By Chief Ingram Osigwe
According to the Holy Bible, there is time for everything- time to be born, time to grow, time to procreate, time to die. The irrepressible Sir (Dr) Godson Nwosu Iheaku (Omenkeahurunnaya 1 of Osina) has completed the cycle and has gone home to be with his maker.
He had seen it all and has, therefore, bowed out, in a blaze of glory and at a glorious age of 85. Sir Iheaku hailed from Osina town, in Ideato North local government area of Imo state.
This quintessential business mogul who brought to the zenith, east of the Niger, the trade in stockfish, popular and revered in Igboland as “Okporoko” was one of Osina’s first Eleven- earliest wealthy men, business moguls and captains of Industry who brought the town to the limelight.
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Apart from Sir Iheaku, in this league of great men, Osina’s first Eleven, include
Sir Chief D.U Nsudum( Akwaja Ahuogu 1 of Osina), Chief G.O Offor( Omeokachie), Sir Peter Umeh, Sir Augustine Umeh, Nze F.I Onwadike(Omereoha 1), Sir B.U Ohanugo(Onwa), Chief Benniah Ume (Agubata) and Chief R.O Nwabueze.
The common denominator here is that all these great men have all gone to be with their creator long before Sir Iheaku joined them in that ecclesiastical journey.
He was Born on the 10th of September, 1936 as the first son of the family of Nze Iheakubiara Agwunobi Nwaebube and Mrs Akuoma Iheaku (nee Umezurike), both of blessed memory. The family belongs to Umuokearukwa kindred in Akpaka-na-Ezeala Village, Idima Autonomous Community (formerly, Of-eke Osina), Ideato North Local Government Council of Imo State, Nigeria.
Growing up, the young Godson was imbued with uncanny intellect. He was a brilliant pupil who dazzled all with electrifying academic performances that stood him on a pedestal for higher educational pursuit.
Had the interplay of factors not collaborated to eventually steer his life trajectory towards trading, Sir Iheaku would have ended up an erudite scholar with loud academic accomplishments. In fact, during his lifetime, Sir Iheaku was often referred to as “the Academic Giant” Osina never had.
However, the laurels and glories that he would have garnered in the academic world, Sir Iheaku got in the arena of trading and merchandising.
Thus, from 1951 when he ventured into business as a merchandise trainee/ apprentice till he breathed his last, Sir Iheaku was on a steady upward swing of success, conquering and dominating the business environment with his trademark importation of Stockfish.
Indeed, the dutiful young Godson, who started life in 1951 as a simple apprentice trader, had, before he joined the saints, metamorphosed into a world-class business giant. Notedly, in addition to stockfish merchandising, Iheaku also veered into Agriculture and allied ventures, birthing in the process, many business subsidiaries.
Before his demise, Sir Godson Iheaku was the Chairman and Chief Executive of a Mega Group of Limited Liability Companies, including:
*G. N. Iheaku and Co. Ltd
*Gincolin Associates Ltd
*United Fish Merchants Ltd
*ICCI International Ltd
*Integrated Fisheries Ltd.
A large-hearted man, Sir Iheaku trained and mentored several young men from different parts of Nigeria in trading. Many of them are today successful businessmen in their rights.
There is hardly a Stockfish trader in Nigeria that does not have a business relationship with him; directly or indirectly.
His impact on the Stockfish business has been so
profound that his mentees and business beneficiaries go as far as almost unionising to keep alive his business legacy. His business footsteps will surely remain indelible in the sands of time.
Sir Iheaku was not a slave to wealth. He believed in good living to demonstrate the goodness of God in one’s life. This explained why, during his lifetime, he was fashion-conscious. It was not unusual to see him dressed in well-made, trendy traditional wears- Ishiagu, Agbada, French suits,Senator etc.
A community leader who was passionate about the development of his community, Osina, Sir Iheaku meritoriously served his beloved home town in different capacities from 1972 till he breathed his last.
Worthy of mention too are his services to the Church. He was a Christian of the Anglican Communion and was equally one of the pillars of St. John’s Osina and St. Andrew’s Onitsha. His services at both the local church and diocesan levels were subsequently recognized by the then Bishop of Okigwe-Orlu Anglican Diocese, the Rt. Rev. S. C. N- Ebo who, on 5th November 1989, conferred on him the Knight Order of St Christopher.
A consummate family man and a doting husband, father and grandfather, Sir Iheaku got married in 1962 to his heartthrob, then Miss Esther Ugbondu Aghajiuba from Ikpa, Urualla.
The marriage is blessed with several children and grandchildren.
All the children, well educated, are accomplished and have excelled in their various callings.
No matter how smooth and flowery it appears to be, life could sometimes be full of valleys, roadblocks and obfuscations, such that task one’s emotional stability, faith and trust in God.
The above was Sir Iheaku’s lot 13 years ago, precisely December 17, 2009, when kidnappers abducted and murdered his lawyer first son, Chijioke then aged 40, even after the family had parted with a ransom of 7million Naira.
It was an agonising sight watching the then 72-year-old Sir Iheaku mourn and weep uncontrollably over the brutal murder of the first product of his loins.
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As a devout Christian that he was, Sir Iheaku was to accept the grim reality of the untimely demise of his first son with equanimity while hoping that justice would be done.
In a funeral invitation signed by his son, Sir Chineme Iheaku( Okosisi), Omenkeahurunnaya will be laid to rest on Friday 18th February 2022 at his Country home, Osina, Ideato North LGA Imo state after 10 am burial mass at St John’s Anglican Church Osina.
Osina has indeed lost an icon, a trailblazer and a good man.
In the words of Sir Tony Ezenna( Ijele Akokwa), Chairman, Orange Group, “during his eventful life on earth, Sir Iheaku was driven by diligence, patience, and tenacity of purpose, honesty and hard work- rare virtues that greatly endeared him to all who encountered him, including his family, business partners, associates, friends and indeed the people of Osina, his community, and the ancient kingdom of Ideato as a whole.
“Omenkeahurunnaya was an illustrious son of Osina who gave his all to the community- serving it in various capacities thus contributing immensely to making the modern town it is today”
…Chief Ingram Osigwe( Enyioha) writes from Akokwa
