The ongoing celebration of the life and times of His Excellency, Dr Icha Emmanuel Ituma, has reminded me of the glorious years of the administration of Dr Sam Egwu as the governor of Ebonyi State. Those were the years when the fear of God took preeminence in public service delivery.
The state, at that time, was so uncorrupted to the extent that its crime rate was said to be below the national average. Those were the memorable years of transparency and accountability in governance.
Beyond the governor, Icha Ituma, as the pioneer Secretary to the State Government (SSG) was the bold face of that administration. Ituma took up that responsibility with a welter of experience behind him. You could call him an emeritus SSG, having held that position previously under two administrations in old Anambra and old Enugu States. He was also the deputy governor of old Enugu State during the Third Republic. He was also, at some point in his public service career, the Sole Administrator of Enugu Local Government Council.
As a technocrat of note, Ituma deservedly rose to the rank of a Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service of old Enugu State. He did not end his glorious march without a trophy. This came through his appointment as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Australia and the Pacific. As always, Ituma equally distinguished himself in the diplomatic arena. It can only take integrity, competence, hard work and dedication to the public good for a man to travel this uncommon route, while at the same time leaving behind indelible footprints on the sands of time.
Icha Ituma came to limelight early in life, and he accomplished so much at a relatively young age. Some 15 years ago, in July, he was called home by the Lord whom he served with his heart and soul. Before he transitioned to eternal glory, he founded a religious organization that was fittingly called Eternity in Focus Ministry. Indeed, his life was focused on the eternal. He had an unshakable faith in God. Everything else was effervescent. Unlike most human beings who repudiate the idea of eternity, Ituma as a church deacon, was not taken in by any sophistry that bordered on unbelief. He knew very well how it would all end. And so, he held on to the end of the stick that mattered to him. That was eternity. He lived his life in anticipation of the state of nirvana, thereafter.
Looking back at his stellar accomplishments, it can safely be said that it is not how long one sojourns on earth that matters. What counts is the legacy you leave behind and the impact you make on the environment and in the lives of those who have crossed your path. For a man who lived a life of integrity and selflessness, it is only fitting and proper to celebrate such rare qualities. This becomes even more imperative now than ever before because we are living in a morally arid world where virtue of any sort is viewed with scorn and derision. Given this ugly state of affairs, the Icha Itumas of this world represent a tiny breed of exceptional humans whose shrill voices alert us, compulsively, to our moral responsibilities.
It is significant to note that Ituma was not a bird of passage. He was an active participant in the drama of his life. He came, he played a part, and he made a remarkable difference. He injected a full dose of cherished values into the bloodstream of those he left behind. Indeed, he left behind a family that took full moral notice of the exemplary life that he led. In recognition and appreciation of the worthy life led by their patriarch, the Icha Emmanuel Ituma family has instituted a foundation in his honour. To celebrate his passing, the Icha Ituma Foundation is taking another remarkable step this year towards celebrating his legacy. This is being done through the Icha Ituma Memorial Lecture. The lecture, the first in what has been programmed to be an annual or periodic event, is geared towards remembering and celebrating the life and times of a man who left behind cherished and enduring legacies that we should all aspire to.
His memory, for those who knew him closely, remains evergreen. As the pioneer SSG in the then relatively new State of Ebonyi, Ituma stood out as the shining light whose competence and professionalism made the right impact within and outside the government he helped to put in place. In an environment that was loaded with howling politicians, he stood out uniquely. He was in a class all by himself. He was the inimitable technocrat who, as we have earlier noted, traversed the governments of Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states at different times. He was practically sought after by every government. And one common denominator that marked him out was professional integrity. You would say that they needed the Icha Ituma touch to get it right. By the time he stepped up to serve his fatherland in the diplomatic space, he had stabilized governments and mentored many. Today, his protégés are all over the place, bearing eloquent testimonies of a man who epitomized impartiality, one of the core pillars on which the Civil Service rests.
If we are celebrating Icha Ituma today, it is because his values and good deeds were imbibed by the family he left behind. Many who share the honours roll like him are not exactly as lucky as he was. Many of his likes have died unsung because their values did not stick with their protégés.
Consequently, there is no conscious effort to tell their story or document their achievements. Fortunately, that is not the case with Icha Ituma. As a dedicated father who gave his all to his family, Ituma, even as he is no more with us, is reaping the benefits of his good deeds. The family he left behind cherishes him immensely; so do friends and associates who had the privilege of being close to him. In recognition of the exemplary life he lived and inculcated in his family, the lecture series will serve the purpose of spreading the good news that Icha Ituma was. Through the series, he will not only be immortalized, an avenue would also have been created for the propagation of a life dedicated to the service of family, God and the fatherland.
In a soul-stirring tribute on behalf of the Icha-Itumas, Prof. Afam Icha-Ituma remarked that the memorial lecture, beyond commemorating their father’s remarkable contributions, ”will provide an important platform for inspiring a new generation of leaders to embrace the timeless virtues that you so nobly exemplified- visionary leadership, humility, integrity, deep faith in God, and an unwavering commitment to the service of humanity.” That is the message.
Prof. Afam himself is a chip off the old block. Like his father, he is riding the crest early in life. He is, to the best of my knowledge, the youngest Vice Chancellor of a University in Nigeria. His youthful zeal is, expectedly, rubbing off handsomely on Coal City University, Enugu, where he presides over as the Vice Chancellor. In Prof. Afam and his siblings, Dr Icha Emmanuel Ituma lives on.
QUOTE:
“He came, he played a part, and he made a remarkable difference. He injected a full dose of cherished values into the bloodstream of those he left behind. Indeed, he left behind a family that took full moral notice of the exemplary life that he led.”
Dr Icha Ituma
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Australia
