Biography of Chief Theophilus Chukwunonyelum Muoneke, Omeokachie II of Obodoukwu
The greatest noise is silence.
It fills the ear with God.
The greatest of men is the humblest;
He fills the world with good.
“AA”
“The song is ended but the melody lingers on,” lrving Berlin wrote of a departed friend. Yes on 23rd February, 2022, the Excellent Theo Lyrics faded out but the melody lingers on and on and on. That melody which is now eternal was indeed welcome music to the ears of Chief Anselm Muoneke (KSJ) and Noble Lady Agnes Muoneke, 67 years ago, precisely on June 15, 1955, after three beautiful girls had been born to them consecutively.
Chief Theo Muoneke of Ummezealuka kindred, Umuoka village of Ikwuano Town, Obodoukwu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State was raised a devout Catholic as his parents were ardent and active catholic laity partners in the growth of Abakaliki and Orlu Diocese as well as pillars of St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral Abakaliki and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, Obodoukwu among others.
Being a Chip off the Old block, Theo carried on the family Tradition, remaining an ardent catholic faithful, active laity and a pillar of church both in moral and material terms all his life. This is hardly a surprise; Theo from early in life was a very active and precocious child who loved imitating adults and often took on adult chores to the delight of his father, Omeokachie I.
Thus, as a mere child he learnt “Ikeji n’oba”, the art and science of tying up seed yams in the barn to preserve them for the next planting season. There he encountered his first accident with a knife resulting in a phobia for knives which followed him unto adulthood.
Theo was a lover of masquerade dance and won several awards during the festival of Arts for St. Theresa’s Primary School, Abakaliki. His love for “Egwu Ogene” was unprecedented that even at the hospital he still listened to Egwu Ogene” as well as Shehu Okunbaloye’s “Politics today”.
Theo attended St. Theresa’s Primary School Abakaliki, before he was moved to Ihie town in Enugu State at an early age to live with his Elder cousin, Sir. Albert Enyiogu, who mentored him and was then a teacher at the Teachers’ Training College in Ihie, 1966 – 67, shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, Theo was also a devoted altar boy who served Mass regularly no matter the season or weather.
The Nigerian Civil War was a brief punctuation in the academic career for the young and enterprising lad and his mates on the Biafra side; which led to his having a stint at St. Anna’s Primary School, Obodoukwu.
During the war, Theo’s precocity nearly got him into trouble of being conscripted into the army but for his tender looks; he was so enterprising doing things beyond his age, even trading on petty articles, a trait he picked from his father. At the end of the Civil War, Theo “made a straight walk” into Government College, Afikpo (which was then relocated to Enugu in Enugu State) for his Secondary School Education. He lived in Enugu for the period of the relocation until the school returned to its original campus at Afikpo where he continued and completed his secondary school education in flying colours. He was at the Government College 13 (now Government Secondary School) Afikpo in the present day Ebonyi State from 1970- 1974.
Gaining admission into the University of Nigeria Nsukka did not diminish Theo’s business acumen, he was full time student and a part time businessman taking care of his father’s importation of frozen foods such as meat, fish, poultry as well as building materials business.
In 1979, Theo bagged a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc. Hons) in zoology. With a degree in his kitty, fear of God and disciplined upbringing, Theo was ready to face the world of business. He then fully joined the family business, A.E Muoneke & Sons Ltd. at the young age of 23.
Theo was precocious as a child as he seems to have understood his path as an entrepreneur right from onset. He made several trips across the globe including the United States of America, visiting factories where their importation products were processed and also looking into modern rice processing machineries. He succeeded in being among the first to import Rice de-stoning machines into Nigeria. He was as astute as he was forthright and as the Managing Director and Chairman of A.E. Muoneke and Sons Ltd., he pioneered and superintended over the diversification of the family business in the 80s, and over a period of 31 years, he not only sustained but grew its footprints across several sectors - real estate development, agro and agro-allied industries, building and civil engineering, general merchandise, petroleum and petroleum products distribution, hoteliers, stock market brokerage and consultancy services, among others. The company with headquarters in Abakaliki has branches in Port-Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja.
A.E. Muoneke family is part owner of Eastern Bulkcem Company Limited, makers of Eagle cement based in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Mr. Theo Muoneke was a board member of Eastern Bulkcem and played major roles in the overall progress of the company.
The Nigeria Cement Company, NIGERCEM Nkalagu, which came into existence in the early fifties was originally owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the five East States of Nigeria and the general Public. Mr. Theo Muoneke’s father, the late Chief Anselm Muoneke, Omeokachie 1 of Obodoukwu was part of the small percentage 14
of the general public with ownership of NIGERCEM. Mr. Theo was at some point a Board member of NIGERCEM.
