Mr Dennis Okoye fought in the Nigerian civil war with the
late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu ,the Ikemba of Nnewi. He became fond
of the gallant soldier and longed to work for him.
Luck smiled on him when in 1991 Ojukwu employed him as
his gatekeeper, and he worked conscientiously as one for about 21
years.
While Ojukwu was alive, Dennis never allowed people to enter
the compound unless on strict instruction of his master.
That manifested when he died and the people that came to
break the news to him were not allowed in. Even the journalists that called
early at the Nnewi residence were not given the opportunity.
The Nation was the first to succeed in eliciting information
from him for the first time since the death of Dim.
For four hours, he sat down in sorrow, and
members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of
Biafra (MASSOB) were repeatedly telling him to step aside for them. He
did not want to allow anybody to take over from him, as, according to him, he
enjoyed his job and wanted to die as Ojukwu’s gatekeeper.
But he had to leave the job for MASSOB members in accordance
with the instruction of the Ojukwu family.
Dennis is from Uruagu Nnewi. His only companion was a
dog called Lion. It died recently. He mourned it like a human being
before purchasing another one called Police Dog.
’’I am mourning my master who died when we needed him
most. I am very cold or are you not cold? Why are you even asking me
questions? Will you give me money? What will you use my answers for?Why
are you asking for my picture? No more answers to your questions, unless you
pay because if not because the MASSOB people had taken over my gate, I would
not have allowed you to enter the compound.
‘’Nobody could enter this gate when I manned it.I was always
on duty with my dog. I only allowed people to enter on my master’s
instruction. You can see I have been here all along looking quiet. You cannot
realise the extent of my power until you see me in action’’.
Certainly Dennis appeared unhappy and did not know how to
open up on his agonies. He wanted to speak his mind, but when he noticed that
there were many people around, he said: ’’I did not go home to visit my
family for 21 years. I was always here with my dog because the Ojukwu family
was always away in Enugu or London and other places. My family used to
visit me here.
“I don’t know what to say or what do you want me to say when
my general is dead and the preparations for his burial are going on.I
don’t know what to say, but the only thing I know is that my master was a great
man and will be buried as such. His soul will rest in perfect peace because
Nigeria and Biafra would honour him as a great man.’’
Dennis, in his early 70s, lamented that Ojukwu
died without fulfilling the promise he made concerning his
retirement package because his death was a sudden one. He hopes to get
the package from the Ojukwu family before his death.
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