ANIOMA MOURN OKWECHIME, THE MAN WHO LOWERED THE UNION JACK AND HOISTED THE NIGERIAN FLAG

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ANIOMA MOURN
THE MAN WHO LOWERED THE UNION JACK AND HOISTED THE NIGERIAN FLAG
...CHIEF (COL) MICHAEL OKWECHIME
Again, the Anioma community is thrown in mourning as Chief (Col) Michael Nduka Okwechime, an Ibusa man passes away. Col Okwechime (Rtd), (born Nov 12, 1934), Soldier, Administrator, Civil Engineer, Rotarian, Anioma Advocate and Statesman was the man who on Oct 1st, 1960 lowered the Union Jack and hoisted the Nigerian flag on the command of another Anioma man, Chief Chiazor, the Naval Officer.
He was educated in St. Patrick Catholic School, Sapele and Christ the King, School, Onitsha and Government College, Ugheli. As a military officer, he was trained in Nigeria, Accra, Chester, Sandhurst, UK and US among others.
In 2014, he called and invited me to his Benin residence through Osita Mordi, another Anioma Historian to discuss ways by which we could move the Anioma nation forward but today he has passed on.
He fought to preserve and promote the Anioma identity and as a former leader of Izu Anioma, stood his ground and worked out memorandum towards the creation of Anioma State to former President Goodluck Jonathan and its eventual adoption by his national confab.
The Anioma nation and indeed Nigeria will miss his wealth of experience.
Rest in peace!

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