Theresa Onyekachi Okonkwo is a retired principal and daughter of the late Paul Omerenyia Ururuka from Umunkpeyi Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, a renowned name in the Old Eastern Region. In this interview anchored by Godwin Adindu, director-general of the Abia State Orientation Agency (ABSOA), following the recent immortalisation of the late statesman by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, by building a statute after Ururuka at the exit point of the road he built in the 60s; she spoke on his father’s lifestyle, brand of politics, among others. Excerpts:
By way of introduction, may we know you better?
I am Theresa Onyekachi Okonkwo, Nee Ururuka. I am the first daughter of the late Paul Omerenyia Ururuka, who was honoured recently by the Governor of Abia State. I retired from the government service as a principal. I spent 22 years as a principal. Concerning the statue the governor built in honour of my father, the family is so happy. I am so elated because we have had people in the past but they didn’t recognise Ururuka. Each time, any Ngwa man wanted to contest election, the campaign message would be that he will start from where Ururuka stopped. That he would do as much as Ururuka did for Ngwa people but after they win the election, because if you promise our people that you will work like Ururuka, they will vote for you. The unfortunate thing was that they never went beyond the campaign rhetoric. But the present Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu came and gave Papa that honour. So, we are really very happy and grateful that he realised to give honour to whom honour is due. So, our prayer as a family is that God will grant him all the grace he needs as a governor to continue to do the good things he is doing for Abia people. And at the end that people should also remember and appreciate him because one is usually encouraged when one is appreciated.
Who was Paul Ururuka as a politician?
Papa was an astute administrator and ran his office with diligence and honesty. When the Army took over the government after the first coup, Odumegwu Ojukwu who was in charge of Eastern Region instituted a commission of enquiry to probe the Ministers
When they completed their assignment, Ojukwu appointed another Commission to probe the Ministry of Works a second time. According to him, it was not possible for somebody to serve as the Minister of Works and come out clean without being corrupt
This Commission after doing a thorough job like the first still came out without anything against Papa. Then Ojukwu sent men of the Directorate of Military Inelegance to invite Papa personally and specially to be attending the meeting of the Leaders of Thought because his type was what he needed to advise him in his Government.
Your siblings said you were your father’s favourite child. How was it like growing up under him?
Whosoever told you that was right. Papa was a loving father. I don’t like to take the credit alone but everybody said I was his favourite child. Papa cared so much about little things concerning his family. He educated us well and made sure we got good education. For me, Papa wanted me to attend the best Catholic School, because of that reason; he had to send me to a boarding primary school in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. We were living in Enugu, but he sent me to a boarding school for primary five and six. The school was the Feeders School of the famous colonial Secondary School, Uyo. So, I had to spend two years there, just to tell you how very particular Papa was about the type of school and education he gave us and I experienced that.
No barber touched my head when I was small. Papa used to cut my hair by himself and he gave me the type of haircut he wanted. But when I left for the University he couldn’t touch my hair again. Mama was the person that sewed all my cloths except the ready-made dresses. All the dresses I wore up to the University were made by my mother. Papa made sure that we all were around with him at the dinner table. We ate as a family and as little children; we used to struggle with what comes from his plate.
As a busy politician, he must have been traveling a lot. How was the atmosphere of the house anytime he was around?
Anytime he came back, the whole house would be excited because of the little things he brought on the way, like food items and fruits. Anytime he came back, everybody would run to him to get what he came back with. He was so caring.
He did so much not only for the Ngwas but for the whole of Eastern Region. His works are still there and everybody speaks good about him. What was his guiding philosophy or what do you think shaped his way of life?
Papa was a disciplinarian. He obeyed rules himself and insisted all around him should do the same. In those days, Ministers had their official vehicles and private ones. In our family then the rules about the use of official cars were strictly observed. No member of his family would have a ride in the official ministerial car except Papa, the minister, was inside it as the rule stipulated. That is the man: Hon P. O. Ururuka and he taught us not to be flamboyant. This is unlike this period when government vehicles bearing government number plates are used for all sorts of unapproved errands.
