Ogbonnia Nwachi made us successful, writers, students testify

As the world celebrates the 2020 International Workers' Day (IWD), writers and students have praised a Principal 1, Grade Level-14 secondary school teacher in Ebonyi State, Hon. Ogbonnia Nwachi "for his consistent belief in them during their secondary school days as Government, Civic Education, Christian Religious Studies and Literature-in-English teacher". 

Nwachi, who started teaching as a PTA employee in Ozizza Comprehensive Secondary School, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, in 1998, was absorbed by the Ebonyi State Secondary Education Board, Abakaliki, as state government employed teacher on February 24, 1999 and was posted to Government Secondary School, Afikpo (GSSA). 

However, in September, 2004, he was transfered to Ohaisu Community Secondary, Afikpo and Amuro/Mgbom Community Secondary School, Afikpo in 2005, from where he was subsequently transfered back to GSSA in 2009 and later to Ohabuike Secondary School, Ndibe, Afikpo, where he is presently teaching.

Also, after taking a leave of absence to serve at the Afikpo North Local Government Council in different capacities as Special Assistant, Executive Assistant and Liaison Officer to the Executive Chairman at the time, Pharm. Tony Ekoh, Jnr. between 2011 and 2015, Hon. Nwachi returned to the classroom in 2015.

 In a chat with Paulokahblog, on this year's IWD, a writer, Mr Godwin Cornelius Udagbor, revealed that his literary skills were greatly influenced by "the faultless teaching method of Nwachi even as a student in the prestigious GSSA".

 He said: "According to the words of a scholar, a teacher's influence affects eternity he can not tell where his influence ends. I'm a testimonial to the erudition and Hon. Ogbonnia Nwachi's mastery usage of language, with which he drew the attention of everyone in the class to the matter of the day, his subject, Government.

"In those days, we often hear terminologies from him such as feudalism, communism, and all the 'sm, sm'. My fellowship with Hon. Nwachi has birthed what you now read on reputable newspapers and blogs such as Daily Trust, Citizen's Advocate, Good Shepherd, National Ambassador, Ebonyi Patriot, Blueprint, Paulokahblog, many others."

 He added: "I believe I'm not the only person with such a testimony. In an era where we have feckless teachers, Hon. Nwachi's unstinting foray into the progress of his erstwhile students has made him stand tall like the Iroko tree. Examples are the scholarly essays he wrote on my humble self and Dr Laz Ude Eze, with sharp headies like the ones that would keep an avid reader away from eating his 'isi ewu' goat head, until he had digested the whole story.

 "Hon. Nwachi used to write for the famous TELL, TheNews and Newswatch magazines. This social and political scholar cum writer had severally won best Writer of Letters to the Editor  organised by TELL; he was always making the first position nationwide."

 Continuing, he said: "In a bid to congratulate him, I showed Hon. Nwachi my scanty manuscript for a novel, Bena's Dream Comes True. Hon. Nwachi's advice to me in my early writing in 2004 is what you have seen today; 'a fecund pen'. "Ten years later, Hon. Nwachi may have forgotten that the scanty manuscript he helped to direct had been published in 2014. In 2015, Bena's Dream Comes True competed for the NLNG prize and earlier in 2012, the book received an excellent review from Radio Nigeria, Unity FM, Abakaliki.

 "As I make this revelation, I'm delighted to pen my core for my teacher, the one who deserves an MFR (Member Federal Republic) of Nigeria. He deserves a national award for his immense contributions to education, human capital development and a progressive society. Ovations to the one man standing in the iconic GSSA. I am privileged to have been taught by you."

Similarly, in an interview with Paulokahblog, while celebrating her emergence as winner of an essay competition, 2020 P. Noble Essay Competition, a former student, Miss Ezeali Blessing Ogeri, dedicated the award to Nwachi, revealing he influenced her writing artistry and outlook in life. 

"Getting down to my home town from Abuja where I grew up with my aunt, I was immediately enrolled into Amuro/Mgbom Community Secondary School, Afikpo, for my SSCE/WAEC. On arrival, I noticed the school had the best staff ever, but Mr. Ogbonnia Nwachi, my then Government teacher, topped the list.

"He became my favourite teacher, between 2005 and 2007, when he taught my favourite subject, Government, brilliantly and effortlessly; without peeping into any textbook. His unique style of writing, speaking and painstakingly reading through our notes- word for word- and effecting corrections on all the notes, while marking them, endeared me to him."

Continuing, she said: "I saw everything I wanted to become in him, and so I started following his footsteps even after he was transferred from my school. I participated in several competitions while in school only because he encouraged me to do so. I fell in love with the teaching profession only because I wanted to be like him. That love, passion and dedication I saw in him led me to NCI secondary as a teacher and I was immediately made head of all the teachers there few weeks after I joined them, because the proprietor, Honourable Awa A. K. saw something in me, even though his action attracted a lot of enemies to me. 

"While in tertiary institution, I remember whispering to him that I wanted to vie for the position of the Vice President of my department, but that I wasn't sure about it. He said to me in his usual thunderous voice: 'You are better than everyone there, go and pick up the form immediately!' I obeyed him, contested and won the coveted position."

She added: "Mr. Ogbonnia Nwachi is a great teacher, a writer par excellence, a great loyalist, a dear husband to his wife and father to his children. Above all, he is a mentor and an inspiration to so many people, including me. May God bless him for always giving us hope through the barrel of his pen and teachings.

"I dedicate my award as 'Winner of 2020 P. Noble COVID-19 Essay Competition' to Mr. Ogbonnia Nwachi, who equally taught me the art of writing and whose writing skills inspire me till date. He deserves celebration during this International Workers' Day and always. In fact, he deserves an award and international recognition for his efforts in nurturing and believing in young talents like me."