By  Uchenna Nwankwo

It was at about 6am, Tuesday, October  13, 2015 that my friend, Chief Torch O. Taire, sadly, passed onto the great beyond. It has been so unsettling that I could not write a word to his name until I was recently persuaded by a mutual friend, Mr Peter Arigbe, to do so. I, therefore, took cognisance of the import of the situation and the need to share my thoughts and feelings about this great man of our time that had come to represent different things to different people.

TOT, as he was fondly called, was born in Ekenwa, near Benin City, on November 26, 1933. In his early life, he sojourned in virtually every part of southern Nigeria. This enabled TOT to speak so many languages, namely: his native Uvwie-Urhobo, standard-Urhobo, Itsekiri (the language of his mother’s people), Bini or Edo, Efik,Yoruba and, of course, English very fluently as well as a smattering of Igbo and Bekwel, the language of the Bakwele people of southern Cameroons.

Of course, his upbringing and deep interaction with so many different peoples and ethnicities left a huge mark on his personality and worldview, making him one of the most detribalised Nigerians I have had the good fortune to interact with. Little wonder, therefore, that TOT had bosom friends from every part of the country and beyond; men like the poet, Christopher Okigbo, who was his best man when he wedded his heartthrob, the elegant and gracious Abeke Adefemi (nee Williams) – one of the queens of Queen’s Hall, University of Ibadan, in the 1960s.The marriage is blessed with two sons, Jolomi and Tajin, and a daughter, Eyitemi, and now many grandchildren.

Some of his other friends  include Prof Ben Obumselu, the great literary critic; the late Segun Awolowo; the late Lisa of Ondo, Bayo Akinnola; the late Femi Jibowu; Isidore Okpewho, prize winning author and novelist; Amb Tayo Ogunsilere; the late Tayo Akpata; Brigadier-General Bayo Oduwole; the  late Brigadier-General Ibrahim Bako; General Wushishi; Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu; Dr Uma Eleazu; Senator Onyeabo Obi; Aminu Abdulahi, the Katsina prince; the late Dr Ibrahim Tahir, distinguished Cambridge academic who was Shagari’s Internal Affairs Minister; the late Ajie Ukpabi Asika; Lindsay Barret; Sam Amuka; Eddy Agbahor; Chief Bengy Apollo; the late Hope Harriman; Prof EgetonUvieghara; Emeritus Prof J P Clark; the late Chief Bola Ige; Fred Mowoe; Broderick Bozimo; Dr Osude,  founding DG of NAFDAC; reverred artistes, ErhaborEmokpae,  the  late Ben Enwonwu  and late Ben Osawe; the late Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, ex-student of Hope Waddell Inst., Calabar;Festus Odimegwu; Felix Ohiweri, former Chairman, Nigeria Breweries; Paschal Dozie, founder, Diamond Bank & Chairman, MTN (Nigeria); the late Brigadier-General George T Kurubo, first Chief of Staff, Nigeria Air Force & later Nigeria’s Ambassador in Moscow, USSR;Otunba Mike Adenuga, Chairman, Globacom; Brigadier Mobalaji Johnson,  pioneer Military Administrator of Lagos State;Enzo Ekangaki, a  former Secretary-General of OAU who was TOT’s primary school-mate in Victoria, Cameroons and later at the Hope Waddell Inst., Calabar; the  late President Milton Obote of Uganda and the late Prime-Minister Margaret Thatcher. TOT was an international citizen in many respects. His relationship with Ghanaians was sometimes a little too disconcerting.

Successful pharmacist, businessman

TOT was a highly successful pharmacist and businessman. In his days, he was very wealthy. He was a philanthropist of note, who provided many Nigerians and Ghanaians the support base that saw them through schools and colleges, and made many successful in both the public and private sectors. TOT was a financier of great causes. He financed, housed and catered for political exiles and dissidents from Jerry Rawlings’ Ghana both in Lagos and London. But it was not his wealth that brought me close to TOT; which is not to say that I do not care about material wealth. What actually endeared TOT to me were his intellectual depth and vigour, and his politics; I think, even though TOT was not a politician. TOT was well-read and studious. His rendition of Benin history and the Bini roots of the Oyo Empire, the Ife, Lagos and Itsekiri kingdoms qualify him, in my opinion, for a serious award from the Nigerian Historical Society, if there is one; ditto for TOT’s

mastery of the chieftaincy landscape in Calabar and environs. Similarly, his knowledge of the world  armament industry, stockpiles/quality, sophisticated naval shipyards, aerospace gadgetry, etc was in-depth and intimidating. TOT’s library was the envy of all around him. He was one of the greatest  art collectors Nigeria has ever produced. His sprawling house in Anthony Village, Lagos is a permanent gallery for connoisseurs and students alike. Indeed, his houses everywhere were Mecca of sorts to his collection of equally distinguished friends – top diplomats, military people, retired and serving senior public servants and top executives of multinationals, etc. His people at Uvwie-Urhobo held him in high esteem, especially for his indelible contributions  to  the struggle that led to the creation of their Uvwie Local Government Area during the Abacha regime. The traditional ruler of Uvwie, Eruowho II, conferred on him the prestigious title of “Eni of Uvwie”- Elephant of Uvwie – in appreciation. The boys called him “King of the Boys” because TOT loved and toasted them and they too loved him.

Talking about TOT’s politics, one is reminded of his remarks at the launch of Joe Igbokwe’s book, Ndi-Igbo 25 years after Biafra, in 1995 or so. TOT was “quietly enduring the noisy exaggerated speeches at the occasion about Igbo marginalisation in post-war Nigerian politics” when he was commandeered to the podium by the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Bola Ige, to launch the book. TOT opened up by reminding the distinguished audience, largely made up of Ndi-Igbo, that in the Second Republic (1979-1983) and largely resulting from Azikiwe’ sin sight, the old Eastern Region – the supposed losers in the Nigeria-Biafra war-produced the Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and a good number of powerful ministers and important functionaries of the Shagari presidency   while he and his fellow Midwesterners, who were supposed to be part of the winners in that war, had practically nothing to show for their much-vaunted victory.

In effect, although the North took the one and only available position of President or number one citizen, the old Eastern Region, the erstwhile Biafra, took the numbers two, three and four positions, amongst others, yet we talk about Igbo marginalisation. You could almost hear the pin drop while he spoke; the audience did not find TOT’s commentary particularly flattering or funny, for notwithstanding the fact that it ran counter to the grain and mood of the audience; it was also incisive, true and unassailable.Actually, TOT was indirectly telling the Igbo that if they adopt neo-Zikist methods, they will not need to cry about political marginalisation in Nigeria anymore nor hanker after Biafra.

The Okigbo remembrance

TOT passed a night at my Onitsha residence when we both travelled to Ojoto, Anambra State, for a Christopher Okigbo remembrance. That night, we spent much time discussing the large Nigeria country-state. He was unequivocal in his advocacy for Nigeria’s return to the parliamentary system of government as a veritable part of the way forward for the country. His nostalgia and admiration for the nationalism of Zik is not in doubt. Like Zik, he had spent much of his life outside his home-base. This might have affected  his worldview, adaptability and appreciation of other cultures and Nigerian nationalism!

Beloved TOT, you have made your mark and I know that your contributions will continue to bear fruit for a long time to come. As we commited your remains to mother-earth on  November  26, 2015, which  was your posthumous 82nd birthday, I salute you, my courageous friend and gem of the Uvwie-Urhobo Kingdom, and wish you unfettered passage to the land of the golden light!

Adieu TOT!! May your gentle patriotic soul rest in the bosom of the Lord!!!