Yesterday Sunday, 25th May, 2025 was another day that called for sober reflection in Nnewi as we escorted the family of Late Sen. Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah CON to a private family outing Thanksgiving Mass to mark the end of physical mourning; especially, for the immediate family he left behind.
LESSONS FROM YESTERDAY EVENT
1. The deliberate attempt to make it quiet and private failed, because St. Peter Clever’s Parish Otolo Nnewi was filled up with people who just heard on the street that the event was taking place and rushed in to participate. A lot of people called me after Mass to just verified if it was true that the Thanksgiving took place. Truly , it pays to be good and loving to your immediate environment.
2. While I was in the church yesterday, another Nnewi son who is currently being bullied with court and police was trying to reach out to me and, I sent a message to him that I was in Sen Ifeanyi Ubah’s Thanksgiving Mass and he replied me with a crying emoji and wrote that since the death of Sen Ifeanyi Ubah that bullying had returned to Nnewi and ended the his message with “okwanu icho mmadu ifuro I maru mkpa ona egbo”. Yes, the death of the Distinguished Senator has affected us differently, on my part, it has become economically draining and has kept me on my foot on daily basis; it’s either “Ikedoji my wife is in hospital”, “Ikedoji, I am being locked up by the police”, “Ikedoji, we have no food in the house”, “Ikedoji, my daughter needs admission and later Ikedoji, thank you for helping get admission, but hostels are costly” and so and so forth. But at each point, I couldn’t meet up, I get a near chorus response, “oya diri onwu gburu Ifeanyi Ubah mma, mana oburu mmadu, oya anwu onwu ifere”. Yes, the average igbo man has worldview that anybody that dies must have been eliminated. Either way, I do respond “Amen” despite not being among the majority with the “Pan Malum” worldview. However, I am greatly convinced that in the case of Nnewi, death chose the wrong person, but I also know that God is a God of order and he knows how to balance things.
3. Simili modo, I was discussing my experience with a top Anambra figure in Nnewi and he made a striking observation that the death of Ifeanyi Ubah will set Nnewi back greatly that he was yet to see another Nnewi billionaire with the type of passion Ifeanyi Ubah had for nde Nnewi and he was willing to invest freely without looking for return on investment. This made me remember his comment on the fateful day he said Nkwo Nnewi must start opening on Mondays. When I got off the phone with the authorities in Government of Anambra State and noticed they that had other plans, I called him to reconsider his position and he responded “IKEDOJI I HAVE NO INTEREST IN HAVING ANY SHOP OR PLAZA IN NNEWI, I ONLY BUILD PUBLIC FACILITIES BECAUSE I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF NDI NNEWI AND MUST CARRY ON WITH THE EXERCISE”. YES, HE ACTUALLY GAVE IT A SHOT. Truly, Ifeanyi Ubah lived all his life working for ndi Nnewi without looking for return on investment.
4. Another remarkable comment he made was the day he escorted me to the office of DIG FCID to go and answer to the popular Nnewi Roundabout Demolition saga that is still lingering till date. Late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah told the DIG that he had never written a petition against any Nnewi son or daughter nor dragged them to court. The then DIG said we should wait for the petitioner and the Distinguished said “don’t worry I know him too well, he won’t come. I will leave with Ikedoji to Senate building whenever he comes call me and I will bring him back, but just note that Ikedoji is not aware of the demolition”. That was the day physical planning sent letter to Inspector General of Police that they actually carried out the demolition. TAKE HOME: “SEN IFEANYI UBAH HAS NEVER USED POLICE TO BULLY ANYBODY”. My SA will confirm that.