LATE NZE ALEX NWANKWO
By Okey Emmanuel ODEWAIWAI
Late Nze Alex Nwankwo hailed from the Nwankwo Ufoaku family of the Umuonuchukwu kindred in Umuihu village, Akpu Town.
_Elegy_, as he was fondly called by friends and associates, lived a quiet and humble life. A soft spoken man, his cheerful demeanor was infectious.
During his passage rites on May 2, 2025, the crowd of witnesses that attended his funeral reminds us that the greatest legacy anyone would leave on earth is service to humanity.
Nze Alex spent his life serving humanity through various groups - in his career, in the Catholic Church, in his hometown and other society organizations.
He was a member of the Igwe cabinet and the testimony given of him by the Igwe and his cabinet members spoke volume of him especially in the area of dedication to duty.
Several groups from the ivory tower of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, àká UNIZIK, (where he worked till death) came to bid him farewell from this mother earth. The spoke person that led the delegation of the UNIZIK Business School - the department where he was a lead staff - lavishly described him as one person whose absence at work would always leave an obvious vacuum. According to him, Nze Alex would never be found wanting in any assignment given to him.
But one group that seems to miss Nze Alex most is the Catholic Church. At home (Akpu Town), he was the President of the Catholic Men's Organization (CMO). I remember the Lamentations of so many Catholic faithfuls in Akpu when his obituary was announced some weeks ago. Several persons who commented in Akpu Community Forum could recall that it was when he took over as the President of the organization that the group became lively and vibrant in the Parish. The Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia gave similar testimony about him. In fact, the overall leader in the Doicese during his funeral oration was short of tears as he narrated the significant roles played by Late Alex.
For Saint Peter's Parish Awka, Alex was both brother and friend to all parishioners. In their presentation, the Parish claimed that they would most likely miss Alex more than the family members.
The Saviours-Will Charismatic group, Awka, were equally full of tears as they received an reparable loss in Alex. They described him as the engine house of the movement in the Catholic Church.
I can't miss the Red Cross group - a global Human Services organization. To them, the Red Cross would miss Alex badly.
Several other groups - including inlaws, Oganiru Age Grade Akpu, Akpu Progressive Union, Akpu Community in Awka, etc all came to bear witness of the indelible footprint which late Alex Nwankwo left for posterity in the sands of time.
Alex senior brother and the chief mourner, Nze Christopher Nwankwo - àká Afunwa - confided in me that Alex's demise is an unbearable blow on him. According to Afunwa, Alex was the closest family member whom he would always find invaluable when brainstorming on crucial family issues.
I once read in the Bible that it is better to go for a burial ceremony than a place of merriments. The lessons taught by the event of Nze Alex Nwankwo's Passage Rites gives a clear answer to this biblical injunction. That lesson is that service to humanity is at the Crux of the Essence of Life on Earth.
@okey.ODEWAIWAI
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