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Abdulaziz Ude
By C. Don Adinuba
The people and the government of Anambra State received with sadness the news of the death three days ago of Chief Abdulaziz Chivuzor Ude, the internationally renowned publisher, intellectual, art lover, pan-Africanist, entrepreneur and philanthropist from Abor, Udi Local Government Area of ​​Enugu State that played a significant role in modern Igbo history. He died in Lagos in the late 80’s and was buried in his hometown yesterday afternoon according to Islamic ordinance.
Baptized Bertrand at a young age and the first Senior Prefect of the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, Ude attended Oxford University, where he studied philosophy, economics and politics, before going to Columbia University in New York, where he did one Masters degree in international relations. Ude attracted public attention as an editor at Random House in New York, the largest book publisher in the world, published Chinua Achebe’s classic Things Fall Apart in the United States during the 1967-70 Nigerian Civil War.
He was to have a lifelong relationship with Achebe and made lovely contributions to Achebe’s Okike: A Journal of New African Writing, which was founded in 1971 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Ude also forged a lifelong relationship with Anambra indigenous peoples like Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, then an academic in Washington, DC. He worked closely with Dr. Okadigbo when he was named Special Political Advisor to President Shehu Shagari from 1979 to 1983. When Okadigbo Platform, an analytical news magazine based in Lagos, was founded, Chief Ude was always at his side and intervened on critical financial issues.
There were many people from Anambra State in the top management of its companies such as Gordon and Georgi Umunna who worked at Financial Post. His friendship with the hugely popular musician, Chief Oliver Akanite from the Nnewi South Local Government Area, popularly known as Oliver de Coque, was so great that the entertainer dedicated an album to Chief Ude, which turned out to be a national bestseller.
Unknown to most people due to his reserved nature, Chief Ude contributed significantly to the creation of the states of Anambra, Enugu, Delta and Ebonyi. In addition to being one of the signatories of the petition to the Ibrahim Babangida military regime to create these states, he donated not only cash but also his private jet to help Igbo patriots like Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chike Edozie, Dr. Chief CC Onoh and Dr. Okadigbo to different cities that signed the petition. He also donated part of his building at 59 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos to coordinate the campaign to create Igbo states and paid the staff. The then traditional ruler of Enugwu Ukwu, Igwe Osita Agwuna, one of Nigeria’s leading nationalists, should bestow a high title on him for his services to the Igbo world.
Udes book publisher Nok in Enugu, New York, London and Lagos has published such outstanding works as Chinweizu’s The West and the Rest of Us and Romanus Egudus Study of Four West Africans. Ude also financed Eddie Irohs Chic, the colorful London society magazine. He was indeed a Pan-Africanist of the finest color.
As an active member of the African Business Round Table for several years, Ude has given scholarships to hundreds of people to study at top universities around the world and quietly assisted many others in various fields. For example, he was an important sponsor of the exhibitions of Aka: The Circle of Exhibition Artists such as Professor Obiora Udechukwu, Professor Chike Aniakor, Tayo Adenaike, Dr. Obiora Anidi, Nsikak Essien, Chris Afuba, Bona Ezeudu and Boniface Okafor.
Always humble, he practiced egalitarianism in truth and spirit. He never discriminated against the less privileged or those who did not share his religious views. Even after his conversion to Islam, a result of his deep friendship with the Guinean founding president Sekou Toure, who was himself a Pan-Africanist, Ude continued to make a major contribution to the well-being of the priests and the church in his community.
The government and people of Anambra State really mourn this great Igboman, Pan-Africanist, publisher and intellectual. We mourn with the Ude von Abor family and the people and government of Enugu State. May the noble soul of Abdulaziz Ude find rest in paradise.
* C. Don Adinuba, Commissioner for Information and Public Awareness
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