LEGACY (PREAMBLE)
Life, at whatever age, is a problem. It is a state where everyone has a role to play; it is always full of uncertainties, of trials and errors; of successes and failures, of push and pull; of varied risks; of topsy-turvy dom: of illusions and disillusions; of truth and falsehood; of politics and, of many more. No matter the part you choose to play during your own era, do it conscientiously to the best of your ability so that the watching public will benefit from it and see it as a legacy you bequeath to posterity.


BIRTH:
I was born on 1 October 1929, into the humble, peaceful and Christian family of Late Mr. Gabriel Agu Achime of Amofia Ibuzor Amokwe and late madam Elizabeth Nwekeze Chime (nee Eze-Onyia) of Umumba Idedu Amokwe.


PRE-SCHOOL AGE:
My childhood was characterized by pranks, jokes, lies, mischiefs, appearing and disappearing like Mr. Hyde in a book titled "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" playing unceasingly; visiting members of my peer group and forgetting to go back home; hunting grass-hoppers and edible insects and termites, playing ball, and so on and so forth.


At the age of six, then regarded as school age (i.e. in 1935), my father took me to school for enrolment. Little did I know that I was going in for a very excruciating practical interview. On getting to the Headmaster's table that fateful day, my father quickly introduced me to him, a huge black man who quickly stood up and howled at me to raise my right hand; but before I could do that, he lifted up my right hand, bent and threw it across my head down to the left side. He then asked me to cover my left ear with the palm of my right hand. I tried as I could, but did not succeed. The Headmaster pushed me back to my father saying "He is not of age yet, go home and feed him better for next year". That was how I failed that first interview.


ELEMENTARY (JUNIOR PRIMARY) SCHOOLAGE:
In January the following year, 1936, I was back to school; St Paul's Catholic school, Ibuzor Amokwe and was admitted, without any further interview into what was then called ebisiobele, i.e. the most junior class. I spent six years in this school, reading ebisi obele, ebisi nnukwu, infant, standard one, and standard two which, because of ill health, I did for six years when each of these classes was a year's programme, Standard two was the highest class in St. Paul's school Ibuzor, so in January 1943, I went to St. Thomas school Udi, to complete my primary school education.


St. Thomas School Udi, was then headed by Late Mr. Dominic Akilo from Mgbagbu Owa (now late) and I was admitted into standard three, under Mr. Paul Nevo as our teacher. I spent two years in this school. By the end of 1944, i.e. in my standard four, it was announced that St. Patrick's School Amokwe, had been approved to do Standard Five. Consequently, in January 1945, l, with three other boys from Ibuzor, was asked to go back to our town, Amokwe (St. Patrick's), to enroll in Standard Five. We were happy, even though St. Patrick's School was much farther than Saint Thomas School, Udi.

(A short digression).

It may be good here to note that Amokwe, from origin, is made up of two main sections called IBUZOR and ORJI. In the 1940's, there were only two Catholic schools in Amokwe. i.e. St Paul's School in Ibuzor section, and St. Patrick's School in Orji section. During this period, there existed a serious dissension between the two sections of Amokwe. It was in the midst of this prevailing socio-political imbroglio that four of us from Ibuzor were sent home (from St. Thomas School Udi to St. Patrick's School Amokwe), which is situated in the Orji section of the town.

On school's re-opening day in January, four of us (viz: James Ilo, Josephat Chime, Gabriel Nebo and my-self) gleefully arrived St. Patrick's school, Amokwe for admission. But to our greatest chagrin, the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Fidelis Onyiba from ltuku, acting on the instructions from the elders of Orji, refused to admit us. He instead ordered us to go "to Ibuzor school". But rather than obey him, we decided to lodge a complaint with the school manager, Rev. Father Edmund Burke of blessed memory, living then at 'EKE', the parish headquarters; Consequently, the following day, four of us trekked to Eke to lodge our report; The parish priest, Rev. Father Burke, after listening to us asked that we go home, and to report at the school (St. Patrick's) the next day as he would come to meet us there at 10am.

Before 10am that Wednesday morning, Rev. Father Burke arrived at the school in his kit-car accompanied, as usual, by his chimpanzee. On citing him, four of us ran to welcome him and he touched each of us on the forehead and walked straight to the Headmaster's desk. After a long discussion, both of them came out and beckoned on us. We quickly ran up to them and the Headmaster, Mr. Onyiiba, told us to start attending school the coming Monday. We echoed in unison, "Thank Sir, thank you Father". And leaving the two persons still standing there, we quickly ran home rejoicing at our victory (end of the digression).

On the said Monday, we returned to the school and were admitted into standard 5B. In January the next year, 1946, we moved back to St. Thomas school Udi to do Standard 6 because St. Patrick's school Amokwe had not been granted approval for that class. On 17th August that year, my father, Gabriel Chime, died leaving me at the mercy of scarce charity. However, I managed, with the help of my poor mother, to keep-on. And at the end of the year, I passed the standard six examination and also the entrance examination to the newly established College of Immaculate Conception (C.I.C) Enugu.

