Abia Govt. moves to preserve the legacy of Nigeria’s first Speaker, Jaja Wachuku

By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom

The Abia  Government has celebrated Nigeria’s first Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, late Dr Jaja Wachuku, by making efforts to preserve his legacy and inspire future generations.

Speaking on Wednesday during a ceremony organised to mark the 108th posthumous birthday of the late Wachuku, at the Anglican Grammar School in Mbawsi, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, Gov. Alex Otti of Abia said that societies that fail to recognise and celebrate their heroes risk losing their sense of purpose and identity.

The governor said that his decision to celebrate Wachuku was informed by a deeper study of his life and achievements which revealed that the late statesman had not received the recognition he deserved.

“I had always known about him but sometime in 2023, I don’t know what led me to read a little bit about him and by the time I finished reading about him I thought that we had not done well.

“That’s why I insisted that a documentary about his lifetime achievement must be put together,” Otti said.

He explained that the celebration was deliberately fixed on the late Wachuku’s birthday rather than the date of his death, describing him as a father, elder statesman, brilliant lawyer, and an exceptional leader who made immense sacrifices for Nigeria.

The governor disclosed that the state government had renovated Wachukwu’s country home, preserved his famous library, and rehabilitated the tombs of both Wachuku and his wife.

“Any society that does not recognise and celebrate its heroes will soon disappear.

“We are celebrating him because of the sacrifices he made,” Otti said.

Responding to appeals by stakeholders, Otti said the government was already considering naming “something great” after Wachuku to further immortalise his legacy.

In his speech, the lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, described Wachuku not just as a national icon but as a father figure, recalling personal childhood encounters with the late statesman.

“What I saw and heard today have given me a new perspective about the man. It is our prayer that we too will be remembered positively when we leave this world,” Abaribe said.

In his speech, the Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Emeruwa, said that the life of Wachuku and the leadership example of Gov. Otti serve as inspiration for present and future generations.

“It is my prayer that God will make us instruments of inspiration for others after we have left,” Emeruwa said.

In his speech, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Caleb Ajagba, said that the  decision to renovate the late Wachuku’s home followed disturbing reports about its state.

“Your Excellency directed that I visit the country home of the late sage, and what I saw confirmed the reports.

“The same day we submitted the bill of quantities, the governor approved the funds,” Ajagba said.

He stressed that the gesture was not politically motivated. “This is not about politics, the  Governor does not celebrate himself; he celebrates others. God has set him up to rebuild broken walls, including those of Abia State,” he added.

The President General of Oha Nsulu Unity Forum, Chief Eric Opah, described the siting of the Abia Airport project in Nsulu land as symbolic and well deserved.

“It is not by accident that the airport is sited in Nsulu land and our hero, late Dr Jaja Wachuku, played a key role in Nigeria’s aviation history,” Opah said.

He appealed to the government for improved infrastructure in airport host communities, including electricity supply and rehabilitation of the Anglican Grammar School.

Also, the leader of the Ngwa people and former Attorney General of Abia, Chief Theo Nkire, described the late Wachuku as a man whose life was marked by national “firsts.”

“He told us himself that he was Nigeria’s first Foreign Minister, first Aviation Minister and first Leader of the Federal House and that his life was a catalogue of firsts,” Nkire said.

In his remark, the President of the Ngwa Social Club, Prof. Paul Ananaba, said that the late Wachuku was the first lawyer from the area and one of Nigeria’s finest legal minds.

“On behalf of lawyers from this land, we intend to push for the posthumous conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Jaja Wachuku just as it was done for F.R.A. Williams,” Ananaba said.

In his remark, Sen. Bob Nwanunu, who recalled meeting Wachuku during the civil war, described him as “a legend and an exceptional orator,” and proposed that the Abia Airport be named after him.

Similarly, the lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Chief Ginger Onwusibe called for the airport to bear Wachuku’s name.

Onwusibe said that such gesture would etch the late Wachuku’s legacy permanently in the sands of time.

Former lawmaker, Sen. Nkechi Nworgu, praised the governor for reviving long-abandoned projects and giving overdue recognition to the late statesman.

“Hard work may not be rewarded immediately, but history will always remember those who served selflessly,” Nworgu said.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr. Ndubuisi Jaja-Wachuku expressed gratitude to the governor and the Abia State Government for honouring his late father, describing the gesture as a pleasant surprise.

Jaja-Wachuku said: “I want to thank you for providing this honour to my father, I did not expect this from you and it was a pleasant surprise.

“But I will twist this a little bit and it is that my father was a great provider, I believe he sent you to provide for me.

“I thank you very much, I now have a beautiful house and then the story of his exploits have now been magnified.

He disclosed that many historic documents, including materials on the Ahiara Declaration of Biafra and authentic Igbo history, were sourced from Wachuku’s preserved library.

“I’ll tell you a little bit of the library there; the Ahiara Declaration of Biafra, the resource materials were from that library, the Ado na Idu, the authentic history of Igbo land is also sourced from there,” he added.

The late Wachuku was also a Pan-Africanist, a lawyer, politician, diplomat, humanitarian and went to Trinity College, Dublin, where he became the first African medalist, laureate, in Oratory.

Wachuku was born on January 1, 1918 and died on November 7, 1996 at the age of 78

The event featured the presentation of a walking stick that belonged to the late statesman, by his son, who  described it as a family gift in appreciation of the governor’s leadership and service to Abia.

The event also featured the unveiling of the late Wachuku’s renovated residence, library and his tomb with that of his wife, as well as laying of wreaths at their tombs.