FROM THE IGBUZO HALL OF FAME: J. C. K. ODIAH, THE ICDU LEGENDARY LEADER

 FROM THE IGBUZO HALL OF FAME: J. C. K. ODIAH, THE ICDU LEGENDARY LEADER

- Emeka Esogbue

"There cannot be our today without our yesterday because our people of today will eventually become our people of yesterday".

- Emeka Esogbue

The people of a society seek to remember and honour those before them and in accomplishing this, they inspire those of tomorrow to prepare to contribute their own quota as did those of yesterday.

It would seem that the history of the Ibusa community, an aspect of the Ibusa Union, an organization formed in 1942 to bring together the people of community with an object to speak with one voice which later transformed to Ibusa Community Development Union of today remains incomplete without the mention of legendary Mr. J. C. K. Odiah. 

It would seem that not much of this Ibusa Statesman is known to today's generation of Ibusa and indeed the teeming members of ICDU though he was one of the yesterdays of organization. For instance, this author (Emeka Esogbue) doesn't know much about him beyond his appearance in oral tradition of the community though I had to document him in the history book of the community. 

The history of the Ibusa Community Development Union (ICDU) richly and memorably accords the man oral place. Indeed, not only was he the first President-General of the Development Union who reigned from 1942-1949, he became the first leader to successfully stage a come back to occupy same position, staying at the helm of affairs of the Development Union again, from 1960-1970 after the initial inaugural reign of 1942 to 1949.

I have always wondered the charisma that the leader and administrator was gifted with since every time he assumed the ICDU office, he held it for a long period, at least, longer than anyone else. Surprisingly, not even the more Ibusa powerful names of today could break this record. Whereas Mr. Odiah reigned for a two-term of 17 years, his closest counterparts were Mr. P. O. Agokei, a well-known secondary school Principal from Umuodafe who also had a two-term fruition of reign with ICDU but ended at 8 years and Mr. S. N. Nwanze who also returned and had in all 8 years of reign. When the four reigns of these duo are put together, they hardly meet the 17 years of Mr. Odiah's office.

Uniquely, Odiah piloted the affairs of ICDU on a memorable note of Nigeria'sIndependencand guided the Ibusa Development Union all through the outbreak of the nation's civil war down to the end of the war when he surrendered the position to his compatriot, Mr. S. N. Nwanze, a year after in 1971. More memorable is that his first tenure coincided with the World War II when he also stayed on charge of Ibusa affairs under the Development Union context.

After his first tenure, he had three successors, Mr. C. J. Obiorah, Mr. S. N. Nwanze and Mr. Paul Okeze, before he was magically returned in Nigeria's Independence year. 

Worthy of note of the Ibusa- ICDU leaders is that the body has had two professors, Prof Chike Onwuachi and Prof Tony Arinze as leaders and two doctorate degree holders, Dr. Godwin Nwabueze and Dr. Austin Izagbo respectively and only one lawyer in the personality of Femi Okafor with one year reign from 2003 to 2004. Both Mr. Femi Okafor and Onowu Austin Abuah who enjoyed the position from 2005-2006 had the shortest but very fruitful and excellent reign followed by Mr. C. J. Obiorah (1950-1952) who enjoyed the office for two years. 

Dr. Nwabueze had in history, the longest reign in a single term running from 1991-2000. He ushered the community into the all important millennium, handing over the following year.

In all, a female has never led the Ibusa Community Development Union though that gender enjoys the membership of the organization. Nevertheless, Ibusa cannot but be grateful to its leaders past, people that ensured she is brilliantly and perspectively situatef where she community is today, sacrificing everything humanly possible to make it the people great.