Rotarian Chizoba Igwilo Nwokike (Nze na Ozo) was born in 1935 into the affluent Ozo Mmachiaku Nwokike Nweke Uzegbo of Umuzoegbo kindred, Adabebe village Amawbia. He started his primary education at St Peter’s central school Aguogba and completed his First School Leaving Certificate at Abeokuta after which he attended Abeokuta Grammar school.
He would later go on to trade in livestock, tried his hands in transport, got a job with P&T Port Harcourt before finally moving to UTC Aba in 1956 as a workshop clerk. Through self-education and management training he rose fast and was eventually transferred to Lagos where he worked for some years before moving back to the Aba branch.
After the death of Ozo Mmachiaku the patriarch of the family, an eighteen-year-old Chizoba wisely figured that to improve the fortunes of his kindred he will have to create multiple streams of income. He then founded the first Amawbia indigenous limited liability company in ATC Nigeria Ltd with his relatives Josiah Nwokike, Christopher Jideofor, and Vincent Odoh. The company employed and trained many inlaws, nwadianas, and Amawbians. At the time the few Amawbia people in business were mostly into perishable livestock but ATC started dealing in technical/hardware/motor parts/industrial machines thereby raising doubts about its viability. But with vision, determination, and diligence the company grew to become one of the biggest in Anambra state. So in founding ATC Nig Ltd, Chizoba by extension revolutionalized the orientation of ndi Amawbia from core civil service to enduring businesses. This is why Venn Road south Onitsha is dominated by our people.
Chizoba Nwokike worked for 35 years with UTC rising to the enviable position of Area Representative before his retirement. He was instrumental in the employment of numerous Amawbia indigenes across UTC and beyond. At a time the Aba branch of the company was jocularly referred to as “UTC Amawbia”. After retirement, he continued his private transport business and founded a mega-company named Goll Ltd with 9 friends including prominent Amawbia sons like Col. Aghanya and S.O Chinwuba. He was also a pioneer Chairman of the Association of Anambra Town Unions in Abia known for the popular mmonwu festivals in Aba.
Chizoba was a two-time President General of Amawbia Town Union ATU. Under his leadership, Amawbia attracted Boy’s high school Agu Nweke after he convinced his kindred to give part of their land for the school. He also led ATU Aba and was the Chairman of the peace committee during the ATU Enugu crisis. The history of St Peter’s Anglican Church will be incomplete without him as he brought his friend Chief Nwazojie to donate the first blocks for the construction of the modern church we have now. Chizoba was a very active member of Igwebuike Age Grade and was instrumental in the successful outing of the first Ijele masquerade by ndi Amawbia. Chizoba Nwokike also worked to prevent Shell now Con Oil Amawbia from moving to a non-Amawbia indigene when he took the dealership of the station from Nwuche during its crisis period.
A passionate humanitarian, Chizoba Nwokike was an outstanding Rotarian, a former President of Rotary Club of Aba, and also a Paul Harris fellow for his charitable works. He was happily married and blessed with 7 children. He remained actively involved in the development of Amawbia until he departed to be with his maker on the 30th of August 1992.
Indeed Chizoba Igwilo Nwokike was a great Iroko and part of the foundational pillars of progress in Amawbia.
