A Tribute To Chief Barr Harrison Onwe ( Omeruoha 1 of Ngboejeogu)

Like Alexander De Great, Chief Barr Harrison Onwe ( Omeruoha 1 of Ngboejeogu) came, saw, and conquered. Though painful that he left when we needed his wisdom and wealth of experience to excel, his demise on Monday, the 26th of February 2024 is a glorious transition to eternal glory as he lived a life worthy of emulation.

Chief Barr Harrison Onwe KSJI (Omeruoha 1) of Ngboejeogu was a man of many parts. He wasn’t selfish like some leaders of today. He used the various positions he occupied to better the lots of our people by facilitating job opportunities. The testimony abounds. His family benefited. Friends and the entire Ngboejeogu benefited.

He started his sojourn in civil service as a career Primary School teacher and roused to different cadres in the Civil Service.

From the old Anambra State, he served in one office to another till he retired after serving as Chairman, of Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission.

Growing up, I got to know about Chief Harrison Onwe KSJI when he buried his mother in a grand style. I was in Primary School and then at Ngbo Central School. Mr Everstus Okoto, a refined gentleman from Ndegu Agba was our Headmaster. Ngbo Court -Okwo Ngbo Road was receiving attention at that time. We were under the Nim tree counting the cars and horses on the road on the day his mother was laid to rest. On the day he buried the mother, Ngbo was filled with its brim. Exotic Cars littered the road. I counted cars till I lost count. It was akin to the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. Throughout the burial, horses were seen on Ngbo Court-Okwo Ngbo road which were the horses he purchased in honor of his mother. Based on these horses, he bagged the name: Okwalinya 1 of Ngboejeogu. This doesn’t mean he was the first to use a horse to bury the mother but the number of horses he purchased was the highest in the history of Ngboejeogu.

In Ohaukwu, when it comes to human empowerment, Chief Barr Harrison Onwe KSJI was among the top 5 people who secured lucrative Jobs at the State and Federal levels for his people, Ngbolizhia and Ebonyi State at large.

He was a devoted Christian to a fault. He contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Catholic Church, especially Christ Our Savour Parish, Onu Okwo Ngbo. When he had the 50th anniversary of his marriage, I was a witness to the support he gave to the Church with the family, Chief Mrs Tina Onwe.

In Harrison, we lost a colossus, a Community leader, a rallying point, an elder statesman, a compendium of knowledge, a guardian, Pan Ngboejeogu, and an icon with track records. He was an upright man with high moral standards.

Before the Ofala of His Royal Majesty, Eze Godwin Ogba, Igwebuike 2 of Unwuogudu Akpu Ijinike Onitsha, I visited him with the Prince of Unwuogudu Akpu Ngbo to invite him to the heroic Ofala. Chief Harrison Onwe took us down memory lane. He unraveled many things concerning his trajectory of life, experiences, and why her mother agreed to be baptized in the Catholic Church, including a deep Torchlight on our cultural heritage and traditions. I tapped from his wealth of experience and as a good record keeper, I  penned down most of the things he pinpointed which I was oblivion of.

Chief Harrison Onwe KSJI, an accomplished bureaucrat, a beacon of hope, and a shrewd legal pundit was before his demise occupied the following positions:

•Auxiliary Teacher at Primary School Isiovu Okposhi Eheku Ngbo

•District Officer, Abakaliki Province. The first Abakaliki man to be appointed to such an office before the Civil War.

•Bursar, Nsukka High School.

•SEO Registry Officer, UNN

•Chairman, Anambra State Daily Star

•Chairman, of Anambra Land’s Use and Allocation Committee where he exhibited a high level of transparency in the allocation of lands

•Registrar, Ecumenical College of Education, thinkers Corners, Enugu State

•Registrar, Institute of Management and Technology, IMT Enugu State

•Acting Secretary, Social Democratic Party, SDP Enugu State in the 2nd Republic

•Registrar, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki

•Commissioner, Federal Civil Service Commission representing Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi State

•And lastly, Chairman Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission where he retired with eloquent testimonies that speak for him till he passed on.

He joined the People’s Democratic Party upon his retirement from service and was appointed as PDP National Ex Officio as well as PDP Chairman, of the Ohaukwu Leaders Council, a position he held till his death.

It was based on his track records and contributions to human capital and Community development that spurred Ngboejeogu people to decorate him with the title: OMERUOHA 1 OF NGBOEJEOGU on November 20th, 2021 during the Ngboejeogu Day Celebration as a way of appreciating him.

He is dead but his legacies live. Now that he is dead, it calls for sober reflection on how far we have used the opportunity we have or had to contribute to uplifting mankind as Chief Harrison Onwe KSJI did.

May his soul find rest in the bosom of the Lord, Amen