April 12, 2021
by Nneka Onowu
Who is this man, Chike Ikeotuonye Nwizu?
Chike Wilson Nwizu as he then was, was born at Nbawsi in Abia State on October 31st 1933. His father, Samson Ikeotuonye Nwizu was a Palm Produce trader from Ndiakwu, Otolo Nnewi and his mother Christiana Nwizu nee Moghalu who hailed from Ozubulu was a successful trader and big time baker until her death. So you can see that Chike’s business acumen did not fall from the sky but was rather embedded in his genes. Unfortunately both parents died young at 1959 and 1962 respectively.
Chike started his primary education at Faith Tabernacle School Nbawsi and finshed at St. Michael’s School Aba. He later attended Government Secondary School Owerri and on graduation in 1955, he worked briefly with the Produce Inspection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of Eastern Nigeria. He worked at Onitsha and Oguta and would later on cite this period as one of his worst because of the level of corruption practiced there. (sadly it’s not today that bribery and corruption started in Nigeria!) Young Wilson would often weep at work as he was threatened and intimated into doing things against hhis conscience and faith. He was therefore filled with gratitude to God when he able to resign and enter the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan (now University of Ibadan) in 1957.
He initially wanted to study accountancy but was prevented from doing so because the practice at the time was that you had to have some work experience in that field before you could be admitted into the university. On the advice and recommendation of his then principal, Mr. M. C. English, he sat for the examination of the Chartered institute of Secretaries and Administrators. Fortunately for Chike, he obtained the scholarship of Shell BP Company Ltd for this course and on completion of his course in 1960, he joined Shell BP Port Harcourt as an Accountant. He later resigned in March 1962 in protest against how Nigerians were being treated in the company.
Chike attended London City College where he studied Insurance and passed the final examination of the Chartered Insurance Institute. He subsequently worked with a firm of London City Brokers and later joined the Universal Insurance Company as Company Secretary and Investment Manager, a post he held until 1971.
Chike has always been a crusader and has always occupied positions of leadership and authority. In primary school he was the class monitor, at Government College Owerri, he was Senior School Prefect and House Captain. Also in the Nigerian College of arts, Science and Technology, he was the President of the Students Union and Vice President of the National Union of Nigerian Students. Perhaps if the good Lord had not called him into ministry, he might very well have been a politician today.
On leaving Universal Insurance Company, Chike went on to become a highly successful businessman. He incorporated Zuloh Services Nigeria ltd and later Wemeck Building Products ltd and Kuchen Industries ltd.
He served for several years in All Saints Church G.R.A as Parish Treasurer, Lay Reader, People’s Warden and Pastor’s warden. He was made a deacon in the Anglican Dicese of Enugu in 1981 and priested two years later. In January 1991, he was transferred to the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd to start off the Cathedral and later that year was made a Canon of the Cathedral. On Christmas day in 1993, he was collated the Provost of the Cathedral, a position he held until his retirement in October 2004. He remains thus far, the only provost of the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd.
Chike always wanted to be a lawyer but was dissuaded from studying law by his father, so in 1989, he enrolled to study Law at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, which he successfully completed with honours in 1994. Subsequently he went to the Law School in Lagos and having passed the Bar finals with honours, was called to Bar in January 1996. All of these, while still working as Provost of the Cathedral and President of ECCIMA! On retirement, he opened up a law practice - Chike Nwizu and Associates and remained active till he passed away.
As earlier mentioned, this is a brief introduction of the man Chike Nwizu so we will not be talking about his work with Rotary International, the Chamber of Commerce, the Church nor the many other organizations that he has actively participated in or chaired.
Chike met the love of his life Chiemeka Christy Odogbo in 1956 at Aba and after almost seven years of courtship, they were married on 22nd June 1963. The marriage is blessed with five children - Uchenna, Chidi, Kanene, Emeka and Nneka, Unfortunately Kanene and Chukwuemeka were called home in 1993 and 1996 respectively. To borrow some lines from the tribute written by Chiemeka in 2004 during Chike’s 70th birthday/retirement thanksgiving celebration:
“Like all couples, we had our “good times” and “bad times”, our ups and downs, our hills and valleys. We have shared some sorrows………. However, by God’s grace, these situations merely brought us closer to God and to each other……. And because we have Him, He has always been at our side and been our “balm in sorrow”. Besides, the blessings we have enjoyed have been so much that they have mutually eclipsed the hard times. Our greatest blessing is the love God gave us. Yes, true love goes on and on, our love will be ever new”
Chike passed away at 12:20pm on the 31st of March after a lifetime of service, tremendous faith, boundless generousity, leadership and hard work. Since his passing, we have been inundated with calls, visits and testimonies from the countless lives he touched.
