LIFE AND TIMES OF IGWE (DR) JAMES OGBONNA MAMAH, MFR, JP
EKWUEME 1 OF UGBAIKE
OHABUENYI 1 0F UMUOZIZI
ENYI NDI IGBO
(1994-2010)
CEO; IFESINACHI INDUSTRIES NIG LTD.

IHE UWA SINACHI: DESTINY-THE DETERMINATION OF HUMAN AFFAIRS!

A peep into the life and times of His Royal Majesty,Igwe James Ogbonnaya Mamah, JP;MFR; DBA (Honoris Causa) (UNN), is like an intriguing inquiry into the ontology of human resilience; into the infinitude of the height and space available to every person for the advancement and self actualization even in the absence of an ennobling pedigree, it may, indeed, be likened to an epistemological foray into the dialectics of the triumph of the human will over daunting circumstances; into boundless compass or horizon of progress of those who strive; who dare, hence, venture into the certainty of victory!

Ogbonnaya Mamah was born in 1944 during World War II. he did not know his father-Mamah Apeh-who was breathed his last a month before his birth. Hence, poor Ogbonnaya, like Charles Dicken's Oliver twist, was born into want and misery- a precarious condition not made any better by orphan-hood.

The name Ogbonaya, meaning "his father's incarnate" in Umu-Ozzi cosmology, was aptly chosen to mitigate the pain of paternal loss. Above all, the name achored on the deceased, Apeh Mamah, was back in the new born baby.

Young Ogbonnaya Mamah had marginal exposure to formal education. In those days, education was not in vogue; youths of his time made a vocation of farming and roaming the verdant forests of Enugu-Ezike; haunting for nchi, iko, igeri, osa, etc.

Men who had a head start in life, due to the circimstance of their birth, are often described as having been born with silver spoons. Ogbonnaya neither knew his father nor did he inherit any spoon. But he was going to get aa spoon for himself: a spoon made neither of silver nor gold, but of Platinum.

As if the death was made to tether him permanently to the ground, Ossai Ike, his stepfather , who was poised to give him the love and care of a father he never had , passed away. This unkind cut of fate was the proximate impulsion to his decision to forget all about Western education. This decision did not go down well with his elder brother ; an elder brother, who, though, merely eked out a living as a farmer, was, even in his lowly earnimg, determined to sustain Ogbonnaya in school.

However, no argument would break young Ogbonnaya’s resolve- not even his success at the entrance examination to ST. Augustine’s College, Onitsha. He made up his mind. The hand of fate beckoning: egging him to a new horizon. In his infantile eyes; he was envisioning the silhouette of splendor; of grandeur and royalty. He had a dream; he was going to live his dream. Here was another Martin Luther King jr, albeit, with a different kind of dream: a dream neither of racial equality nor ruptured walls of racial discrimination; but a dream of the ultimate conquest of want; of the demythologization of affluence and influence; of domination of the firmament of the business and of becoming a force to reckon with in Black Afriaca.

And so, to Onitsha the young James Mamah went in 1960. He was taken in by Mr. Gabriel Broderick of No 5B Vein Road, Onitsha, as a house boy. Here it is difficult not to recall the adage: “who knows tomorrow ?” Looking at the young James, the house boy, at that time, who woukd believe that in that lowly deprived , obsequious runner of errands, was the future business mogul who would later bestride the business terrain like a Colossus? Is there no lesson in this for women who maltreat their step-daughters and depersonalize their maids? Who , in the euphoria of today’s fleeting affluence, forget that nothing in life is static? There is certainly, is! Many more lessons would be be seen in the life of the young man who was , absolutely a child of destiny.

As it turned out, James Mamah’s sojourn in the home of the Broderick’s was short lived. He was forced by illness to return home. When he recovered, he looked in the direction of Police Force. His elder brother strove to get him enlisted but all to no avail. The young man was disappointed, to say the least.but he allowed God to carve his path. Many, faced with disappointments in life, would break down completely. Some even do some unprintable things to force the hand of destiny. If James had, by hook or crook forced his way into the Police Force, it is possible that if he had opted to swim against the tide of destiny he would have died a poor man, disgruntled, ashen-faced, retired police corporal with no fanfare to announce and siren his exit. William Shakespeare, thr bard of avon, would have been vindicated: when beggars die there is no comet seen. Such a futile wrestling eith fate was not Ogbonnaya’s trademark. He let go: he let go and made himself, his family, his community, his state, his nation and indeed , humanity, the happier for his decision.

When the police dream ended, Ogbonnaya travelled to Sapele in the Mid-western Region and there he worked briefly as a lumberman. Well, whatever it was , he had a job! There, he learnt the English adage: “save a penny and the pounds will take care of themselves”. Standing at an intimidating height of over six feet-with muscles that refused to deflate even as aged-he was a round peg in the round hole in the log business. In no time, he had made a little savings and could return to Onitsha to try his hand in other directions. With the savings, he bought a truck. Enter Ogbonnaya: the truck pusher! And what a success he made of that brawny vocation! In space of one year (from 1961-1962), his trucks numbered six! He, simply, had the Midas touch! If he touched stone, it turned gold! He now rented trucks to fellow pushers. While the renting business flourished, he did the work of a conductor on the side, apprenticed to one Chief Michael Okoh. He later sold all his trucks now numbering twelve on May 2, 19965, he bought his first vehicle; a partly used mini-bus at a price of one hundred and two pounds.

