Remembering my father …. By Professor Echefuna’ R.G. ONYEBEADI

About 40 years ago, you were called to glory in a highly baffling, unexpected, very suspicious and mysterious circumstance. You were in your house in Benin City when they came for you uninvited. They beckoned on you like the proverbial deceitful serpent to accompany them to where you knew not. You trusted them and innocently followed them albeit wrongly to a journey that became a trip of no return.

They took you away from us without my knowledge and consent as your first son and eldest child. I was just 24 hours or less telegram away but nobody contacted me. I was just a few seconds P&T phone call away but nobody thought it appropriate to contact me. It seems like they knew that contacting me prior to would have made that mission impossible!

We were just 9 + 1 then. Not a few of us were mere toddlers and our mother was a full time house wife! The very few grown up were yet to come to terms with the reality and/or what life is all about. We were literarily stripped naked in the open, battered and abandoned but we remained unbowed. God Almighty was there for us!

We were just 9+1 after your sudden departure. Just 9 + 1! Imagine what it takes to fend for and take care of 9 + 1 people without the main “bread winner”? To the glory of God Almighty, we all survived against all odds. Nothing missing! Nobody lost! Today, by the special grace of God Almighty, we are over 50 and still counting, direct from your loins! To the glory of God Almighty, we have since crossed the Rubicon. We have indeed weathered the storm. We have overcome! The grace of God Almighty had been, still is and shall indeed forever be sufficient for us!

Born August 09, 1922, our father, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi, was the first son and eldest child of Nwaeze, Diokpa Shinne and Pope Medalist, Diokpa Joseph Akuagwuna and Mrs. Agnes ‘Onyebadi’ of the Oligbo Kingdom Royal Family in the lineage Onyenibeyadinma, OgbeNti Obi, Issele-Uku, Aniocha North LGA, Delta State, Nigeria.

Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was a generational pace setter, trail blazer and role model per excellence! He had his early education at Zungeru in today’s Niger State in North Central Zone of Nigeria and Okigwe in today’s Imo State in South East Zone of Nigeria. Thereafter, he proceeded to the great Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha where he passed out in flying colours in the then Senior Cambridge Certificate examinations in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
He also distinguished himself in sports particularly football where he was the football Captain of his School, CKC, Onitsha. He later became a pioneer football Captain of the then armature Nigerian Football team in the late 1930s and 1940s. Those were the days when football was played not with boots but bare footed!

There was no Institution of higher learning in Nigeria then. However, in order to satisfy his yearning for higher education while working to support his parents and siblings, the then young and enterprising Michael Ndeze’ Chike thereafter improved himself academically through correspondence with prime Institutions in Great Britain where he acquired at various times British Diplomas in Administration, Industrial Law and Journalism. He also sponsored his immediate junior brother, late Peter Chinyere Onyebadi to the same CKC Onitsha.

A man of many parts, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi, started his working career immediately on graduating from CKC Onitsha and continued his service at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in the Administrative Cadre where he helped and mentored many Nigerians including his junior brother Peter Chinyere whom he got employed in the technician/technical cadre at the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
He also served within that period as a Scout Master and a member of Nigerian Special Police.

Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was a thorough breed Nationalist and a completely detribalised Nigerian who got involved in the struggle for Nigerian Independence as a very active member of NCNC and Zikist movement. He was a close associate and confidant of the legendary Zik of Africa, the first President of Nigeria, The Right Honourable Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was later persuaded and he agreed to be a pioneer newspaper Journalist which in any case, he was eminently qualified for, at the West African Pilot newspaper established by his friend, the legendary Zik of Africa, The Right Honourable Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe.
It was in this vintage position that our father, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was able to give widest publicity including a personal front page column in the West African Pilot for the inauguration of His Royal Majesty, Obi Rufus Osemene II JP in 1964. I still have copy of that West African Pilot in my private library till date.

Our Father, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was a First Class, First Generation pre – Independence Public Servant; First Generation Nationalist; Pioneer newspaper Journalist of West African Pilot; Pioneer Radio & Television Broadcaster of NBC/MTV Fame; Pioneer Post Cambridge Professional; Patriotic First Generation Politician of Zikism/NCNC/NPP/NPN; Excellent Sports man and Captain/Leader; Mentor; Wonderful Husband, Excellent Father, Trailblazer; Path Finder; OUR OWN VERY SPECIAL AND DISTINGUISHED UNSUNG HERO! ……. and, most importantly, a devout CHRISTIAN!!!

