By Chinedu Adonu
FOR decades after his death, the remarkable story of the very powerful and influential Igbo Paramount Chief in the present-day Enugu State, Chief Onyeama N’Eke, merely lived mainly in family memories and fading historical records. Not much is being said about this powerful Warrant Chief in the wider world.
However, recently those memories have found a permanent place for records as the National Museum of Unity, Enugu, unveiled a life-sized memorial statue and exhibition gallery dedicated to the legendary traditional ruler.
For members of the Murus Association, the descendants of Chief Onyeama’s daughters, who were instrumental to the project, the event was more than the unveiling of a monument. It was an emotional fulfilment of a four-year mission to ensure that future generations would know about the man they affectionately describe as “The Lion.”
Visitors admired an exhibition filled with rare photographs, personal artifacts and historical documents, including the motorcycle presented to Chief Onyeama during his visit to England in the 1920s.The display also chronicled his contributions to education, Christianity, traditional governance and the growth of Enugu’s coal industry.
