By Chinonso Martin-Ede Nwede
Political Analyst
nwedechinonsom@gmail.com
Born to the family of Pa Osu Itsuma Nwaitsuma and Mrs Okpo Itsuma (Nee Itsuma Ogwa Orie Nwa Awoke of Umuegara Izhiangbo) on the glorious day of 28th August 1946 at Inyimagu, Okposhi Eheku Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He was the 3rd child of his mother and 7th child of his father who had 6 wives.
Farming was the mainstream during his early years as his parents tutored their wards in farming to abridge hunger and indolence. This notwithstanding, from an early age, it was evident that the young Icha Ituma possessed an intrinsic passion for education. His educational trajectory started at the then Community Primary School, Inyimagu Ngbo in 1951-55 and he completed the same at Methodist Central School, Ngbo now Ngbo Central School between 1956-1958 with a good grade in his First School Leaving Certificate. He then progressed his studies at the prestigious Methodist College, Uzuakoli, Abia State in 1959 and graduated in 1963. While in school, he distinguished himself among his equals, hence was appointed as the Senior Prefect of the school as well as President of the Food Committee based on his brilliance and leadership skills. He featured actively in athletics, the Young Farmers Club, Man O' War Bay Society, etcetera. He was retained as a Biology tutor in the school and he later moved on to Presbyterian Secondary School, (PRESCO) where he taught Mathematics till 4th August 1965.
Dr. Icha Ituma embarked on a path of higher education, at the premier University of Ibadan in October 1965 where he spent one academic year and transferred to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka due to the looming civil war. He bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science (BSc Hons) in 1972. As a result of his passion for teaching, he went back to teaching and taught at St Thomas College, Ogoja and subsequently at Izzi Girls Secondary School, Sharon where he was the Chemistry, Igbo, and Agriculture teacher as well as Dean of Studies before he proceeded to International Institute for Aerial Survey and Earth Science (ITC) Enschede, Netherlands where he studied Survey Integration and earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Integrated Survey Development Planning in the year 1979 and Master of Science Degree in Survey Integration in December 1980 through the aid of a Government scholarship. His insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he obtained a PhD in Agricultural Extension in 1984 at UNN and became the first Ngbo man to bag a Ph.D. In 2005, he sojourned to Assemblies of God Southern Cross College, Sydney, Australia affiliated to Sydney College of Divinity, Australia, where he obtained a Graduate Diploma in Ministry from the College and a Master of Arts in Leadership in May 2009.
Dr. Icha Ituma’s stint in Civil Service started in the East Central State in 1974 with his appointment as Planning Officer in the Ministry of Economic Development and Reconstruction at Enugu in the then East Central State in August 1974. He worked himself, through thick and thin, when the area known as Ebonyi State, was experiencing its worst form of discrimination. His career unfolded with a series of notable appointments. In the old Anambra State, he served as Planning Officer 11 up to Assistant Chief Planning Officer in the Civil Service and as a Chief Planning Officer in the World Bank-Assisted Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Ministry of Food Production (1982), Ministry of Agriculture (1983-85). He was appointed Permanent Secretary and Director General in 1986 and 1988 respectively. He served in the Local Government Service Commission (1986), the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (1987), and the Ministry of Health (1988). He was appointed as Sole Administrator, Enugu Local Government Area (1989-1990), Chairman Enugu Local Government Caretaker Committee till 5th January 1991 and Secretary to the State Military Government in the old Anambra State, in January 1991, a position he held till the creation of old Enugu State.
Upon the creation of Enugu State, he was appointed pioneer Secretary to the State Government and Acting Deputy Governor respectively by the Military Government of Colonel Herbert Obi Eze. He resigned from the position and joined partisan politics as the running mate (Deputy Governor Candidate) of Dr. Okwy Nwodo, the Gubernatorial Candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention. He emerged as the pioneer Deputy Governor of old Enugu State and served with His Excellency, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, who was the Governor between 1992-93 before the military incursion.
While serving as the first Deputy Governor of old Enugu State, he made a lot of contributions to the socio-political and economic development of the state. He created opportunities for numerous Abakaliki people in the government and attracted many projects to the Abakaliki zone.
After the political era, due to his love and strong belief in the importance of education, he returned to academe as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Cooperative and Rural Development, Enugu State University of Technology between 1996-1998 and subsequently went on a leave of absence to serve Ebonyi State upon its creation in 1996 by the then Military Government led by Sani Abacha.
In Ebonyi State, he served as Chairman, of the Commission of Inquiry into the Abakpa Market Fire Disaster of Thursday 20th February 1997; Chairman Committee on ESUT College of Agriculture, Abakaliki, which recommended the upgrading of the institution to a university; Member Committee on Harmonisation of Ebonyi State Public/Civil Service; Member, Ebonyi State Development Forum and Chairman, Land Use and Allocation Committee, wherein he ensured the equitable distribution of lands to Ebonyians and friends of Ebonyi State. He was thereafter appointed Chairman of, the Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission (1998-99).
His Excellency, the first Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu recognised Dr Icha Ituma’s immense talents, experience and expertise and appointed him Secretary to the State Government (June 1999 to July 2003) to lay a solid foundation for modernising the public service of Ebonyi State on which the future good governance of the state will grow. With this appointment, he made history as SSG of old Anambra State, old Enugu State and Ebonyi State. As SSG in Ebonyi State, in addition to overseeing the activities of the cabinet office, he championed the introduction of the HiPACT programme for Ebonyi State and got the approval of Dr Sam Egwu for the take-off of the programme, which widened access to quality British Education for many Ebonyians across the various local government areas in Ebonyi State.
