ONUORA NZEKWU TURNS 88 – BLADE AMONG THE WRITERS
He is well known as ‘maker of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)’ and writer of EZE GOES TO SCHOOL; he has the OON, Officer of the Order of the Niger (conferred 2008). Born February 19 1928, he is a Nigerian editor, writer and educationist/professor. His name is Joseph Onuora Nzekwu, from Onitsha.
He was born at Kafanchan and came back to the south-east after primary school and went to the famous St Charles College (TTC then) Onitsha. A professional teacher and educationist, he worked as federal civil servant in the ministry of information, 1956-1985.
Nzekwu wrote: WAND OF NOBLE WOOD, 1961; BLADE AMONG THE BOYS, 1962; HIGHLIFE FOR LIZARDS, 1965; EZE GOES TO SCHOOL, 1966; THE CHIMA DYNASTY (non-fiction), 1977; EZE GOES TO COLLEGE, 1988; FAITH OF OUR FATHERS (non-fiction), 2003; TROUBLED DUST, 2012; AHMED DAGGASH – STORY OF THE TRUE, 2016.
Nzekwu is most famous for his EZE GOES TO SCHOOL (Co-authored with Michael Crowder), a most popular book in Ngerian schools in the 70s and 80s. Nzekwu said he was motivated to write it, seeing that there were not many children’s books then in Nigeria. WAND OF NOBLE WOOD AND BLADE AMONG THE BOYS were also very much read by us in the 70s.
Nzekwu is one of the unassuming Nigerians who put their fellow humans (not wealth/money) and Nigeria first. A titled Onitsha man with sound moral background, he is self-satisfied, honest and lives a quiet life (in Lagos), doing a lot of reading and still writing.
Nzekwu has great appreciation for Nigerian journalists and writers and loves to encourage more Nigerians to go into quality writing; and he also wishes that Nigerians read more.
Nzekwu, no doubt, is one of the most inspiring Nigerians ever and we humbly wish him a happy 88th birthday.
Credit : Rev. Fr. Austin Oburota
InlandTown! 2016.