Over the past five decades, NIGERCEM witnessed several transformational processes and privatization policies of the Federal Government - a situation which led to the relinquishing of share holdings of the Federal Government and the four South East States of Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo States. In all these processes Chief Theo Muoneke passionately and successfully defended the interest of Ebonyi State in the retention of its shares in NIGERCEM. Among the transformational processes undergone by NIGERCEM were the acquisition of Eastern Bulkcem Company Nigeria Limited, Port-Harcourt followed by the present acquisition by Ibeto Cement Company Limited. With this acquisition, Chief Theo Muoneke was made the chairman of the Transition Committee.
Chief Theo Muoneke contributed immensely in the Rural Development of the then Anambra State before the creation of Enugu and Ebonyi States. At the age of 32, Chief Muoneke, together with Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, were board members of Anambra State Rural Development Authority representing Abakaliki zone between 1987 and 1990. The efforts of these two enterprising young men contributed significantly towards the rural development profile of the then Abakaliki zone.
Chief Muoneke also contributed immensely to the creation and early organization of the present day Ebonyi State. He was the third on the list of a 50-member forum of wise men and women entrusted with drawing up the economic development blue print for the take off of the newly created Ebonyi State in 1996.
During the orchestrated campaign for the creation of the State, Chief Muoneke was unanimously elected the treasurer of the movement for the creation of Ebonyi State. A position he handled passionately, religiously and successfully. When the state became a reality, TCM labored hard in organizing and developing the business Community of the new state into a formidable organized private sector, OPS activists.
Theo Muoneke was the founding president 15
of Abakaliki, now Ebonyi State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, a position he leveraged on to lay sound foundation for the thriving private sector in the state as well as helping the state government to plan and enthrone an enabling and capacity building environment for business in the state.
In a press Interview, the Director General of Ebonyi Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture, Barr. Hyacinth Uguru summed up Chief Theo Muoneke’s trail blazing contributions to the development of the business and economy of Ebonyi State in the following words; “He was the founding president of the chamber. He started the chamber then as Abakaliki Chamber of commerce, later upgraded it to Ebonyi State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture. Chief Muoneke was the Initiator, founder and live wire of the chamber.
Single handedly, he got a secretariat for the chamber at No. 63 Afikpo Road, before we moved to this area known as Business Support Centre, popularly known as Ebonyi Trade Centre. The centre was conceived to house all Federal and State government agencies that support business including immigration, export promotion, corporate Affairs, the chamber of commerce, etc. He also acquired land for the chamber’s Trade fairs located at Industrial Estate, Ezzamgbo.
Furthermore, he was the one that registered all the “Movers and Shakers” of businesses in Ebonyi State into the chamber and brought relevant agencies of the state into membership of the chamber. Indeed, you cannot talk of business in Ebonyi State without the Muonekes and the Muoneke we know most is Chief Theo Muoneke. He mentored so many people including myself speaking. He was the one that made me the Vice-President of Administration of the chamber. He gave sponsorships to people of every local government of Ebonyi State such that you cannot find any local government where he has not helped someone or a graduate trained by him.”
Prof. Chinua Achiebe may have had “Excellent Theo in mind when he wrote “those whose kernel was cracked by the benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.” Of truth, 16
Oga TC was a quintessence of humility as everyone who knew him would testify. His remarkable success as a captain of industry did not reduce his humility. He was as humble as he was kind and caring.
Theo’s philanthropic worth and humanitarian services are best captured through the testimonies of those who benefited from him and the numerous awards and recognitions he received. The Ebonyi Chamber of Commerce DG, Barr Uguru, observed that there was no local government in Ebonyi State that did not have someone assisted or trained in the university by Chief Theo Muoneke - a tradition he was reputed to have inherited and carried on from his father. For Barr. Uguru, the most remarkable thing about Theo’s philanthropy is his humility and gentle touch with which he did them.
Humility indeed beats a regular refrain in the comments and tributes of all who knew Excellent Theo. The other attributes which combine to make him a rare breed among men included duty, decency, reliability, honour, dignity, integrity and respect, attributes which he demonstrated everyday of his time on earth and in all spheres of his calling.
Among his efforts to give back to the society and add value to the lives of others, TC found the Rotary club as a frontier of service delivery to the people. He was a charter member of Rotary Club of Abakaliki District 9141. A distinguished Rotarian of 39 years standing who triumphed as a 5-Star Paul Haris Fellow, Rtn TC variously served as Rotary Club president, District Governor’s Special Representative, 4-time District Officer of Rotary International district 9141. Several times he declined the position of district governor for personal reasons.
Due to his meritorious services to Rotary, he earned fame as Past Assistant Governor, PAG, for Life and was inducted into the prestigious Hall of fame of Rotary Club of Abakaliki. PAG Theo’s many splendored lives distinguished him as a humanitarian, philanthropist, builder, elder statesman and leader of men and women who served in 17
leadership positions in several organizations he belonged to.