A very enterprising and creative person, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi took a break from politics and formal employment in the mid-1960s to set up his own private business. He opened a supermarket which was registered as ONDIS STORES at No.15, Aborishade Street, Lawanson, Lagos. Not long after, he added an intracity transport Company.
His business name “Ondis” became so popular that virtually every family and extended family members identified with it and were indeed so proud to be called “Ondis”.

Just about the time his business started booming, there was an outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War. We were caught up in Lagos at the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War and our father lost virtually everything he had invested in business.

As a gold fish has no hiding place, it was not long before Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi was located for good in Lagos during the Nigerian Civil War. Having been identified as a true patriotic Nationalist, he was given a “special pass” by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon to move freely in Lagos where he was engaged as a Radio Journalist to broadcast in Ibo at the then Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Ikoyi, Lagos (now known as Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria [FRCN]) for the peace and unity of Nigeria.
It was in this capacity that he was able to assist many returnee “Biafrans” including his siblings that were trapped on the other side of the War after the Civil War ended in 1970.

Our father, Diokpa Prince M N C Onyebeadi was later transferred to Benin City in 1972 upon the establishment of NBC in Benin City, the then Capital of Mid-West State, Nigeria where he continued to serve Nigeria until 1976 when he was unjustly retired by the regime of General Murtala Ramat Muhammed on mere trumped up allegation having been maliciously labeled as General Yakubu Gowon’s man.

Diokpa Prince M N C Onyebeadi was also very active in the politics of the Second Republic as a founding member of NPP where he championed the presidential aspiration of his long standing associate and friend, The Right Honourable Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1979. He later moved to NPN to support the gubernatorial aspiration of General Sammuel Osaigbofo Ogbemudia who eventually won the Governorship election in Bendel State and was sworn in as the elected Governor of Bendel State, October 01, 1983.
NPN was the party in power in Bendel State and at the Federal level when Major General Muhammadu Buhari and his group overthrew the NPN Federal Government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in a coup of December 31, 1983.

Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi passed on to glory in a questionable circumstance March 04, 1984 after the coup of Major General Muhammadu Buhari that toppled the Constitutional Civilian Administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari to which our father had invested quality time and resources.

Our father, Diokpa, Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi fondly called “Mine” by his lovely wife, was a wonderful family man, a strict disciplinarian, a totally dematerialized person and a committed Patriotic Nationalist of Anioma Igbo extraction in today’s Delta State.

Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi got married to a very beautiful and well-endowed young Yoruba Lady known then as Princess Motolani Adenuwesi Openibo of Epe Royal Family in today’s Lagos State.
This inter-tribal marriage between our father and the then beautiful Miss Motolani by itself was a very rare occurrence at that time if any in those old days, thus promoting National Unity through Marriage.

Ezinne Okwukwe, Princess Motolani Adenuwesi Mercy Onyebeadi (nee Openibo), the lovely wife and caring mother remained the only wife of our father Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi for more than six decades and the mother of all his surviving children.

Diokpa Prince M N C Onyebeadi was a highly enterprising, hardworking, lovely, easygoing and compassionate person who unfortunately, was sometimes grossly misunderstood and sometimes lied against by those who should know better, for selfish interests.

Our father, Diokpa Prince Michael Ndeze’ Chike Onyebeadi lived a very simple life and tirelessly worked for humanity, but ironically, 40 years on, his final resting place is still being gagged by dubious, diabolical, wicked, ungodly and enemies of progress. Shall this interregnum continue ad infinitum? Certainly not! Our God is a just God! Our God is a consuming fire!!

Ezigbo Nnam! AGU NWOKE DI NA MBA! Onye a ji a ga mba! Nwan Eze Oligbo, Kpakpando Gburugburu! Ojiugo Chi! NWOKE OMA, NNA OMA, DI OMA! Nwan Akuagwu, Nwan Onyenibeyadinma, Nwan Oduah, Nwan Eze Chime! ONDIS Worldwide!!! you would have been 101 years old this year 2023 had you not departed prematurely (or was it smuggled out?) about 40 years ago without notice……

May God Almighty continually grant you our beloved father, eternal peace and rest in heavenly places in Jesus Mighty Name! AMEN! AMEN!! AMEN!!!

Your First Son & Eldest Child,

Professor ONYEBEADI [DBA; PhDs etc], a United Nations Fellow, Eze Oha Ndigbo Gburugburu, Sarki Jama’ar, Oloye, Otunba etc, The Inegbese of Oligbo Kingdom