CAREERASAPUPIL (CD) TEACHER:
From the very day my father died (i.e. August, 17th 1946) my educational career, and other prospects in life, appeared bleak, gloomy and indeed, hopeless. Every other movement forward became paralyzed. The only opportunity left for me was to take to TEACHING, since secondary education had eluded me, like a tantalizing mirage.

Also in 1946, Udi Parish was carved out from the large Eke Parish, and Rev. Father Breddy became the parish priest in the new Udi parish. In January 1947, I went to the Udi parish priest, (then living at Agbudu) and requested for employment as a teacher. This request was immediately granted, and I was posted to Saint Anthonys school, Umana-Agba, as a pupil teacher, which was then called CD teacher. Mr. Emmanuel Maduechesi was then the Head- Teacher. The following year, I was transferred to a neighboring school, St. Mark's school, Umana Ndiagu. And in January, 1949, I was again transferred to Saint Anthony's school, ltuku, where I taught for two years; 1949 and 1950. But in July 1950, my elder brother Simeon died.


TEACHER TRAINING
In 1951, I gained admission to Saint Charles Teacher Training College (SCTTC) Onitsha; a four-year teacher training college. I was rebuked and seriously reprimanded by my ignorant widow- mother for going to Saint Charles instead of to any of the ETC institutions around, which had shorter training period and would also financially cost much less. She was right anyway because there was no money for a long-term training programme for me. However, I eventually got into Saint Charles TTC with mixed feelings of joy and grief. Joy, because I had gained admission to the most reputable and prestigious teacher training college in Nigeria "SANCHAS" (otherwise called then the University on the Niger).  And grief, because I was not sure of completing the four-year training programme, having the previous year, lost my elder brother (a teacher) on whom all my hope had hung. The death of Simeon at that time was yet another signal for a bleak future. I therefore, entered Saint Charles TTC Onitsha with no strong financial backing, which was a hazardous venture. Nonetheless, I defied those ominous signals and decided to take up the risky challenges, leaving everything to fate and to promises of help made to me by my uncle, Chief Anioke Chime. For my fees and other maintenance outfit I depended on rare acts of charity and on the meager loans reluctantly granted me. In-spite of the threatening circumstances, I still went to St. Charles TTC Onitsha in January 1951. My four-year sojourn in the College was one of social, psychological and physiological trauma. At the end of it all, however, in December, 1954, I successfully completed the course of study, and thus Successfully crossed the Rubicon.



HIGH ELEMENTARY / GRADE 1 TEACHER
Consequent, upon my successful completion of TTC training I became a high elementary teacher, a respectable and enviable post in those days. And in January, 1955, I was posted to Saint Paul's Catholic School, Ozalla (in Agbani parish) as the standard six teacher, then under Mr. Gabriel Nnamani of Eha Ndiagu. It was in that year that the then government of Eastern Region of Nigeria took over the organization and conduct of standard six examinations, which hitherto was in the hands of the various religious denominations. When the result of this maiden uniform standard six examination was released, St. Paul’s school Ozalla (i.e my school and my class) came first out, of the nine standard six schools (Catholic and non-Catholic) in the whole of Nkanu Division then. I however spent only one year at St. Paul's' Catholic school Ozalla.

In January 1956, I was transferred to Saint Peter's school, Umumba Ndiagu in Udi parish then, under Mr. Gabriel C. Neboh, as our Headmaster. I taught in the school for two years; 1956 and 1957. In 1958, I was transferred to Saint Peter's school, Obeleagu Umana, where I spent two years before being moved-on to Saint Marks School, Obinofia Imezi (in 1960 our Independence year), as the school Headmaster. In 1962, I was again transferred to Holy Trinity School, Isigwu Umana, from there I was sent back the next year, January 1963, to St. Peter's School, Obeleagu Umana, on a "second missionary journey". In May of the same year, after obtaining my Teachers' Grade One certificate, I was posted to Elementary Teacher Training College, (ETC) Aku (in Nsukka division) to teach in the two-year Teacher Training College, with Mr Gabriel Mbonu as the College Principal. But in December, the Federal Government phased out all ETCs in the country.

Consequently, in January 1964, I was posted to head St. Joseph's school, Unadu in Enugu Ezike Nsukka; From there, in September of that year, I gained admission into University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to further my studies. But sadly, a month after entering the University (October, 1964), my only uncle Chief Anioke Achime, (on whom my entire hope 'for financial assistance rested) died, after a brief illness; that tragedy put me into yet another trauma. Though I later conquered it, nonetheless, at the end of that semester, I became an off-campus student for the rest of my sojourn in the University. My successful completion of the course in July 1967 simply coincided with the out-break of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war which disrupted all academic, social and other institutional structures, especially in the Eastern region of Nigeria.

 



WAR PERIOD
This is a period no Igbo man would want to remember, but, ironically for me, it became a period I will ever cherish. For no sooner had I returned from the University, at the beginning of the civil war, then I spotted a damsel (a stainless black beauty), a young nurse named Virginia Udegbunem, who hails from Umuochi-Ugwu in Orji Amokwe.