Even in matters like gaining admission into schools or question of getting employment, he did not use his influence to get me admission into the University. He believed so much in merit and insisted we must work hard to earn ourselves good standing in society. Papa didn’t allow me to apply for any scholarship as he always said he had the means to my school fees and government scholarships should be left and made available to brilliant students whose parents cannot pay their school fees. Papa was that selfless and considerate. His guiding principle was total trust and dependence on God, love of his fellow human beings. He believed that politics gives one the opportunity to serve his people not to cheat or exploit them. Papa was a teetotaller. He never drank alcohol; as of choice, his favourite drink was squash which he usually dilute with a little water before drinking.
What are the greatest memories of him that still linger in your mind?
Papa was a very religious person. He believed that whatever you were, you had an assignment to the people who gave you their mandate and basically to God who gave you the assignment. Papa was a very humble man and he mixed up with all grades of people. It was a gift he had and he brought us up that way. When I was growing up, anytime I was back to school at the beginning of every term, he would call me in the presence of my mother and both of them would advise me on how to behave when I got back to school. He always used the adage; don’t say my father is, say I am. So, I didn’t understand it at that age; it was later in my life when I went to secondary school and university that I started to understand what he meant. That word shaped us, both my siblings and myself. That we don’t go out boasting that our father was a Minister. Do something for yourself and people will know you. He brought us up as an example. He mixed up with people. Visitors came from all over the place; our house was a like VIP lounge. People from Ngwa of all classes, anybody who was coming to Enugu for anything, touched base in our house at Independence Layout Enugu.
The person was sure of where to sleep, where to eat for the number of days the person would stay and Mama was always cooking. Her pot was one of the biggest pots because she always harboured our people and relations whether you were a rich man or poor, old or young. Papa welcomed everybody and Papa was a teacher and basically a teacher in politics.
How was the relationship with your mother, knowing that politicians are outdoor people?
Papa called my mother, Sussy as pet name. Her name was Susanna. They used to dance Watz and Quick steps. Papa studied abroad, whenever he came back, he would be teaching the wife, while the grammar phone played music, especially classical music and they waltzed from one corner to the other in the room. They were so close and Papa gave her that attention because he wasn’t taking her on tours. So, whenever he was home, he made sure she was given adequate attention. My mother also was a very humble woman and incidentally came from the family of the Otigbuos. The father of my mum was the person who brought Catholic Church to Aba Diocese from Onitsha. He was working outside and there was a priest he was close to, that was how Catholic came to Aba.
Whatever Papa did, he took it as if it was God that gave it to him. He believed in a peaceful environment, quiet environment. That was why sometimes, he preferred to stay at home with his family, reading newspaper or watching television when we were living in Enugu. He went out to play games. He was a sports man right from the time he was teaching at CKC Aba. He was the sports master and the organist of the church. Papa made it a point that all of us should learn how to play. We called it a family game (Table tennis) and we inherited some of those talents from him, like my immediate junior brother. He was always the champion. He used to bring back Awards on Table tennis to his school and always winning for the school.
Then, he left after the school service and went to Government College, Afikpo. For the two years he was there, the palabic cup went to Afikpo. He was so good on the game. I picked a little of the talent of table tennis. But I was good in all other games
How was the politics of that time compared to what goes on today?
When Papa was in politics, the driving force behind most of them was to serve the people that elected them into the House. Then, from the house, the Premiere now made selection for ministers. But for you to become a Minister you must have been selected by your people through an election and you were sent to the Honourable House to be a House member. From there, you were now picked by the Premiere and made a Minister. The difference now is that those who serve in the government, most of them did not contest any election except the governor. Not even his deputy. The commissioners are given that appointment by the governor or President depending on where they are serving. So, with that you can see there is a difference between the first generation of people who were voted by their people to represent them and the new generation of politicians. They did not owe anybody any responsibility except the governor, who appointed them. At that time, Ministers talked about the people who voted for them. The needs of the people were paramount in their minds and that is why they worked the way they worked and it was a team work. Each Minister supposed to work for the good of the government and help his constituency. It was not a matter of selfishness. Papa could have worked in Umuahia, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Port Harcourt and the whole of Eastern Region. As Minister for Works, he was responsible for the roads. He had total trust and dependence on God. He loved his fellow human beings; integrity humility and honesty were also virtues he held so dear. He believed that politics gives one opportunity to serve his people not to cheat or exploit them.
