HE retired in the Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Education in the old Bendel State in 1975. He was deployed to the Inspectorate Department after spending decades teaching Mathematics in schools such as the famous Government College, Ugheli and numerous secondary

After serving in the alumni association of his alma mata, the University of Ibadan, as vice president, he became president of the association in 2004, serving between 2004 and 2008. Now 84 years old,  the Odogwu of Okpanam (the biggest warlord of a community)tells his story, saying that he would like to relive his live exactly the way he has has done if he comes to the world again.

Early years
My father was late Obi Chief Patrick Henry Nwakewu Dunkwu. The name, Dunkwu is my grandfather’s name literally meaning help me to talk. My mother was Ndubugwu Dunkwu. She was the fifth wife of my father. My father was a court clerk in the early part of this century. The last area where he worked was the Benin Division. He left the job on invitation from the people of Okpanam to come and become the Asagba of Okpanam, a chieftaincy position. The invitation came as he was about to join the Police Force in 1928, the same year I was born in Okpanam. My mother was a full time housewife. She had three sons and I was the most senior. I was virtually a combination of a boy and a girl because whatever girls were doing, I was doing too. I could cook, go to the market and do other things.

Parents’ influence
I grew up in a traditional communal settings where orders are usually obeyed. All you needed to carry out was to  do whatever you were told to do. If any of the children did something wrong, any of the wives there was in position to correct the child. In fact, there was discipline. We lived a kind of regimented life: in the morning, we knew what to do and when it was time for food, you ate. Though my father had no farm, he could ask you to go to the farm of any of his friends to work. So, the idea of doing things to time and doing things right was there.

Pranks
I was hardly beaten by my parents. They would frown at me and give me a kind of harsh look, but I cannot remember being flogged by them. In school too, if I did anything wrong, I would quickly confess what I did. I went to school on time and did my assignment. If I wanted to play and there was any job that would prevent me from doing that, I would give an impression that I was unwell so that they would let me go.

The Empire Day
There was a time we used to go for what was called Empire Day. The Empire Day was like the Independence Day now. The date they used to celebrate it then was 24th of May. From the St. Michael Catholic Primary School in Okpanam, we would walk to Asaba. On this Empire Day, we went to Asaba as usual and did sport. I participated in the short track event and I did well. On that day, the headmaster said that I was too tired and decided to carry me on his bicycle. Before we got to Okpanam, I didn’t know how my leg got inside the spoke of the bicycle, I just saw this scar (showing the scar on his ankle). That was one incident I cannot forgot.

Becoming a teacher
I became a teacher by sheer accident. After you must have finished the school certificate in those days, jobs were already waiting for you. As soon as your result was out and you passed, they would ask you to report for employment. There were jobs in the produce and forestry departments in the Ministry of Agriculture then. When the result came out, a Reverend Father, J.S. Stevens, came  to find out if the principal of our school could recommend people to teach certain subjects. This was 1948 at Christ the King College, Onitsha. By the time we got there, the Reverend Father was already with the principal. So, when he congratulated me, I immediately knew that I had passed. He said he would want me to teach in his school since I made credit in the subjects he needed tutors for. I told him that jobs were waiting for me and that my dad would decide for me. I traveled back to Asaba with him, he gave a date he would come to meet my father and came on that day. So, when he informed my father about the proposal, my father was very happy because the distance between Okpanam and Ibusa is not much. He said forestry job would take me to Ibadan and working in the Customs would take me to Warri. He just wanted me around himself. That was how I became a teacher, otherwise, Cambridge School Certificate was not a teaching qualification.

From History to Mathematics
History and Geography were my best subjects in school but one Reverend Father Thompson challenged me to extend my prowess to Mathematics, Physics and other subjects. He said that I would do well if  I concentrated in Mathematics also. As at that time, I was equally performing well in Mathematics. That was the turning point. I  started to put more effort into Mathematics. By the time I got credit in it, I discovered that it was much easier than most other subjects because you will know at the end of an examination in Mathematics if you pass or fail. In the case of History or Geography, you will write pages and you are still not sure if you are going to pass.

Getting to U.I.
The year I got to the University of Ibadan, only 124 of us was were admitted. The entrance examination was conducted in Onitsha and somebody came to tell me that my name had been published in a national newspaper. By that time, I had done Pure and Applied Mathematics, A Level Mathematics and G.C.E and passed. So, during the entrance, I knew I was a level above the school certificate. So, it was my choice to study Mathematics. Engineering didn’t attract me. When I got this admission, one Bishop Caleb drove all the way from Benin to talk to my father about sponsorship. Of course, my dad was not going to be able to pay my university fee and here was someone talking about paying it. In truth, if I had not studied Mathematics, I would have studied Engineering or Physics. Medicine was out of it because I can’t use needle on somebody and I don’t like to see blood. Right from my early days, I had ruled out Medicine.

Role model
Professor Chike Obi of Onitsha was my role model. He taught me for a while at Ibadan. He got his B.Sc as a student of Higher College, Yaba and his B. Sc externally before he was invited to Cambridge when he said that he had proved one outstanding theory.

Teaching appointments
I had classroom teaching at St.Thomas, Ibusa; St.Pius, Onicha –Ugbo; St Anthony, Ubuluku and Government College, Ugheli. When I got the Federal Government scholarship, I did a post-graduate in Education and I did what they call Academic Diploma in Education. When I returned to Nigeria from Britain, I received a Master Degree in Education. So I am an educationist. I retired from the Inspectorate in the Ministry of Education in the old Bendel State in 1975.

Involvement in politics
In the 50s, at the University College in Ibadan, I was with the National Congress of Nigeria Citizens (NCNC). By the late 50s, I was with the Action Group. I was in the local council politics and it continued to the 60s when I returned from Britain. In the 70s, during the UPN time, I got close to Awolowo and I discovered that most of the allegation against him were out of ignorance of his philosophy and policies. I was in the Mid-West State UPN executive until the military struck in 1983.

Love for U.I
I don’t think anyone has served the U.I alumni as much as I did. I. I became a member of the national executive because I was the chairman of the Asaba branch and every local branch chairman is a member of the national executive. I served as a member of the executive for two years before I served them as 3rd vice chairman for four years, as second vice chairman for four years and as first vice chairman for another four years. In total as vice chairman, I served for 12 years. I served as national president between 2004 and 2008. I was happy to give back to my society. Even now, they still appoint me into some committees of the university. It is a matter of destiny, a kind of divine mission because if you look at it, I am from an unknown area even in my state. I am the second person from Okpanam to gain admission into U. I.

Regret
I can’t remember. If I have an opportunity to live my life again, I will just repeat the way I have lived

Philosophy
I believe that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. You don’t have to wait for correction. I don’t believe that the human nature is incapable of doing what is right on its own. Every man is responsible for his actions and capable of doing right things. I believe that what will be, will be.