A Birthday Bash For Sir Don Ubani.
Sunday (Eke)05-01-2025.
My late mother, Chief(Mrs) Mary Josephine Wugo Ubani, nee Kanu, as she told me, gave birth to me on a 1st January, at General Hospital, Aba.
I learnt my late father, Chief Emmanuel Wigwe Ubani, was so excited about my birth that he named me Agu Nwoke, meaning a very strong man. I do not know if I am, indeed, a strong man but I know Jehova God that I worship is the strongest God in both Heaven and on Earth.
I have been celebrating my birthday with pomp and pageantry for some years running.
On that of this year, which was on Wednesday (Eke) 1st January, 2025, I was contemplating using the event as a moment for sober reflection, and, probably, observing it in prayers with my family.
But no, that was not to be!
Sometime in mid December 2024, I received a call. The caller, after usual pleasantries, asked me if I would observe my Birthday as I had always done. I told him I was not sure, and ended on a note of probability. The caller was a former Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Law Teacher, and Mandate Secretary, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Rt Hon Chinedum Elechi, Ph.D, Esq.
With that unexpected reminder and awakening, I had to call the attention of my wife, and we discussed it. I drew the attention of my children to the call by The ‘Nedus, I fondly call Rt Hon Elechi ”The ‘Nedus”. We all reached a consensus that it should be celebrated.
On Sunday (Orie) 29-12-2024, I sent out an invitation to a few friends, associates and allies. Being the Teacher that I am, prudence was of essence. I was determined to save cost. Being a big Plantain farmer, with many available bunches, and knowing that fresh sweet Palm-wine could easily be gotten from some neighbouring riverine villages in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, I notified my invites that my birthday ceremony would be a ‘Plantain/Palm-wine Party’.
A Party I had estimated would be a modest one ended up being a birthday bash! Hon (Chief) Chris Nkwonta came with a convoy of more than twenty cars. The Man had attained the status of a Multi Billionaire even before imagining he could ever have anything to do with Politics. I have heard he has one of the most magnificent premises in Houston, USA. His residence at Asokoro in Abuja may take more than three consecutive legislative tenures for five Representatives to build and occupy.
The Federal Commissioner representing Abia State on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Eruba Dimgba, had, at least, five cars in his convoy.
Some other people came in their cars, accompanied by some of their friends.
Unknown to me, my very adorable wife, Lady Anthonia Ubani, and my first son, Engr Chukwuka Immanuel Ubani-Don, had, on their own, anticipated a larger crowd than what I had imagined.
From our farm, chickens were made available. As earlier stated, even if it would have required fifty bunches of plantain, it would only have required going to our farm which is in a nearby village in Rivers State to harvest them.
Still on our approach to saving cost, without losing quality and taste, my daughter and a Medical personnel who has dexterity in catering, Ugonnem, volunteered to roast the plantain and garnish them with chicken sauce.
I may not remember what was not in good supply. Food and drinks were in abundance. My third daughter and a Communication Artist, Ezenwanyi, my second son and a Lawyer in equity, Ikechukwu Mac-Don, and his younger sister who is also a Law Student, Chimagoziem, were all out making sure our guests were well served.
Engr Chukwuka Immanuel Ubani-Don made sure the Home Theatre provided music that was of classical entertainment. My daughter, Chimagoziem and I danced and danced!
My pocket was full of cash, and, of course, I am a skilled dancer, without compromising the dignity and prestige with which I unmistakably carry myself.
The most interesting aspect of the invitation was that I did not discuss with the Member representing Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West Federal Constituency in the 10th House of Representatives, Hon (Chief) Chris Nkwonta, that he would be the Chief Guest of Honour on the occasion, yet he accepted it without any reservation. The same with the Member representing Ukwa-West State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Godwin Adiele, who accepted he would be the Chairman of the occasion, and he was there as early as I had scheduled the ceremony to start but because many of the invitees were yet to show up on time, he had to leave for another occasion, making way for a former Member-elect of House of Representatives in 1998, Sir Esiaba Iwezor, to chair the occasion.
In the same vein, the Hon Commissioner representing Abia State on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Eruba Dimgba, who I had indicated would be the Special Guest of Honour, even without informing him earlier, but honoured my invitation.
In their various speeches, the Member representing Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon (Chief) Chris Nkwonta, the Commissioner representing Abia State on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Eruba Dimgba, and the substitute Chairman of the occasion, Sir Esiaba Iwezor, commended Sir Don Ubani and his family for always remembering the significance of the date of his birth. They urged him to continue to maintain that culture of thankfulness to God.
Earlier in his speech, the Celebrant, Sir Don Ubani, described by his third daughter and Communication Artist, Ezenwanyi, as a brand new birthday Boy, who is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State, expressed immense gratitude to God Almighty for having graciously allowed him to witness a new age. He expressed his preparedness to deploy the wisdom, strength and privileges of his new age to advance the cause of humanity.
Relations of Sir Don Ubani who helped in making sure that the Party was a huge success included Mrs Nkechi Onyekachi, Mrs Ngozi Chimezie, Mr Chukwunenye Ogbonna, Chief Onyedikachi Onyema, and Hon Chinonyerem Ahunanya.
Among those that attended the Party were; a former Transition Committee Chairman of Ukwa-West Local Government Council, Chief John Ajuzieogu, Surveyor Joshua Ahukanna, an Onitsha-based Lawyer, Barr Livi Isiguzo, a Developmental Economist and World Bank Consultant, Chief Oliver Nwuju, Ph.D, a Lagos-based Businessman, Mr Kingsley Nwasinmuo and his Abiriba-born wife, Mr & Mrs Dab Ihenko and some of their children, an Oil Marketer and former Commissioner in Abia State Local Government Service Commission, Sir Eugene Ijeoma Dike, an Engineer in MTEL, Mr Stephen Alili, Engr Sterling Chinwe Uruakpa, the Chief of Staff to NDDC Commissioner Eruba Dimgba, Mr Ubani Ogbonna, a Senior Legislative Assistant to Hon (Chief) Chris Nkwonta, Dr Chidi Nwankpa, a prominent Politician from Ukwa-East, Chief Chidi Percy Ajiere, immediate-past Chairmanship Candidate of PDP in Ukwa-East Local Government Area and a Journalist, Mr Ugwumba Adiele, and Mr Emeka Okorie(Million Dollar) who showered me with gifts.
Immediate-past elected Chairman of Ukwa-West Local Government Council, Chief Okey Kanu, was unavoidably absent but sent in lots of gifts, both in kind and cash, just like Rt Hon Barr Chinedum Elechi, Ph.D, had done.
In all, it was a birthday ceremony that was characteristically reflective of thankfulness to Jehova God, and gratitude to Hon (Chief) Chris Nkwonta, Hon Godwin Adiele, Chief Eruba Dimgba and all that contributed to making sure my Birthday Party on Wednesday (Eke) 1st January, 2025 was a bash.