Dr. Icha Ituma’s impact extended far beyond Nigerian borders as he was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Nigerian High Commissioner to Australia with concurrent accreditation to New Zealand, Fiji Island, Vanuatu and Papua, New Guinea. He served in this capacity from May 2004- Oct 2007. In 2008, he retired from public service and founded Eternity in Focus Ministry, a leadership training and prayer ministry based on his passion for God’s work and to build the leadership skills of the next generation of public servants.
Throughout his luminary career, Dr. Icha Ituma made substantial contributions to humanity. He was widely respected as an unassuming, honest, diplomatic, and effective leader, who believed in human capital development and making a difference. He was generally known during his lifetime as an exemplary Christian public servant, a peacemaker, a consensus builder, a selfless statesman, an evangelist, and a leader par excellence who was instrumental in the establishment of many laudable government projects, private institutions and churches.
Dr Icha Ituma was a committed child of God and he took his Christianity to a very high level. He joined Assemblies of God, Church Abakpa Nike Enugu following his repentance in March 1975. Subsequently, on May 9th, 1975, he was baptized. He served as the Secretary of the Church Board and as a Deacon from 1976-78 before he travelled outside the shores of Nigeria. Upon his return in November 1980, he was again elected as the Secretary of the Church Board in January 1981-85. Dr. Icha Ituma donated a portion of his country's homeland for the establishment of the Assemblies of God church, which he erected and handed over to the Assemblies of God church.
Remarkably, Dr. Icha Ituma was among the political forerunners in Abakaliki province and Ohaukwu Local Government Area. His strides speak volumes. He used the positions he held to impact the lives of his people by offering jobs to many in both the Public and Civil Service, scholarships and financial aid to the downtrodden who sought his assistance. He was among the first set of three graduates of Ngbo extraction before others started enrolling into higher Institutions having seen the success of Amb Icha Emmanuel and others. Furthermore, on 27th December 1977, he advocated for the establishment of the first of its kind, Unity Secondary School in Ngbo but he was resisted when he raised it at Methodist Church, Ndulo Ngbo during an Ngboejeogu meeting. However, he later worked assiduously and used his position to attract the establishment of a Community Secondary School, Okposhi Eheku, Ngbo, which was the first-ever secondary school in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area. He championed the social crusade against nudity in Ngboejeogu with the likes of Hon Nwegede Nwangbo, Chief Harrison Onwe, and Chief Igwe Itsuma, among others.
He was instrumental to the dedication of Ngboejeogu to God as *The city of God* through Rev Dr Umah Ukpai, and the covenant Ngboejeogu had with God which is being renewed annually at Ngbo Central School. Through this, Ngboejeogu people embraced God, started making headway in different endeavours and shunned worshipping idols. Dr. Icha Ituma contributed to the establishment of the Ngbo School of Health, other laudable government projects and churches in Ngbo. He influenced the installation of many developmental projects such as FIRST WASSAN pilot Boreholes in Ngboejeogu, Igbeagu Specialist Hospital, Abakaliki, Inyimagu Health Centre, Comprehensive Health Centre, Ngbo, ADB Assisted-Rural Electrification Project, roads, creation of added two autonomous communities in Ngbo and above all, participated in the struggle for the creation of Ebonyi State. Dr. Icha Emmanuel Ituma was the man who led the Ngboejeogu clan and environs out of illiteracy and idol worshipping. He was the doyen of Ngboejeogu, public service, Christianity and academics and inspired many into living such life before his passing unto glory on 11th July 2011, following an illness.
Dr. Icha Ituma’s tireless dedication to public service and his unwavering commitment to the well-being of others earned him numerous accolades and recognitions. In recognition of his immense contribution to the development of Ngboejeogu, he was conferred: Ike Ngbo by the Ngboejeogu people as well as Omeruoha, Ezeudo by other communities, further highlighting the respect and admiration he commanded within his community and beyond. He was a golden fish that had no hiding place. The eagle eye of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo noticed his great acumen, extraordinary public service contributions and conferred on him a National merit award: Office of the Order of the Niger (OON). He was the first Ngbo man to bag a National Honour.
Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Icha Ituma was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather. It is noteworthy that he and his lovely wife raised six children and five surviving children who are thoroughbred professionals in various fields.
Dr. Icha Ituma was a lover of peace who meritoriously served the nation at local, state and international levels. He was a selfless statesman, an adroit, exemplary administrator, a consensus builder and a noble role model of no mean stature. He earned a reputation for meritocracy, industry and selfless service to humanity. His foundational and significant contributions to the development of Ebonyi State and beyond should be honoured posthumously by the Ebonyi State government. As we reflect on the immense contributions, life and track records of this selfless leader, it will be good for the Ebonyi State government to name the Ebonyi State School of Health, Ngbo or another befitting strategic institution after His Excellency, Ambassador Icha Ituma to pay tribute to, and celebrate, his enduring legacy and to inspire the future generations of technocrats and public servants to imbibe the ideals and essence of responsible, responsive and altruistic leadership, which were the hallmark of His Excellency, Dr Icha Ituma of blessed memory in his private and public life.
*Happy 77th posthumous Birthday to an extraordinary patriot and a foremost leader of Ngboejeogu!*