At different times, he rendered services as Captain, Patron and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Abakaliki Club, formerly, Abakaliki Recreation Club; he was Pioneer Captain and Chairman of Board of Trustees, Abakaliki Golf Club; member, Abakaliki Football Association as well as Boxing Association of Nigeria. TC was also a General Patron and Black Belt Holder, Taekwando Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter and Pioneer member, Federal Road Safety Corps, Special Marshal Unit, Abakaliki among others.
Like the proverbial Chip off the Old Block, Excellent Theo took after the devout Catholicism of his parents; Sir and Lady Anselm Muoneke by carrying forward, the Christian banners of church building and fellow feeling. He was the Chairman of St. Theresa’s annual Harvest Thanksgiving and Bazaar celebration consecutively for several years as well as an invaluable member of the Building Committee during the reconstruction of St. Theresa’s Cathedral building. He was not only pillar of support to St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral Abakaliki, he was also an active member of the laity and partner in the development of the church in Abakaliki and beyond; he was also a pillar of support for the Anglican Communion in Abakaliki Diocese. His moral and religious upbringing found expression in his personal simplicity as well as his social and philanthropic undertakings. He saw numerous people through school, gave start up capitals to many young entrepreneurs and supported various endowments for communities including the setting up of Omeokachie Trust Fund for Obodoukwu Town Union, Abakaliki branch, for Obodoukwu men and women wings as well as others for the same purpose.
He was a role model for many young people around him. Yet, his disciplined upbringing and inherent humility would not allow him to engage in chest-beating or trumpeting his achievements and philanthropic gestures. Such was the rich milk of human kindness in the man whose beneficiaries and admirers called by various fond names in acknowledgement of his grace and candour. William Shakespeare was speaking of men like “Excellent Theo” when he wrote “ his life was gentle and the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world; this was a man”. A grateful world at several occasions did just that - rising to say that Chief Theophilus Muoneke was indeed a special gift . to humanity through the numerous awards and recognitions it bestowed on him.
The consummate all rounder, when he was not busy with business engagements or playing the loving husband and daddy, pillar and patriarch of the Muoneke family or at one of his many philanthropic schemes, TC would be found at one sports or the other - golf, football, lawn tennis or Taekwondo. This earned him the sobriquet “Excellent Theo” among his teeming friends and admirers. It is for him and people of his like that Abraham Lincoln said, “in the end, it is not the years in your life that count but the life in your years”. And Alan Sachs observes, “death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives”. Excellent Theo lived and continues to live, since according to Goethe, “Life is the childhood of immortality”. And, “to all that believe, life is changed and not taken away!
It is further said that “to die is to live on in the hearts of loved ones.” “Excellent Theo” continues to live in the hearts of all the lives he touched and impacted upon – the teeming beneficiaries of his philanthropy, relations, friends and all who experienced the Excellent Theo brand. Theo had eight siblings - two brothers and six sisters - Ada Okoro, Rose Nnaike, Rev. Sr. Felicia Muoneke, Anthony, John, Esther Nwanne, Edith Okoro and Uju Chimara from whom he had 25 nephews and nieces. Excellent Theo also had a host of cousins and relatives whom he cared for and loved dearly.
As the Word of God says, “a seed remains one single seed until it falls to the ground and dies, then it produces many seeds. Excellent Theo has fallen but is replicated as many seeds in all who survived him - his amiable wife, Nonye with whom he shared 40 years of marital bliss. In those four decades, they grew a partnership that has left an indelible imprint across sectors and regions of the country. They are blessed with five accomplished children, two boys and three girls, each of who is a pride of their parents - Chukwudum, Amarachukwu, Anselm, Wendy and the baby of the house 19
and Daddy’s pet, Munachiso, all masters degree holders from various universities across the USA and UK. Omeokachie has seven grandchildren; three from Chukwudum and Ifechukwu, two from Anselm and Obiananma and two from Wendy and Chima.
The quintessential family man, Chief Theophilus Muoneke peacefully passed unto glory at 1 pm EST on Wednesday, 23rd February, 2022 surrounded by his wife and children, a Catholic priest and an excellent team of healthcare professionals at one of the best hospitals in the world.
His demise is a validation of the ageless wisdom of the Igbo that “one can only cure sickness but not death.” This is because he transited unto glory in spite of the best efforts of world class medics, sophisticated facilities and gadgets, excellent healthcare professionals and a doting family. He is painfully missed by his family and community, the church, friends, associates and the society at large. But his numerous legacies of honour will endure for all times. This is especially so because as the sage stated long ago, “he who lives in the hearts of his beloved ones, does not die.” Theophilus Chukwunonyelum Muoneke lives and will continue to live on in our hearts which assures us of his immortality until the heavenly trumpet sounds. Indeed, the Legend lives on in his good works. To God be the glory.