On seeing this girl, I immediately became hypnotized and decided to meet her for a "talk". Our first meeting/ discussion revealed that she too was mesmerized on seeing me that day. Our 'talk' turned out to be quite cordial and successful. We agreed on very strong terms to get engaged and commit ourselves to marriage, irrespective of any possible opposition. In spite of the civil war tension, the traditional marriage (Igba Nkwu) ceremony was performed in December 1967 , with gaiety, pomp and pageantry. In January 1968, following the escalation of the civil war, we were evacuated, as refugees, from Amokwe to different and distant (unknown) places that had not felt the effects of the civil war.


Not minding our distant locations, two of us still managed, and continued to meet, discuss and even occasionally exchanged visits. As the civil war prolonged, we decided to wed. Consequently, on 16h August 1968, I took my stainless beauty, former Miss Virginia Udegbunem, to the alter at Saint Columba's Catholic Church Agbaghara Nsu in Ehime, Mbano Okigwe, in Imo State. She thus became Mrs. Virginia Chime. All these happened while the civil war raged on.


The thirty-month civil war chased us about; from Amokwe to Uturu Okigwe; to Umuahia, to Umunumu Mbano; to Emekuku in Owerri and after two years, we returned to Amokwe. Thanks be to God for sparing our lives; for while I left home empty and single, I came back full and coupled.



GRADUATE TEACHER ERA
A few months after the cessation of the Nigerian civil war, I got employed as a graduate teacher by State Schools' Board Enugu and was posted to Girls' Secondary School, Umuavulu Abor, where I taught for three years. In September 1973, I was transferred to Achi High School (now Corpus Christi College, Achi) in Oji River. I spent seven years in the College; i.e. from September 1973 to September 1980, during which time I passed through three principals, namely, Mr. J.N.C. Ezeife, Mr. H.A. Ofor and Mr. Akpe Onwuka. At the college, I was the Senior English master, the teacher librarian, the Senior Hostel master, and sometimes the Chairman of the college's disciplinary committee; I knew the students and their behaviors so well that the principal, Mr. H. A. Offor, used to describe me as the encyclopedia of Achi High School, while the students themselves called me "a very strict disciplinarian".

In September 1980, I was again transferred to Saint Cyprians Teacher Training College Nsukka, as the Vice Principal. But no sooner had I assumed duty in that school than I was promoted to the principal cadre and moved again to head Girls' Secondary, SchooI, Awlaw, in Oji River Local Government Area.

The highest class, when I arrived at Awlaw Girls, was Senior Secondary l, (S.S. One) and so it dawned on me that I was sent there to work-up the school to get approval to sit for the West African Schools' Certificate (WASC). The college had no library and no laboratory, which threw a big challenge to me and which I braced up to. Before long, and with the co-operation of the Parents' Teachers' Association (PTA) of the school, a standard science laboratory was erected and a make-shift library also put in place. In 1982, the school was approved for the School Certificate Examination and the first set of students took the May/June WASC examination in 1983.  The next year, September 1984, I was transferred to Community Secondary School, Isu-Awaa to again work-up the school to WASC approval. But sadly, in December of that year, I was retired from Government service on grounds of having completed the statutory thirty-five years of service (recall that I started work at 18 years as a pupil (CD) teacher).



RETIREMENT JOBS
Although retired, I did not look tired. So after resting for barely two years, in August 1986, I joined the staff of the Institute of Ecumenical Education (IECE), Thinkers Corner, Emene Enugu, with Rev. Father Dr. Stan Anih as the Rector. At IECE, I served in various capacities; as acting Head of English Department, as Head of the School of Remedial Studies, and as Principal of Ecumenical Community Secondary School, Thinkers Comer, Enugu. After serving at IECE for seven years; 1986 - 1993, I pulled out and took advantage of the opportunity presented by the State Government then to ask for contract teaching employment from the State Education Commission. I was consequently engaged on contract terms and posted to National Grammar School Nike, Enugu as Senior English Master. At the expiration of the two-year contract in January 1995, I felt there was still sufficient energy and sound health in me to put in a few more years of service than just sit back idle at home. So in February 1995, I joined the tutorial staff of Daughters of Divine Love Juniorate (DDLJ) Enugu; a post-primary institution owned and run by Catholic Reverend Sisters' Congregation known as Daughters of Divine Love, which was founded by the late Bishop G.M.P. Okoye.

At DDLJ, I served in various capacities; as Senior English Teacher; as acting Head of English Department; as Head of the Department of English, and as head of the Department of Languages. I served DDL Juniorate for twelve and a half years (i.e. February 1995 to July 2007). By 2006, job satisfaction, which had sustained me all the twenty-two years, after I had left government service, started to wane and dementia began to set in. I therefore in July 2007, decided to honorably withdraw my services from not only that noble institution, but also from active teaching service.