In Igbo world view, generally, naming ceremonies transcend mere conviviality: they speak situations, adverse or favourable. The Igbo in Ogbonnaya loomed large when the time to came to christen his business. After meditating and ruminating over life- his orphan hood; early struggles and the penurious circumstances of his mother; circumstances that conduced to her demise in utter misery etc, he arrived at the business name, Ihe Uwa Sina Chi: an acknowledgementof destiny as the determinant of human affairs. Thus came into life the Ifesinachi Transport Business

Ogbonnaya went into business partnership with Mr. Martin Odo, a motor spare parts dealer. Between them, they had five vehicles but the partnership has to be dissolved and it was every man to his tent owing to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil war in 1967. When the war ended in 1970, Ogbonnaya returned to Onitsha to breathe fresh life into his war-ravaged vehicles. Two years latyer, he bought a second hand 911 Mercedes Benz lorry for 900 pounds. Thr vehicle was nicknamed AWALA AWALA , a metonym for speed or easy locomotion. As a driver, Ogbonnaya was the travelers’ delight and, in the course of time, he was nicknamed DE COVERNOR BENZ. the reader is left to guess the origin of the inscription ‘DE GOVERNOR BENZ’ on buses imported from the United States of America.

In 1974, Ogbonnaya bought another 911 lorry from Leventis Motors ltd on hire purchase at a cost of 1500 pounds. By 1977, the Ifesinachi Motors Company had its kitty ten lorries. The emergrnt transport whizkid confounded business rivals and admirers to no end when he bought a brand new, well-appointed Mercedes Benz 0362 (aka luxurious bus) and another Mercedes Benze model 0364 (aka brazil), bringing the total number of buses in the fleet to ten

In the normal course of things, it is unthinkable that an owner of such flourishing company would be found still carrying passengers on the long, stressful, perilous journey to lagos. But it meant nothing to the indefatigable, unassuming mogul. He led by example. He continued to drve until someone in his employ pulled a stunt on him following an Israelite precedent on how to retire unyielding leaders from hyper activity in their own interest. King David of Israel was a warrior. As a shepherd, he overcame bears and incapacitated the Goliath of Gath. As a king, he warred as the philistines and continued to gird his amour for war until Joab, the commander and the rest of the field commanders forced him to around table conference. They prevailed on him to from thenceforth, to stop going to war lest, as they put it, “you quench the lamp of Israel” following this example, Ogbonnaya’s employees prevailed on him to stop carrying passengers. Once again, he lo go. He ascended to the more befitting postion of MD/CEO of the IFESINACHI TRANSPORT LTD. Today the company has acquired office in more than two-third of the states of the federation with three regional headquarters in Abuja, Onitsha and Lagos.

Igwe James Ogbonna Mamah did not confine his business acumen and ingenuity to the transport line. He extended them to the areas of Petroleum, vegetable Oil Production, courier service and banking.

THE IFESINACHI PETROLEUM (IFEPET)
IFE-PET started in 1982 at Obollo Afor. Subsequently, other stations of the ife-pet were later built at Onitsha, 9th Mile Corner, Ogurute etc.

JAMESONGIGYE VEGETABLE OIL NIG LTD
Is a joint partnership between the Ifesinachi Group and Korean General Machinery Trading Corporation. Its major area of interest was to harness the abundant palm produce i.e palm oil and palm kernel within the Nsukka Area. The budget was commissioned in 1991.

IFEX EXPRESS LTD
IFEX Express ltd was registered in 1998, as a courier company with head office at No 4 Ikorodu Road, Jibowu, Lagos and branch offices in all states capital. The Europe office was established in 2001 with headquarters at 226 High Road Leytonestone, London.

THE UMUOZZI COMMUNITY BANK
The introduction of community banking system by the then Government of Ibrahim Babangida inspired Igwe J. O. Mamah into community banking which he brought down to his people to encourage them to save and invest. On 25th February 1993, the Umuozzi Community Bank was commissioned. He also established another community bank at Obollo Afor; The Obollo Urban Community Bank.

In appreciation of the standard set at Umuozzi Community Bank, HRM Igwe J. O. Mamah was nominated the Patron of National Association of Community Banks in Nigeria. The two community banks established by Igwe J.O Mamah were the third banks to be issued with licenses to operate micro-finance banking system in Nigeria.

THE ROYAL STOOL
HRM Igwe James Ogbonna Mamah was very prominent among Nsukka indigenes living at Onitsha. He was dogged in fighting for the cause of the Nsukka man, in particular and, of the ‘WAWA” man in general. His Royal Majesty fought the stigma attached to the name “WAWA MAN” , Nwa Nsukka was with all dignity with result that the name became even more associated with success.

