A tribute to Professor Austine SO Okwu at age 92: A look at how a diplomat who signed up to serve his country ended up serving his people. From a review of his book, In Truth for Justice and Honor: A Memoir of a Nigerian-Biafra Ambassador.
Part 1
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the British were tired of ruling Nigeria. For the government, they had divided the country into regions, provinces and divisions. Approaching the date of his departure there was a long list of services to deliver to the locals.
Ahoada’s interview
In 1958, Austine SO was one of several young men who applied for a senior service position. As she sat down to fill out the job application form, she thought about what the fortune teller had predicted about him. How in November, or perhaps December, 1924, he would not descend from the womb until his relatives, vehemently opposed to British-style upbringing, made an exception and promised the godhead that he would be allowed to follow in the footsteps of the whites. . , and he sits at school.
Weeks passed and some applicants, including Austine, were invited to Enugu, in the eastern region of Nigeria, to face a civil service commission headed by Mr. Felix Iheanacho.
‘Indicate your name, date of birth and place of origin,’ the main interviewer asked.
“Sir, I am Austine Okwu, born in November, perhaps December, 1924, to Egbu Owerri.
“Young man, make up your mind, pick a month and a date,” said another interviewer.
‘Birth registration did not exist when I was born, and my parents did not go to school.’ Not unusual considering the time, and the questioning proceeded.
‘How can you help maintain law and order in the division?’
SO moved to the edge of the wooden chair where he was sitting, braced both shoulders, and with wide eyes said, ‘The problem is twofold. First, good politics are often turned bad by their inhumane executions. Second, even bad policies could be made good through human interpretation and implementation to help the community. The collective welfare of the governed,’ he continued, ‘is the most important reason for governance.’
Swept from his seat by such a spontaneous response, the chair came around the table. ‘Bright!’ he said he and hugged SO
After three months of orientation that included a ten-day near-death experience at the Man-of-War Bay training camp in Cameroon, where Austine nearly drowned when she tried to touch the bottom of a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, he was assigned to work as an officer in the Ahoada division, under Tony St. Ledger.
Suddenly, fortune followed in the form of a house in an area reserved only for European expatriates. He was also given a butler and a midsize car suitable for a midsize garage. Feeling accomplished, SO married Beatrice Chuke of Obosi.
Ahoada Platform
Ahoada catapulted Austine into full public service in the diverse Igbo community. At the behest of the colonial administrators, Austine oversees the collection of taxes, the maintenance of law and order, the supervision of elections, and the review and adjudication of public petitions.
Everyone took notice when the new assistant divisional officer settled a dispute over leadership matters between the divisional officer, Tony St. Ledger, and Mpi, a hard-line divisional chief with strong Igbo values. As a result of this achievement, Tony felt at home with Austin and visited frequently.
The day Tony St. Ledger visited
One day, when the Owerri sun had begun to decline and families were hurrying to beat the impending darkness, there was a knock on the door.
“My dear, someone is knocking at the front door,” Austin told Beatrice.
A tall, lithe butler, eavesdropping, hurried to open the door and slipped out of sight again.
“Please have a seat, Mr. St. Ledger,” Beatrice said as a white and tan face entered the living room.
Sitting at the dining room table, the divisional officer and Austine talked and laughed.
‘Did you see what’s in the recent Nigerian Gazette?’ Tony asked.
The agile Butler resurfaced, set a cold beer, a glass, and a rabbit’s head opener in front of Tony, then docked in the kitchen and began plucking the birds.
“No,” Austine replied, raising her eyebrows in pleasant surprise.
‘The Federal Government of Nigeria is seeking Foreign Service Officers for the diplomatic service, and I believe you are suitable for the position. I’ll make the calls on your behalf. She squirted the last drop of beer into her mouth and leaned back into the meat.
Excited, Austine got up, ran to the fridge, and ordered a bottle of beer for himself and another bottle of stout for Tony.
True to his promise, Tony made calls and gained the support of many Igbo kingmakers, including Chief Jerome Udoji, the then Secretary of Eastern Nigeria. All SO agreed was to go to Lagos, to work with the Federal Government in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The trip to Lagos, Nigeria
The wisdom of the deity had come true. At the local barbershop, SO got a haircut, with a side rail on the left. In the morning before leaving for Lagos, the relatives gathered to see him off.
“When a fish matures on its head, it crosses the river to the ocean,” said James Osuji, an uncle. “Like Moses and Abraham, who led the Jews, our ancestors will tear down all obstacles in their path,” Lawrence, an older brother, declared. And may you never forget Ndigbo, your people.
The next day, Austine packed a leather case and traveled to Lagos, where a federal task force awaited her arrival.
His interview in Lagos was short and intense, just like his stay. After the first question, it became clear to him that the capital city of Lagos was not ready for another Igbo personality eager to serve his homeland.
‘What made you leave the Ahoada Division and the Eastern region?’ asked the first questioner.
‘Serve the country abroad with distinction,’ he replied.
Aren’t you just another ambitious igboman trying to take over Nigeria?
Sweat broke out on his forehead as his hand moved to adjust his gray bow tie. He who endured Man-of-War Bay’s training will not succumb to hostility, SO swore in her mind.
“Done,” said the chairman of the federal task force, Alhaji Sule Katagum, with a wave of his left hand. Unsure about the outcome of the interview, Austine went home and waited.
Many days later, the news came, the federal civil service commission had recommended SO to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Position: First Secretary and Chief of Chancery of the High Commission of Nigeria. Orientation: 3 weeks. Destination: Ghana
September 1961
In September 1961, SO boarded a flight and set out for Ghana, his host country, headed by an ambitious Nkrumah, a Pan-Africanist, who dreamed of one day ruling not only his enclave, but Nigeria and perhaps Africa as well.
Austine not only survived, but enjoyed the turmoil of Ghanaian politics. Every opportunity for him became an opportunity to show Nigeria to the world.
Back home, meanwhile, the main ethnic groups, the Igbos in the east, the Hausas in the north, and the Yorubas in the west, were locked in mortal combat, an atmosphere that disintegrated into civil war in 1967. .