WRITTEN BY DR. IKEMEFUNA ACHEBE
He lived an obviously eventful life and strutted this mother earth for barely sixty-seven years.

His relatively brief sojourn on this planet was indeed action packed, full of energy and awesome accomplishments in politics and business. Late Ezennia Chike Okagbue’s life was undoubtedly a classical case of ascendance from grass to grace.
Born on July 7, 1937 in Mgbuke village, Umunnachi in Dunukofia local government area of Anambra state. Chike Okagbue, popularly known as BESSOY, was the son of Okoye Inoma and Mgboye Obelle Okagbue, who were mere peasant farmers.
Chike was enrolled at Saint Anthony’s Primary School, Umudioka and later at Afoagu Central School Abatete. Despite his brilliance and native intelligence, Chike Okagbue could not proceed to secondary school due to lack of funds by his less privileged parents.
However, as a juvenile, Chike demonstrated early in life that he would grow up to become a very strong, bold and courageous man. This manifested in his Spartan participation in the famous annual “elim ede” festival of Umunnachi, during which he fearlessly got involved in macho caning by young males to demonstrate their manliness. He was indeed, one of the heroes of the “elim ede” cane duels by young men of his time. This apparently prepared him psychologically for the challenges he would face in life.
After the demise of his parents, Chike’s sister, Mrs. Ndiozo Aniebue and cousin, Chief Christian Chijioke Anene, took him to Onitsha to learn a trade. Ezennia eventually went into textile business and made a resounding success of it. However, the Nigerian Civil War compelled him to shut down his business operation. He invested a lot of his personal resources into the then Eastern regional government’s efforts to rehabilitate the devastated returnees from all parts of the country.
After the Nigeria-Biafra War, Ezennia Chike Okagbue added the twenty pounds given to each adult Igboman by the then federal military government to his meagre personal savings, and invested them again in his textile trade. However, this time around, he diversified his business when in 1971, he established and incorporated a cement distribution company known as DUNU MERCHANTS LIMITED. This took him to virtually all parts of Nigeria.
In October 1976, Chike Okagbue’s major company, BESSOY LIMITED was incorporated and it started with the supply of electronics, and later forayed into distribution of petroleum products. Today, BESSOY filling stations are in most towns in the South East, such as Onitsha, Umunnachi, Enugu, Nnewi, Nnobi and many other places. Ezennia Okagbue also established CHINORK GAS AND CHEMICAL LIMITED to deal on cooking gas and chemicals.
Beyond these, the business mogul, set up the Bessoy Building Products Construction Company Limited. The construction company built several projects for the Federal Capital Developments Authority, FCDA, Abuja. The business icon equally ventured into scientific products with Bessoy Scientific Supply Company Limited, equipping secondary schools and university laboratories. Ezennia Okagbue’s contemporaries in the business world included the likes of the late Chief Augustine Ilodibe, Chief Sir Joseph Nwankwu, Chief R.O. Nkwocha, among others.
Notwithstanding the fact that he did not attend secondary school, Ezennia Okagbue, on his own, read widely and became politically conscious. He admired and quoted off hand, the likes of JF Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Little wonder, he later in his life took active interest in partisan politics. As a successful textile trader, Ezennia Okagbue witnessed the politics of Nigeria’s First Republic with keen interest but became a participant in the politics of the Second Republic. As an independent and progressive minded young man of principle, courage and conviction, he joined the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN. In the aborted Third Republic, Chike Okagbue was an active member of the disbanded National Republican Convention, NRC.
Be that as it may, those who knew late Ezennia Okagbue very well say that the outcome of the November 18, 2017 gubernatorial election in Anambra state is indeed a manifestation of his political dreams for his people. As a matter of fact, BESSOY was a man of the people during his life time. He always championed the cause of the down trodden and protected their interests.
However, like every principled and courageous politician late Ezennia Okagbue was dislikes by his political opponents and detractors. In spite of this, he remained the Protector and Hero of the masses throughout his adventures in business and politics without minding whose ox was gored.
Ezennia Chike Okagbue transited to glory on Christmas day, December 25, 2004 in his Twin House Mansion at No. 4 Old Hospital Road, Onitsha. He is survived by his darling wife, Mrs. Esther Ogugua Okagbue and ten soundly educated children. They are; Barrister Mrs. Chinelo Bob-Osamor, Barrister Mrs. Ogo Tim-Menakaya, Onochie Okagbue, Dr. Nkeiru Ezenwa, Nneka Obasi, Ikeazor Okagbue, Ajuluchukwu Okagbue, Uzuegbuna Okagbue, who is the Chief of Protocol to Governor Willie Obiano and  Barrister Ngozi Okagbue as well as Uju Onyema.
Late Ezennia Chike Okagbue popularly known as BESSOY was indeed a political colossus and business mogul who lived a very eventful life for sixty-seven years. He bestrode the business environment like a Titan, who, like all mortals, eventually surrendered to the cold hands of death in accordance with the will of God.
Thirteen years after his demise, Ezennia Chike Okagbue’s foot prints have remained indelibly etched on the sands of time. His legacy is today apparently enduring in the ennobling spirit of his off-spring in their different occupations and vocations.

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