Tribute to my brother and friend, Oboko: What I had with Oboko was far beyond an ordinary friendship. It can only be described as a bond, or better still, a long-term social contract that lasted for decades — about 40 years, give or take.
By Victor Iheanacho
Good night, dear Brother.
One of the most difficult things to do is to write a tribute about someone whose passing your mind has not yet fully come to terms with.
From hours to days, and from days now to months, the familiar name Oboko has not appeared on my phone screen as an incoming call. The reality has finally begun to set in.
“Nwannadi, I said let me check on you.”
“Oboo, how is home?”
This was the familiar opening to our typical conversations.
What I had with Oboko was far beyond an ordinary friendship. It can only be described as a bond, or better still, a long-term social contract that lasted for decades — about 40 years, give or take.
I never knew anyone who could remember primary school mates and their names, notable people, and events that happened 50 years ago with the kind of clarity that Oboko possessed.
Oboko was my local GPS — Global Positioning System — a satellite-based navigation system that helped me locate where I was going, determine the best route to follow, and even know the best time to move around Mbaise and sometimes beyond.
When he was not in my company, one phone call was enough.
For many years, many people I know relied on Oboko’s remarkable knowledge, intelligence and information to navigate Mbaise and beyond, particularly politicians and politically exposed persons.
From the late Hon. Tony Anyanwu to the late Independence Ogulewe, and to present-day politicians and prominent personalities such as P.G.U. Madu, Okey Eze and Uche Onyeagocha, genuine political information that helped shape opinions and aided quick decision-making was often just one phone call away through Oboko.
His passing around the beginning of August 2026 has closed a big chapter and cast a dark shadow over the social and political landscape of our Mbaise clan, particularly the Ahiazu/Ezinihite axis.
Oboko will also be remembered for his love of people, his regular presence at the prestigious Amala Premier Club activities and other social events. It was a club he loved with passion and enthusiasm, and whose membership is regarded as comprising some of Mbaise’s most prominent sons, both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
We will never forget his ever-present jokes and his political anecdotes, often delivered with his uniquely personal grammatical originality. They could shock the table, provoke laughter and make every gathering with him interesting and memorable.
That was Oboko.
He had a way of making conversations come alive. His knowledge, humour, information and unmistakable personality made him someone whose presence was always felt — and whose absence will now be deeply felt.
As we prepare to lay him to rest on October 16, 2026, we remember in our prayers his aged mother, his wife and young adult children, the members of the Nwanyanwuagwu Royal Family of Elekelowasi Obohia, and the numerous friends and associates whose lives have been left with a heavy void by his passing.
Goodbye, my man.
Goodbye, my brother.
Goodbye, my friend, Oboko.
Your phone calls will no longer come. I will no longer hear that familiar voice, and I will no longer make that call simply to ask, “Oboo, how is home?”
But the memories of our 40-year bond will remain with me.
May your soul find eternal peace with God in Heaven.
- Chief Victor Iheanacho, Ikemba Mbaise, wrote in from Umuedo-Obohia
