Tribute to Kenneth Okonkwo, the Ocha Brigade Commander, By Tobenna Obiano

Good-Mourning, Kenneth Okonkwo: in him, the man died! - by Tobenna Obiano.

This week, all road will lead to Umuawulu in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The final home coming and subsequent resting of Agunaechemba!

I have read with unsatisfactory mind, the litanies in outpouring, of hate, of anger, of pity, of celebration and with a seemingly set of disgust, the ill-wish, true or false that has followed the fall of Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo who until his death was the Superintendent Commandant of Operation, Clean and Healthy Anambra State.

I have had my readers and friends writing me to share my own thoughts about him, especially as we are from the same Local Government area and in fact, he is from a community next to mine, Nibo and Umuawulu.

I will therefore speak truth to power. As usual, in my style of writing, I will be "traumatically and quakingly" sincere in my take. At least, we will become equipped with some sense of decency in truth and approach, as well as lending a voice to the uncommon reality as it relates to carrying out of our duties at our various work places together with our interpersonal dealings and as well, management of power.

Death is an inevitable end. It is a respecter of no one. It crosses ages, breaks barriers, ignores capacity or capabilities, the wealthy, the powerful, the talented, illiterates, commoners, even underprivileged and all, we must someday reach that expiration of our being, the inevitable end.

If there has been anything that has destroyed many, it's excessive power. Whenever it is mismanaged, the fall that follows is often catastrophic and disastrous.

Never allow the trust of power bestowed upon you to intoxicate you, exercise your duties with diligence, honesty, humility, pure love and human conscience. It's of no use making enemies and banking on even more enemies; anything can backfire, especially once accumulated. Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo's case should be a life teacher.

I have known Mr. Okonkwo on a personal note for nearly a decade or thereabout. Many do not know or seem to have forgotten, well, I remember that he owned a security outfit, Model Security Agency which has its head office at my home town of Nibo.

In 2012, during the burial/funeral of my grandmother, an Aunty of mine had invited him and he reached out to inquire why I chose not to invite him. Well, I told him that if someone else has, then the family has. In his style, he came with a powerful entourage.

Now, if you run into him for the first time, you may most likely be intimidated by his height, weight and plump, "nwoke juru eju". I once teased him that he should simply enroll to boxing, weightlifting or as a bouncer, "ndi akpu-obi". He will always laugh loudly. He has a very great sense of humor.

Somehow, he dug his way into the heart of the Government and was handed over a higher responsibility. His model security agency suddenly went into oblivion and with that, a new man, even more than who he was, was born. The rights, privileges and enormous power handed down to him or which he put upon himself was to destroy him, if he fails to manage it well. The destructive nature of power was underway.

He became the founding Commandant of OCHA Brigade, which to me was a recruit of majorly those who worked under him with the Model Security Agency. And no matter how we paint or twist things, in my thinking, the OCHA group became powerful and equipped hand of "agberos". There operation may have been with good intentions, but in discharging their responsibilities, they have outdone what they should and whatsoever power that they represent.

When they were slowly starting up, I had ran into them in some part of Awka, the Anambra State capital. I and a friend were out to have a sit-out, we had only settled and were drinking from our first order when a convoy of about five to seven vehicles, including buses and SUV in a commando style drove in.

When they drove into the hotel premises, at first, I was very uncomfortable with the way uniformed men and young ladies jumped down from the vehicle, it was to me very unprofessional.

Mr. Kenneth himself led his team and he and a few others went into the reception section and after a while, they came out and straight to the outside bar where we were. Immediately, they began unplugging refrigerators and televisions with their camera men shooting everywhere and foolishly on I and my friend also. Just like my very self, my company is another guy who never takes any of such abuse. We immediately shouted at the team, with particular aim at the camera team, "you have no right to video us without our consent". We were apologized to by his team and later himself.

Agunaechemba was dedicated to his job, he was deeply into his thing, but as it is with most people who are often answerable to higher authorities, somehow, many of us believe he was overtaken by his job and forgot the delicacy of same, in trying to prove his dedication and resilience in his work, he went overboard and this became what was to consume Agu.

