By Emeka Oparah
In 1966, two unrelated but special events occurred in my life, so to say, literally at the two ends of the world.
On November 29th, a new king was born. Mercifully, he survived the vagaries of the Nigerian Civil War which followed after his birth, narrowly escaping Kwashiokor (malnutrition) by the skin of his teeth, the creativity and determination of his parents and the munificence of the Great Architect of the Universe. That young man is now an old man known as Emeka Oparah sometimes called Pope Amadioha (I).
In faraway United States of America, the same year, a young Nigerian became the first ever black African to graduate from Harvard University with an MBA in Business Administration & Management. That young Harvard history maker was Mr. Wilson Udochukwu Uwakaneme, founder and Chief Consultant of Ujamaa Consultants Limited.
Mr. Uwakaneme’s singular feat in Harvard marked the beginning of greatness in life and achievements which eventually rubbed off on me in the course of a friendship that lasted over 3 decades. Unfortunately, he passed away a few weeks ago aged 85.
Mr. Uwakaneme came from a family of indisputable academic pedigree and gifted artists. An ex-student of the famous Government college, Umuahia, where he was Captain of Simpson House in 1959, he was reputedly an all-rounder excelling in both the sciences and the arts. Not only were his siblings also Umuahians, their father, Moses Uwakaneme, was himself of the 1929 set in the same institution.
He established Ujamaa in 1972 upon his return from the USA, and for over 52 years ran the organization blazing the trail in the management consulting business in Nigeria, producing some of the best brains in the industry. His academic background may have fortuitously exposed him to a plethora of connections from around the world earning him premium and highly prestigious clients from across a broad spectrum of industries.
Our paths crossed in 1992, during my stint in Richland Communications Limited, a boutique advertising agency in Surulere, Lagos. I was specifically briefed to meet him weekly as a source of a clientele for our fledging business. He didn’t offer us much in terms of business but he took a liking to me and offered me more than I could have gotten from a Business School.
A lavishly intelligent, engaging and deeply philosophical man, he never ran out of topics for our weekly discourse. Along the line, he confessed that he considered Richland too small for my intellect and zest and thought I should go for a bigger job in a multinational corporation where my talent would be better valued and more professionally rewarding. He was a mentor extraordinaire.
One day he asked me to see him on my way home (outside of our regular weekly meetings). Behold it was to talk to me about Cadbury Nigeria, an opening for the role of Media Relations Manager, which Chido Nwakanma had just moved from and the man who eventually became my boss, his friend, Kevin Ejiofor.
I also remember his reaction when I was initially not offered the job. He told me that he was proud of my performance and regretted I wasn’t considered because it was thought I was too young and perhaps not experienced enough for the role. “Never mind; something else may be even better will come up,” he assured me. Less than 4 weeks later, Cadbury invited me to “re-present myself for “re-assessment” and the rest, as they say, is history.
We maintained a father and son relationship until he left Lagos and relocated to Arochukwu due to his failing health. Unfortunately, we lost touch during the Covid-19 pandemic after which I relocated-which is definitely not a good excuse. I feel very sad and guilty.
Mr. Uwakaneme was an illustrious, brilliant, sagacious, and, need I say, a gentleman. I remain hugely indebted to him for shining his light for me to find my way. He emboldened me intellectually with his many engaging sessions and multiple opportunities to participate in some of his strategy sessions. A human encyclopedia, he knew everyone that was someone!
Lest I forget: He was the first to tell me that Harvard and other Ivy League institutions taught Listening as a course. He encouraged me to listen more and only speak when necessary and after paying undivided attention to the speaker or whatever I wanted to respond to. Initially, I was concerned about his practice of delaying his responses during conversations but it later made sense upon my realization that every time he spoke, they were words on marble-well thought out!
He’s done his work on this side of creation Nd left a legacy worth remembering, worth celebrating, worthy of emulation. Now, he lives in the hearts of those who knew him and felt the impact of his intellectual prowess, love and understated faith in almighty God.
May he journey well to his maker and may his memories be a blessing. I fervently pray that God will comfort his family and friends, who have been deprived of his noble and luminous physical presence.
Rest in peace, sir!
•Source: Facebook
