CHIEF MCK ORBIH – THE ORCHARD THAT SHADED THE MASSES
CHIEF MCK ORBIH – THE ORCHARD THAT SHADED THE MASSES Nigeria May Collapse If The Judiciary System Is Less Functioning – MIKE OZEKHOME BY PROF. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN, CON, OFR, Ph.D, LL.D THE SEEDS OF GREATNESS: A JOURNEY BEYOND BEGINNINGS Not many people knew his full name, especially the acronym, M.C.K. I have been one of them until only recently. Since my primary school days in the 60s at my nearby hometown of Iviukwe, the name Chief M.C.K. Orbih thundered and reverberated across the nooks and crannies of the then Kukuruku Division of the old Mid-West Region (now known as Afenmailand or Edo North). Orbih was a myth of some sort, larger than life. He was born on a quiet day on November 28, 1927. The renowned acronym, M.C.K, simply means Michael Clement Kadiri. Chief M.C.K. Orbih had thus entered the world in Ogbona, Etsako Central, LGA, with little fanfare. Yes, like any other child sired in the then-rustic village. No golden spoon. Yet, destiny had other plans. It had already inscribed greatness in the fine print of his life. From the beginning, his life seemed to echo Winston Churchill’s words: “To each, there comes a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing.” For young Michael, it was a life of extraordinary determination and sustained purpose. Even as a young boy, his journey to greatness was anything but ordinary. He had this mindset of deliberate insistence on success and nothing more. The name “Michael” itself is of great biblical significance. He is the Archangel or “Chief or head of angels”. This angel whose name means “one who is like God”; or “who resembles God”; or “gift from God”, actually led other angels to defeat and expel from heaven, Satan. (See Revelation 12:7-9). Orbih could not be held down. Is the significance of the name the reason he conquered all man-made obstacles on his journey to success? I do not know; or do you? With entrenched colonial-era challenges obstructing his early education, young Michael faced his first hurdle at Catholic School, Ogbona, where progression beyond Standard Three was a dream deferred. But, oh, how he made up for it! Channeling Proverbs 24:16; “Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,” young Michael’s unflagging determination to succeed pushed him to Uzairue and Agenebode, where he completed his primary education. In 1943, armed with nothing but sheer grit and his First School Leaving Certificate, MCK launched himself into an unwelcoming world that would soon know his name. It was at St. John Bosco’s Teacher Training College, Ubiaja, that the seeds of greatness began to bloom. He earned his Grade 3 Certificate in 1948 and a Grade II Certificate in 1951. “Some are born great,” Shakespeare wrote, “some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Young Michael was clearly in the second category -he clawed his way toward greatness and excellence, never accepting mediocrity. His academic achievements were like chapters in a gripping novel, each page leaving you curious: what will he conquer next? A TEACHER AND A MENTOR For a man of such relentless ambition, humour was a surprising but essential part of his charm. Known to quip during his teacher training, “They said knowledge is power, but I didn’t know it came with homework!”, his humour gave him an air of relatability in the classroom. It was not long before his students, many of whom would later become pillars of society came to know their teacher as both a strict disciplinarian and simultaneously an unwitting comedian and humour merchant. Upon completion of his education in 1951, young M.C.K. embarked on a teaching career, shaping the minds and future of a whole generation of youth in a most profound manner. His clout extended beyond the four walls of a classroom as he instilled in the pupils and the larger society, the timeless virtues of education, character, honesty and integrity, which continue to resonate two decades after his exit. A DANCE WITH DESTINY: ORBIH AS A POLITICAL GLADIATOR If the early years of Chief M.C.K Orbih’s life were the prelude, then his political and leadership career was the crescendo. He was a pioneering Councilor of the Estako District Council (EDC) – the first democratically elected local government council before Nigeria’s independence in 1960. By 1959, Orbih had entered the House of Representatives for Afenmai-East Federal Constituency under the Action Group (AG). Thus,this once-quiet boy from Ogbona who proudly served as one of the pioneer legislators in independent Nigeria from 1959-1964, was now shaping the future of an independent Nigeria. Here was a man who did not just step onto the stage of politics; he actually waltzed onto it, as though it had been prepared and waiting for him all along. Chief Orbih was not the kind of politician who simply sat and nodded. During the Republican Constitutional debate in 1963, his words once rang through the precincts of the chambers like a bell: “The people who contest chieftaincy stools should be allowed room to have redress.” His colleagues were stunned. Could this young man from Etsako actually reshape centuries-old traditions with words alone? It was a debate that solidified his place in Nigeria’s political history not just as a legislator, but as a defender of justice and fairplay. His knack for delivering punchy, yet profound statements,earned him the sobriquet, “The Philosopher Knight.” Yet, Chief Orbih was no stranger to wit even in the heat of politics. During a heated campaign, when he was accused of promising too much, he reportedly shot back, “I may not turn water into wine, but I’ll make sure there’s enough water for the wine you already have!” His sharp and quick wits endeared him to the masses, who saw in him not just the usual politician, but a human being with an authentic sense of humour. MY CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE GRAND MASTER OF POLITICS My closest contact with this great political
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