As an individual, I tried reaching out to him, while commending his dedication to service, but strongly advising the need for him to soft-peddle at some of his pursuits and push with the work where dealing with people of all classes is never an easy task, one must be ready to break bounds and reason with countering sides, manage both divides to be able to reach a worthwhile and decent conclusion.

The last was the alleged pulling down of some homes by his team on the orders of Anambra State Government. It was also rumored that those who paid a stipulated amount had their homes spared, while those who failed to, had their houses pulled down. Well, I wouldn't know why I still find it very difficult to believe this to be true, because if it is true that it happened, if one had a CofO before erecting a building, it means that Government approved of it, so therefore, the person may choose to proceed to court for justice.

Even the diminutive Governor of Kaduna State and former bulldozer of the FCT, Abuja, Nasir El-Rufai at a point had same challenges before him and when homes of many were pulled down in Abuja, because of their choice to follow what they referred to as the FCT master plan, many were rendered homeless and some broken down to heart attack and even death. Today in Lagos, houses built on non-approved places are still pulled down, while those who built with Government approval have compensation paid back to them.

Well, the problem is with the rural location of Igboland and our Anambra State which doesn't have a comparison to the urbanization of either Abuja or Lagos.

Whatever becomes of it, Agunaechemba was very dedicated to discharging of his duties, he strived to prove same beyond bounds, but honesty be followed, he threaded the wrong path in doing so, and consciously or not, he ended up doing a somewhat of a bad job that made some of his work or approach towards those, become misunderstood or read to be wicked and callous.

The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano had an unalloyed supporter, a true fan and a faithful follower in him. Well, if it was because of his job or not, it holds not water. Fact is, he pushed so hard and was already working steadily with utmost dedication towards the second term reelection bid of and for Governor. Obiano.

Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo's OCHA Brigade introduced a somewhat and mostly needed sanity in our roads, streets and most importantly, in our markets. To deal with often times, mostly illiterate traders is always a herculean task, but under Mr. Okonkwo's watch, there was this level of modesty, decency and discipline amongst them, going by orderliness at market places, cleanliness in those markets, forcing those who display their wares for sell right on the road and those who parked their vehicles wrongly out of those places. He was focused, but mid-way, he lost it all.

At the news of his involvement in an automobile accident with his Land Cruiser Executive Sports Utility Vehicle, which to prove how catastrophic the accident was, it's airbag couldn't save him, even after it blew open, the man died. Many have written, spoken and some, celebrated his demise. Well, death is a call which we must all answer to.

No matter what anyone says or thinks, someday, we must all answer to same inevitable call and subsequently, stand before our Maker to give accounts of our lives. Today, it's Agu's turn, tomorrow it might be yours or mine.

The life and death of Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo stands to teach us all a great lesson. We may choose to ignore the lessons inherent from his times, his works and now demise. Fact is, even when one strives to do his job well, toes must always be stepped upon and we cannot always be right. The State Government applauds him as a true patriotic comrade, but to the populace, many see him as a damn "god" who acted power-drunk and allowed its intoxication to overtake him.

While dealing with others, even if it's for their own good, we must be open to listening to their whatsoever debate or criticism, for there is always "sense" out of every nonsense!

This week, all road leads to Umuawulu to mourn and bid farewell to one of their great son. If I had been in Nigeria, I might be in attendance to pray for his soul, but even in my absence, I might still be represented.

As the saying often goes: judgement or vengeance is of the Lord, well, as humans who have experienced people firsthand, we are open to make our own pronouncements also. When wrong is done, we know and it's not wrong to speak up. Agunaechemba might not be a Saint nor was he a very bad man, he is yet not a worse of his kind. Death called on him and he answered.

To my brother, Kenneth Okonkwo, Agunaechemba na Umuawulu and the Superintendent Commander of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, may God be the judge. To his family, friends and fans, may you find solace in the Lord.

To each man his choice or stand, we mustn't all agree, neither can we all disagree, it's mourning time in the Okonkwo family, I pray it did be a Good-Mourning.

We aren't infallible; therefore, if it pleases the Lord, may he, Kenneth Okonkwo, Agunaechemba find peace in union with Him in heaven, else, on the other side.