO AT 90
Onyochiri Ehugbo, it is a thing of joy that you are celebrating your 90th birthday in good health of body and mind. Despite the passage of time, you still stand as straight as a ramrod and remain as articulate as a normal young man in his prime. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. To Him be all the glory. It is an eloquent testimony to the disciplined life you have lived over the years and the grace of God upon your life. It also speaks volume of the love your children have for you and how much they care. I say this because no matter how much pension you receive at the end of every month, without the love and care of responsible and loving children, you may not be able to last this long. I thank God and I thank them (your children) for making the home front so serene. Once again, I say to God be the glory!
Onyochiri Ehugbo, as I write this tribute, I cannot help reminiscing on our glowing relationship of almost forty years. And as I reflect, I come to the realisation that our friendship has been fuelled by one thing: our great love for our dear fatherland -
It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said: “The less a man thinks or knows about his virtues, the better we like him.” The people of Afikpo, who revere you and hold you in high esteem do so because despite your acknowledged labour of love for the town, and for which the people honoured you with the chieftaincy title of Onyochiri Ehugbo (the one who labours for Afikpo), you remain humble and calm. This is one of your virtues that draws many of us your admirers close to you. Someone once said that: “The greatest value of having good people around you is not what you get from them; but the better person you become just because of them.” Onyochiri Ehugbo, I must confess here that associating closely with you over the years has impacted positively on me as a person. Kudos!
As I reminisce, I cannot help remembering your first visit in 1994 to help in the production of that year’s issue of Afikpo Today, which was on “Medicare in Afikpo: Orthodox and Traditional”. As at then, we had not acquired the much needed computer due to its high cost. (I can still remember that we bought our first computer in 1995 at a cost of N600,000.00.) And so every morning, we had to move from one typesetting company to another, pleading with typesetters to help us typeset our manuscripts so as to be able to present the magazine to the people of Afikpo on Holy Saturday as was our practice then. Because of this, we had to work so late into the night, and start work early in the morning, just so we can produce the magazine within the given time for our people to have and read.
One of the world’s great philosophers, Perciles said that: “A leader must believe in his people as well as in the goal towards which he is leading them. As a leader, you must be willing to give up yourself.” Because of your love for Afikpo and her people, you are always thinking and coming up with innovations that would help uplift the town. Even when doing that sometimes earns you revilement by some undiscerning minds, you continue to trudge on undeterred. You do so because you believe in the goal towards which you are leading the people. Bravo!
My prayer is that the Good Lord should continue to bless and keep you in good health of body and mind to His greater glory.
Happy birthday, Onyochiri Ehugbo, great Afikpo patriot!
Chief Emmanuel Agha Mbey
(Enyo Ehugbo)
This is a Tribute received from Ehugbo Literacy and Bible Translation Project
The Tribute has been sent in an image document so please select the button to the right to open and read it.
Read the Tribute >
*HURRAY MY HORATIUS -
It was King Solomon in about 800BC that summarized life on earth for men stating; "there is a time for everything and a season for all things under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die . . A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance Eccles 3(1-
Ndigbo captured this Solomonic philosophy this way; "twice the ikoro calls a man in his life time. First, at his birth -
Today, contrary to the common trends of our perilous times, we are thus gathered to celebrate not the sunset but the sunrise of
HORII GABRIEL ANIGO AGWO. Note, his sunrise was January 20, 1933. This is a very significant year great events and great births were recorded on earth in the last century. For instance this is the year of the Great economic Recession in America and the rise to power of president *Franklin Delano Roosevelt,* who ruled America for four consecutive terms even from a wheelchair. It was equally the year of the rise to power of *Adolf Hitler and his Nazis* who led the Germans to the World War(II) six years into his reign as the imperial Chancellor.
It may interest you to know as well that Cameroon's *Paul Biya* was also born in this year (1933), just as our dear late *Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu* was born in November same 1933 Chief AGWO was born here in Amizu Ehugbo. Great year of great men of substance and relevance to humanity.
Indeed, we are here not to weep and mourn, but to laugh and dance with the House of the *gangling Giraffes and the great boars* (Anigo Agwos). This is for the divine extraordinary favour of good health, strength of character and longevity of their patriarch, the mighty Anaconda of the AGWOS' himself -
This is equally no time to stage *òkùnkpò* on Chief AGWO, rather a time to join him and family to do as king Solomon in his ecclesiastical verses in 3:13 stated; _"And also, that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour. It is the gift of God." Yes! In his present nine eventful decades of journeying through life Chief AGWO has surely laboured to arrive at the Olympian height of a fulfilled and accomplished life he sits him sure on today.
Do we talk about the traumatic consequences of early loss of his man of substance father that visited the toddler AGWO with the most dangerous vicissitude of life in the hands of paternal uncles and aunts. A decapitating abuse and deprivation capable of rendering him a homunculus in physique and psychology as a growing boy. Nevertheless, born a positive mind and a determined soul, Chief AGWO weathered these turbulent times turning the killer stones life hauled at him from boyhood into building bricks of a monumental human edifice we are celebrating today. Continues 👇👇
This is a Tribute received from Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps
The Tribute has been sent in an image document so please select the button to the left to open and read it.
Read the Tribute >
Dear Sir
You have so many excellent titles, but to me, you are "Uncle" with a capital "U", which is very special. I remember meeting you when you taught at the same school as my mum and how we became family back then. You were a unique breed of people dedicated to your jobs, full of integrity, fantastic at whatever you did, and yet an epitome of humility.
You were always so easy to talk to and gave the best advice. I remember meeting you again when you visited the UK and the surprise and joy I felt. The closeness extended to your son, who has now become my "adopted brother". So many fond memories that make me smile all the time.
Now that you have turned 90, I can only thank God for each milestone up to this big one. I wish you countless blessings and pray that the good Lord keeps you safe and well. I'm sure my mum will look down and smile at her friend and colleague – God bless you, dear "Uncle" today and always.
Love and best wishes from Grace Ama
Thank you
Grace Ama
Your Journey through life – a poem
Your Journey through life, started in a small village,
Born a gift from God, made in his wonderful image.
Hailing from Afikpo North in Ebonyi State,
Who would have guessed the life you have lived up until this date?
A passion for writing and a heart for reading,
A great academic and a long career in teaching.
A teacher by trade, but also with a fondness to farm,
A joyful and playful character, bestowed with wonderful charm.
But it wasn’t in the classroom where your greatest lessons were taught,
It was much closer to home, amongst your five children, where your awesome wisdom was sought.
Bon anniversaire Grandpa, we hope you have a wonderful day,
Lots of love from your grandchildren, and many more years we pray.
Ugonna (Nwata Agwo London), Amarachukwu (Anwara), and Chiamaka (Orie Otu)
Grandchildren
FELICITATION: NINETY YEARS BIRTHDAY!
It is our greatest pleasure to identify with you on the occasion of the celebration of your 90th birthday.
This historic occasion provides the rightful opportunity of congratulating you on the feats you have attained so far as a meticulous professional teacher and as a selfless community leader.
As one of your in-
We pray the sleepless creator to grant you robust health and robust faith to enable you attain the Ehugbo next age grade of "Rikweri" and beyond!
Unbridled hearty Congratulations, we wish you!!
From: Noble Col. Gabriel Aja & Noble Lady Josephine Mgbor Ewa KSJI