Daddy you were truly larger than life and the vacuum you have left will be next to impossible to fill. You will forever be missed.
Chike Wilson Nwizu as he then was, was born at Nbawsi in Abia State on October 31st 1933. His father, Samson Ikeotuonye Nwizu was a Palm Produce trader from Ndiakwu, Otolo Nnewi and his mother Christiana Nwizu nee Moghalu who hailed from Ozubulu was a successful trader and big time baker until her death. So you can see that Chike’s business acumen did not fall from the sky but was rather embedded in his genes. Unfortunately both parents died young at 1959 and 1962 respectively.
Chike started his primary education at Faith Tabernacle School Nbawsi and finshed at St. Michael’s School Aba. He later attended Government Secondary School Owerri and on graduation in 1955, he worked briefly with the Produce Inspection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of Eastern Nigeria. He worked at Onitsha and Oguta and would later on cite this period as one of his worst because of the level of corruption practiced there. (sadly it’s not today that bribery and corruption started in Nigeria!) Young Wilson would often weep at work as he was threatened and intimated into doing things against hhis conscience and faith. He was therefore filled with gratitude to God when he able to resign and enter the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan (now University of Ibadan) in 1957.
He initially wanted to study accountancy but was prevented from doing so because the practice at the time was that you had to have some work experience in that field before you could be admitted into the university. On the advice and recommendation of his then principal, Mr. M. C. English, he sat for the examination of the Chartered institute of Secretaries and Administrators. Fortunately for Chike, he obtained the scholarship of Shell BP Company Ltd for this course and on completion of his course in 1960, he joined Shell BP Port Harcourt as an Accountant. He later resigned in March 1962 in protest against how Nigerians were being treated in the company.
Chike attended London City College where he studied Insurance and passed the final examination of the Chartered Insurance Institute. He subsequently worked with a firm of London City Brokers and later joined the Universal Insurance Company as Company Secretary and Investment Manager, a post he held until 1971.
Chike has always been a crusader and has always occupied positions of leadership and authority. In primary school he was the class monitor, at Government College Owerri, he was Senior School Prefect and House Captain. Also in the Nigerian College of arts, Science and Technology, he was the President of the Students Union and Vice President of the National Union of Nigerian Students. Perhaps if the good Lord had not called him into ministry, he might very well have been a politician today.
On leaving Universal Insurance Company, Chike went on to become a highly successful businessman. He incorporated Zuloh Services Nigeria ltd and later Wemeck Building Products ltd and Kuchen Industries ltd.
He served for several years in All Saints Church G.R.A as Parish Treasurer, Lay Reader, People’s Warden and Pastor’s warden. He was made a deacon in the Anglican Dicese of Enugu in 1981 and priested two years later. In January 1991, he was transferred to the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd to start off the Cathedral and later that year was made a Canon of the Cathedral. On Christmas day in 1993, he was collated the Provost of the Cathedral, a position he held until his retirement in October 2004. He remains thus far, the only provost of the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd.
Chike always wanted to be a lawyer but was dissuaded from studying law by his father, so in 1989, he enrolled to study Law at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, which he successfully completed with honours in 1994. Subsequently he went to the Law School in Lagos and having passed the Bar finals with honours, was called to Bar in January 1996. All of these, while still working as Provost of the Cathedral and President of ECCIMA! On retirement, he opened up a law practice - Chike Nwizu and Associates and remained active till he passed away.
As earlier mentioned, this is a brief introduction of the man Chike Nwizu so we will not be talking about his work with Rotary International, the Chamber of Commerce, the Church nor the many other organizations that he has actively participated in or chaired.
Chike met the love of his life Chiemeka Christy Odogbo in 1956 at Aba and after almost seven years of courtship, they were married on 22nd June 1963. The marriage is blessed with five children - Uchenna, Chidi, Kanene, Emeka and Nneka, Unfortunately Kanene and Chukwuemeka were called home in 1993 and 1996 respectively. To borrow some lines from the tribute written by Chiemeka in 2004 during Chike’s 70th birthday/retirement thanksgiving celebration:
“Like all couples, we had our “good times” and “bad times”, our ups and downs, our hills and valleys. We have shared some sorrows………. However, by God’s grace, these situations merely brought us closer to God and to each other……. And because we have Him, He has always been at our side and been our “balm in sorrow”. Besides, the blessings we have enjoyed have been so much that they have mutually eclipsed the hard times. Our greatest blessing is the love God gave us. Yes, true love goes on and on, our love will be ever new”
Chike passed away at 12:20pm on the 31st of March after a lifetime of service, tremendous faith, boundless generousity, leadership and hard work. Since his passing, we have been inundated with calls, visits and testimonies from the countless lives he touched.
Daddy you were truly larger than life and the vacuum you have left will be next to impossible to fill. You will forever be missed.