On December 22, 1988, HRM Igwe J.O. Mamah was crowned the Igwe of Umuozzi Community. His candidature was unanimously, adopted.

In an effort to raise the standard of the traditional stool in Enugu state by the then military Administrator, Col Mike Torey, HRM Igwe J. O. Mamah was nominated as the first Vice Chairman of the Enugu state Council of Traditional Rulers. His performance as the first vice chairman earned him the support of his royal collegues who then nominated him as their state Chairman in 2000. He reigned successfully throughout his tenure, and at the time of his death, was the Patron Of The Traditional Rulers’ council of Enugu State.


MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
HRM Igwe J. O. Mamah was a happy family man. Although happily married to Nnenuruoha (Lolo) Grace Mamah (nee Agbedo), whom he married in 1970, he subsequently got married to Lolo Patricia Mamah.
Both marriages produced twelve children; six boys and six girls.

PHILANTHROPIC WORKS
Like his patron saint, St James, Igwe Mamah believed that faith without good works is dead. True indeed, he was a philanthropist per excellence, his philanthropic works are too numerous to mention: in charity, education and human development. Some of his philanthropic gestures include:
1, The construction of a multi-million naira resort centr for the University of Nigeria Alumni Association 1990.
2, his moral and financial support to the faculties of Agriculture and Engineering at UNN and also the Faculties of Engineering at ESUT and IMT respectively.
3, his founding and sustenance of the community high school Ugbaike
4, A borehole for his community water distribution, which was commissioned by th then Military Administrator, Air Commodore Emeka Omeruah (rtd)
5, His single handed sponsorship of the rural electrification project for his village and his financial assistance to other village in Enugu Ezike for rural electrification.
6, His sponsorship of sport activities by donating trophies and sums of money . remarably, he donated during the launching of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

HONOURS AND AWARDS
Igwe Mamah had on several occasions, been bestowed with awards and honors; both municipally and internationally.
They include;
1985=> Conferment with the Chieftaincy title of Ekwueme 1 of Ugbaike
1988=> Conferment of traditional title of Ohabuenyi 1 of Umuozzi which qualified him as the Traditional Ruler of Umuozzi Autonomous Community
1989=> His elevation by The Government of Old Anambra State of Nigeria to the Igwe-ship position
1990=> Nigeria Road Safety Corp “Award Winner for Safety Transporter Of The Year”
1990=>Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) 1990 Award Winner
1990=> Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCO 1990 Award Winner)
1991=>Nigerian Union Of Journalists’ life Patron and 1991 Award Winner
1992=> Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines And Agriculture; Award Winner “best transporter of the year 1992”
1992=>Nigeria Union Of Journalists; Award Winner “best transporter of the year 1992”
1999=> First Patron, Center for American Studies (CAST) University of Nigeria Nsukka
2001=> University of Nigeria Distinguished Alumni Development Award
2001=>Bestowed with the Honour; Justice Of Peace (JP)
2002=>Bestowed with a national Merit Award of Member of Federal Republic (MFR)
2006=> University of Nigeria Nsukka, conferment of the Honorary Doctor Of Business Administration (DBA) (Honris Causa)

AGIGTATION FOR THE CREATION OF ADADA STATE
Igwe Mamah was a prime mover of Adada State Creation and a member of the Committee for thr actualization of the creation of Adada State.

HOBBIES[/size]
Football
Snooker
Lawn Tennis

[b]DEATH OF HRM IGWE (DR) J. O. MAMAH (JP)
HRM Igwe J.O. Mamah passed away on June 1, 2010 at Mount Sinai Hospital Manhattan, New York, USA.


REST ON IGWE J.O. MAMAH, YOUR LEGACIES LIVES ON

1. IFESINACHI TRANSPORT IN 1974
2. IFESINACH TRANSPORT IN 1976
3. FIRST FILLING STATION AT OBOLLO
4. FIRAT SET OF WORKERS

1. first set ifesinach i drivers
2. Igwe with head of engineering department, Onitsha
3. Igwe

1. IGWE AND GEN ABACHA
2.IGWE WITH OBASANJO
3. IGWE AND FORMER DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF ENUGU STATE >>CHIEF OKEY ITRANY
4. IGWE WITH FORMER GOVERNOR OF ENUGU STATE>> SEN CHIMAROKE NNMANI

1. IGWE ON OCCASION OF RECIEVING HIS HONORSRY DEGREE
2.IGWE AND SECOND WIFE
3.IGWE AND SECOND WIFE AT A FUNCTION
4. IGWE AND KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA WHO RECIEVED A CHIFTAINCY TITLE FOR HIS PRESIDENT;KIM IL SUNG

1 IGWE AND MKIKE TOREY
2. IGWE LAST OFFICIAL EVENT BEFORE HIS DEMISE, (HOSTS GOV CHIME)

.