TRIBUTE TO MAZI JOSHUA OGBONNIA
Mazi Joshua Okoronkwo Ogbonnia is an indigene of Amuvi. He is a son of the Eziukwu family Mazi Joshua is a retired teacher, an ex-Principal of school. He has remained steadily at home since his retirement from service more than fifteen years ago.
Mazi Joshua joined Amuvi Welfare Union (A.W.U) as far back as 1972 when he taught at Girls’ Secondary School, Ovim. He was the representative of the union in that area. He recalls with nostalgia how his branch, along with Lagos and Kano branches only , was highly commended in writing by the then Treasurer of the union Sir Alex Onyedor for paying its free Primary Education Levy of 8.00 (eight naira only) in 1973. Later, when he retired to Aro and was teaching in Aggrey Memorial Secondary School, Arochukwu, He was elected the Assistant Secretary of the union in 1984.
He served enthusiastically and played an active role in hosting the then Imo State Commissioner of Education the late Professor Adiele Afigbo. In 1985, he was among the six persons awarded with a certificate of merit for gallantry, having attacked and captured a robbery gang that was escaping from the village with stolen goods.
As one of the elders at home, He served in several peace committees. In 2003, he served in a committee which late Mazi Charles Okoro assembled to advise Eze Ogo and the Chairman of Home Branch union on community matters. He was also a member of the Elders’ Forums for resolution of conflicts and maintenance of peace in the community. The forum saved the village from youth violence more than once.
Mazi Joshua was appointed chairman in charge of raising and spending money for security purposes in the community in 2008. Late Mazi Okereke Akidi received a hand-over of the performance of that committee before he died.
When European Union approved the building of the examination hall for Comprehensive Secondary School, Amuvi, Mazi Ogbonnia was chosen as the Chairman of the Project Monitoring Committee. It is noteworthy that Amuvi injected the sum of #200,000 (two hundred thousand naira only) into the project which was completed in 2005 and adjudged one of the best executed of all European Union /MMP6 projects in the Niger Delta area.
In 2004, when our secondary school was seeking approval to offer science/vocational subjects in West African School Certificate Exam and there was no competent science master to set up the laboratories, it was Mazi Joshua that was called upon by the school authorities to help. He set up the chemistry lab in particular, improvising furniture and materials which enabled the school to have approval for the pioneer students to sit for May/ June 2005 WASSCE.
Mazi Joshua never struggled for elective posts but had always done his best in accomplishing any task given to him by the community. He regards his better achievement as the grace of having lived among his people from youth through old age, happily related with people across the board.
Mazi Joshua is a Christian, an Elder of his church. He is married with children and children’s children. He is an ardent lover of nature.