The Man Ikechukwu Onyia, By Pope Tony Amaefuna [Must Read]

Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia and wife

The 3rd of June was the birthday of Ikechukwu Onyia, one of the outstanding youths in the South East Nigeria. So many birthday wishes filtered in from all over the world but this particular one written by Pope Tony Amaefuna caught our attention and we decided to publish.

Read below:

It was a very dark night. The time was around 11pm. We left our hotel room at Nnewi to head over to Awka the capital city of Anambra State for a political meeting with some top APC and PDP guber aspirants. The meeting was slated for Midnight. We were in high spirit as we stepped out of the hotel and I got behind the wheel of our Prado SUV and stepped on the gas pedal.

The road was already deserted. Not a soul was in sight and all we met on the journey was some homeless dogs roaming the streets at night. I switched on the CD and we reminisced on the days past and strategized for the future.

Driving at night has always been my thing and in as much as i found comfort and peace indulging in being the king of the road, This night was different. Visibility was low and The anticipation of brainstorming with some of the movers and shakers of my state political economy pumped me up. I tried to chill by increasing the air-conditioner and relaxed as we journeyed on. And then, The unthinkable happened. Tragedy struck.

My first instinct was to swerve and that i did with vigour. I also had a hard time balancing after the sudden swerving of the steering wheel.

Along the lonely path between Agulu/Nise and Nibo (Almost before the Federal Govt Collage) lay a gory sight. A man covered in fresh blood lay in the middle of the road. A wrecked motorcycle lay mangled by his side. He had smashed his head on the asphalt and blood was all over the road. Due to the low visibility that night and the thick vegetation surrounding the area. I didn't get to see the bloodied man laying down on the road on time but as God would have it, I wasn't speeding so I was able to swerve and narrowly avoided running him over

I was in shock. What did I just see?, I asked myself !

Is this real? Was the man dead? How did he get there? Did someone knocked him over and fled? Was he still alive? Should I stop? What if It was a set up by armed robbers or assassins? What if he is dead, how do i explain this to the authorities?

All these questions swept through my mind and that was when Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia who was riding with me swept into action.

Pope, What did I just see? Is that man dead, Did you see all the blood splattered all over the road. Oh MY GOD!!! he exclaimed...
Pope, you have to stop. We cant just leave him here. he may still be alive.

I was skeptical cos i have been a victim of such a setup and it turned out to be a ploy by armed robbers.

I voiced my concern and told him that this Prado,our laptops and phones and the monies we had on board would be lost if we stopped and it turned out to be a setup. We may even lose our lives.

His next statement would ever remain green in my mind for as long as I live, He looked me in the eye and said.
"Pope, I don't care if we are robbed. If we lose this car, we would buy a better one, Please stop, A human life is more important and this one may still be alive and we must save his life if he is still breathing. The meeting can wait"

I stepped on my brakes and reversed. When we reached the man, we pulled over and i ran over and checked the mans vitals and i detected a very weak pulse. I announce happily that the man was still alive. I searched his pocket and found a phone, some money and his motorcycle paper. I discovered he was an Hausa man.  we opened our car to lift him up and head to a nearby hospital.

Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia lifted the bloodied man and put him into our SUV. The man's bones were broken to bits but he managed and cared very little about the blood stains on his own cloth or the bloody trail that has now stained the car interior.

As we were lifting the man, A white hummer bus pulled over and 5 heavily armed men and a woman on bullet proof vest and tom hawk military gear came down. the sight of them sent shivers down my spine. Their guns was military grade and there gear was top class. I relaxed when i saw DSS inscribed on their bullet proof vest. We tried explaining to them that we didn't hit the man but saw him in that state and was trying to help.

The DSS men helped us stabilize the man and they escorted us to Regina Caeli hospital at Awka. They helped us wheel the man into the trauma and emergency ward where they started giving him treatment immediately. The presence of the force men help make it possible to treat the man without demanding for police report or any other thing. We paid an advance payment of the hospital bill of the man and we used his phone to call his people to inform them of where to see him.

The DSS helped us clean up the blood in the car and we exchanged numbers and parted ways.

We have already missed the meeting and disappointed a lot of billionaires that night but that was not what was bothering Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia. As we left the hospital gate, he turned around and told me that he wish he had enough money so that he could pay the entire hospital bill for the man. I started consoling him telling him that we have done more than enough.

He looked at me again and told me
"Pope Obinna Tony Amaefuna, I just have a revelation. God brought us out of our hotel rooms this night not for that meeting but just to save this one life and this we have achieved, lets go home"

With that I stepped on the pedal again and headed back toward Nnewi, We felt a kind of peace that defies human understanding. We missed our meeting but we saved a life.

Back at our hotel rooms, Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia's room was as usual filled to the brim. Over 8 men was in his room, Sometimes, when the crowd gets too much, He'd leave the bed for the guys and sleep on the couch. He doesn't have much but he makes sure they are all well fed and taken care off. Even when he runs out of money, this man right here acquires credit facilities just to make sure he takes care of humanity.

He rarely saves because he always finds it hard not to give to people. Atimes, you see him giving out his last money to people who are even richer than him. He believes in humanity in a maniac propensity. I dont know how he does it but all i know is that this man is rare. A good man who places others above himself.

This is the true story of a great man
This is the story of Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia whose birthday we celebrate today

My brother, As you add a new age today, I celebrate you not as my brother but as a gift to mankind.

I looked into the ankh of wisdom and I have communed with the flaming orb of Kemet and I authoritatively tell you this day that heaven and earth has favored you and fate has mind blowing plans for you.

Men shall read your story and study you centuries after we are dead and gone and I am proud to be part of this history.

May you grow in wisdom and strength
May your wit and intuition take you beyond your destiny. You shall age gracefully in sound body and mind
Amaka Onyia shall remain a source of strength,motivation and support to you all the days of your fruitful life.

Your best is yet to come

Happy birthday brother