Okunano Voices (Culture Documentaries)

ENGR. (CHIEF) JOSEPH CHIAZOR OKECHUKWU (OMEROHA I OF AKEGBE UGWU) Engr. Joseph Chiazor Okechukwu was born on Friday, October 29, 1954 to the family of Chief Okechukwu Ude and Mrs. Chikaodili Ude (nee Aneke) in Umuokwuo, Akegbe Ugwu, Awkunanaw in Nkanu West L.G.A. of Enugu State. He is the first child of his mother and the 9th child of his father in a family of eighteen (18) children from six wives. He started his primary school in 1962 at St. Francis Primary School, Umuatugbuoma, while living with his elder brother, the late Chief John Okechukwu who was the Headmaster of the school.  He was always the first in his class except for once when he came second and got the beating of his life from his Guardian who was a legendary disciplinarian. His primary education was disrupted in the final year when the Nigerian civil war broke out in 1967.  At the end of the war in 1970, he entered St Patrick’s College, Emene, where in 1974 he passed the WAEC school certificate examin...

We are Okunano The descendants of Ntuegbe Eze, Born in the proximity of the rising sun. The rich palms and the spicy tastes of the east, The rivers, the valleys and the sea of sands The flowers and the multi colored grasshoppers, The differences of our market days, Eke, Orie,Awhó ,Nkwó all combines to define the face of our own native land.  We are Okunano The flourishing palms of Ntuegbe Eze On our breasts rests the visions of Ntuegbenese In great challenges and opportunities We are as the rising sun from the east. Though adversity may belabor us  And still we rise like the sun.  Even when malice and envy thrived  We still rise like the sun  In the putrid atmosphere of our unity We revel like the sun The weight of darkness strong may be We will rise like the sun To accomplish our greatest feat We will travel like the sun Okunano Osagwede! Osagwede Osawuwa! ©Okunano Voices™

Andrew I.E. Ewoh is a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration in the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School Of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. Prior to his employment at TSU, Ewoh was the Director of the Master of Public Administration Program, Co-Director of the MBA/MPA Dual Degree Program, and Professor of Public Administration at Kennesaw State University. He has long-term research and teaching interests in public administration, public policy, governance, human resource management, public-private partnerships, and political economy. His articles have appeared in Review of Policy Research, Review of Public Personnel Administration, International Review of Public Administration, Politics & Policy, Public Works Management & Policy, and numerous scholarly journals. He has authored several book chapters and some of his scholarly contributions are part of required readings in various American as well as foreign universities and colleges. Most of ...

Chukwuemeka Ujam born on March 6, 1974, in London, UK to the family of Chief & Engr Mrs Nwafor Ujam, is a member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing the Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency of Enugu State, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  He attended Federal Government College Enugu, and obtained West African School Certificate in the year 1991. He got admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he studied Engineering and graduated in the year 1997.  He then proceeded to the kings College London for Masters in Enterprise Information System, which he obtained in the year 2001. From there, he proceeded to the University of Kent, Canterbury, where he obtained a Doctorate Degree in bio-metrics and security in the year 2008.  Chukwuemeka Ujam have worked for almost 20 years as a bio-metrics and security expert, a lead consultant as an information technology expert and a consummate administrator and a trail blaze...

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES : I am not sure but this may be applicable to all Okunano Osagwede communities. The settlement of dispute amongst family members within a given community in Okunano is the responsibility of every member of the family. It is usually an all male affair. The first one I witnessed in my immediate family was the case of a certain Onye ishzi and Nwanneta who could not resolve the sharing of their inheritance between them. The closest family circle waded in to the matter. Such cases are usually deliberated on in the evenings and in the early hours of the mornings. Firstly, the complaining party (who may have attracted the gathering) will state his case followed by the defending party. This process may change assuming the family elders summoned the quarreling parties. In such case, the eldest of the parties will state his case before the younger Will do the same. So in this case, it was the Nwanneta who called the gathering that stated his own side first. His comp...

The issue of Seniority position in Okunanoland has become a good subject for debate. Facts and figures that were indoctrinated into us by our parents is now exposed to a great challenge for the want of reason or rationale. How do we teach our children that Akegbe Ogwugwueze bore four sons in this order: Obuoffia - The first born-son Akegbe ugwu - The second born-son Amodu - The third born-son Umah - The fourth and last born-son The above are the four sons of Akegbe Ogwugwueze(a.k.a. Okunano Osagwede) the progenitor of Okunano. That though Obuoffia is the first son, the position of Seniority has been given to Akegbe ugwu for whatever reason. How do we justify this act? It's not my position to question or concern myself with changing the status quo as it were, but if you are blessed with highly intellectual children who would want to know more about this fact like most of us are, what do you tell them? In the course of our research, we are yet to unearth what transpired exac...

TO HELP ? ©Awkunanaw Voices Publications(From desk of the Editorial Admin) To help one and another is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to have and to use in making way for ourselves. The good you do is the only protection that you can ever have, the returning effects of which you have to experience when the need is greatest. There should be no conditions to rendering help, it must never be on your terms or any given terms. Helping must always be a selfless act, an individual and conscientious effort to support and encourage. Everyone deserves a chance, do not put up any selfish reasons as a condition before you can render help where there's a need. It's always better to stay away or refuse to help than attach a selfish condition to the act. For whatever and wherever you fail to help, you indeed create an automatic opportunity for a million other people to use. Remember, Always that a man's gift of help makes way for him. You are the managing director of your li...