By By Jude Aguguo Onwuamanam
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the number of years a man lived should not matter but the positive contributions such a man made to the service of God and humanity.
Chief Obasanjo said this while addressing the worshippers at St Mulumba Catholic Parish, New Haven, Enugu during the Thanksgiving Mass service to mark the 70th birthday celebration of the immediate past President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.
Former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo who turned 70 years recently
At the church service, which was officiated by the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diacese, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga, were Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the leader of the Yoruba highest socio-cultural group, Afenifere, 95-year-old Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, leader of the Middle-Belt Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, the Catholic Bishop of Awgu, Most Rev John Ifeanyichukwu Okoye, among others.
Turning to Nwodo, Chief Obasanjo said, “life for you, Chief Nnia Nwodo, begins at 70; at the age of 70, you are just starting life,” stressing that Chief Nwodo had made useful contributions to his country, state, community, and humanity generally as well as to God. He restated that the former Ohanaeze President General had made positive contributions when he served as Nigeria’s Minister of Information, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and as an attorney at law.
“Whether you live to the age of 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100 or if you are lucky to get to 120, the most important thing is not the number of years you spend here on earth. “The most important thing is your positive contributions to humanity and God Almighty. The quality of services you offer to humanity. That’s what matters. I pray that God will grant you many more years to continue with your worthy service to mankind and God.”
At the reception which was held inside the main hall of the Amedeo Event Centre, Enugu, a book entitled, “John Nnia Nwodo: The Great Speeches” with forward by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was presented to the public. Former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo officially presented the book to the public but supported by other dignitaries such as Senator Ken Nnamani, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, and others.
The book reviewer, a former super permanent secretary in the federal ministry of Power, Godknows Kigali, who delivered a goodwill message from the leader of the Niger Delta People, Chief Edwin Clark, said that the 247-page book, compiled and edited by a journalist, Mr. Ike Abonyi, “encapsulated the great ideals, ideas, philosophy or world view of Chief John Nnia Nwodo”
He said that the author of the book “advocated for a country of equity, justice, unity and respect for one another”
According to the reviewer, the next item in the book is the “identify of the Igbo – a great nation of enterprising people, though 50 years after the civil war, the Igbo are still marginalized as they are kept on the edge.”
