WRITTEN BY ANTHONY OFODILE
Michael Anizoba Ofodile was born on February 2, 1918 at Ifite Agbaja Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area. He was the last of sixteen children born to the family of Ofodile. Of the sixteen children, he was one of three to live long enough to marry and have children. Michael was baptized in the Church within weeks of his birth in the hope that, in the new religion, he would live a long life and he did. Glory be to God.
Michael Ofodile grew up in Abatete and ended his education at Standard five when his mother was no longer able to pay the tuition after the death of his father. He later traveled to Onitsha to learn tailoring. Thereafter, he started his tailoring business in Onitsha and was quite successful. He later joined Obioma Brothers Trading Group. He was into importation of tailoring materials, including sewing machines.
He married Theresa Nkechi Ofodile in 1947, when she was 17 years old and they were blessed with nine surviving children (out of ten).
Michael Ofodile relocated to Northern Nigeria after being duped in Onitsha. He lost all his wealth. He could not withstand starting afresh with nothing in a place he had already become a well known wealthy man. He settled in Gusau, then Sokoto State. He started a very successful transport business.
He was the first person to establish the Nigeria – Cameroon transport route and he was popularly known in Northern Nigeria then as ‘‘Nigeria and Cameroon’’. He was an Executive of Igbo Organization in Northern Nigeria and traveled to many cities to help establish branches and to resolve disputes and ensure harmony.
During the war, the family escaped to the East. Ndigbo in the North used his lorry to escape the pogrom, traveling at night to escape the marauders. During the War, he started trading. He was however cut off by the war at Ikem, Nando. He moved to Anaku where he was involved in farming, trading and helping to feed the Biafran Army.
After the war, he went back to Sokoto and established his transport business again. The business did not work out well, however. Michael Anizoba Ofodile then focused on farming. Apart from yams, cassava and cocoyam, he cultivated and planted onions, lettuce, cucumber and other vegetables used for making salad.
He also started poultry and fish farms. Piggery was started after the death of his wife, Theresa, as he respected her wishes, just as he respected her wishes not to take a title or to take for their children when he had the resources. This was because, at that time, some of the rituals involved in title taking were not acceptable to the Catholic Church.
Michael Ofodile won many prices in farming competitions in many categories with yams, goats, sheep, pigs and pumpkins. He won second position in the old East Central State in yam competition with one tuber of yam that needed three people to carry.
Michael Anizoba Ofodile loved his wife, Theresa Nkechi Ofodile. There were no secrets between them. Their handwritings were so similar that most of their children could not distinguish between them. Theresa could always sign the cheques needed for anything when he was not around.
When he had the resources, Michael Ofodile found wives, paid their dowries, trained them and sent them out to his male relatives. He did that for close to a dozen people, and was more particular about the only sons, to make sure that such family lineages did not close. He was a matchmaker who was always finding wives and husbands for men and women of marrying age and was very successful at that. He was generous to a fault, even when things became rough that school fees and money for books became very difficult to come by, widows and the aged that came to his house never went home empty handed as they always left with yams and cocoyam.
Michael Ofodile died on January 16, 2019, at the ripe old age of one hundred and one. He was ready and prepared to go. He saw all his children, grand children and great-grand children during the celebration of his 101 birthday. For several years before his death, he told his children that at his death, he would not want anybody to cry, rather, to celebrate his life.
May the Soul of Michael Anizoba Ofodile rest in peace, Amen.
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