The Escape

By Joseph O. E. Ohanugo

The book outlined how Joseph who was not born with silver spoon in his mouth went from a disadvantaged position to advantaged position in life. He was not privileged to get normal High School education, but he excelled through hard work to get a university education. Few challenges early in his childhood years did not deter him from moving forward in life.
After his education in the U.S, he returned to Nigeria and joined his family business. He never got the kind of cooperation he needed to move the business forward.
Like many family businesses in Nigeria which lacked a set goal, the success became difficult.
The book looked at the challenges that face teachers in American Schools with particular reference to substitute teachers in the public school system.
The book dealt with marriages in Nigeria with particular reference to Osina Town.
Failing in any endeavor is not important, what is important is the determination to succeed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456768034

Joseph O. E. Ohanugo

I was born in Nigeria to a well-knit family with exceptional coherence. I was brought up by parents who were both my parents and my friends—a cordial relationship existed. This has empowered me to tell the stories of my childhood experiences. I hold Higher Elementary Teachers Training Certificate in Nigeria before transitioning to the United States of America. I hold an MBA degree in finance from Saint Joseph University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduation from Saint Joseph University, I returned to Nigeria. For twenty years I worked as a company director in the family trading business, Ohanugo Brothers & Associates Limited, which was based in Lagos, Nigeria. As a director, I was in charge of sales and human resources. While in Nigeria, I served as National General Secretary of Nigerian Association of Masters of Business Administration (NAMBA), an organization for holders of an MBA degree in Nigeria. I am an author of the book The Escape, which was published in 2011. I am a Christian by faith, and I was a church organist for many years. At present, I work part-time with the School District of Philadelphia. I am happily married, with two adorable sons and a daughter and some grandchildren.

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© 2011 JOSEPH O. E. OHANUGO. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 6/16/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6803-4 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6804-1 (dj)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6805-8 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011908245

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter One

The childhood and the early

education of Joseph

Chapter Two

Life in Lincoln University

as a student

Chapter Three

The Return of Joseph to Nigeria

Chapter Four

The Brotherhood Business in Nigeria

Chapter Five

The Challenges of Working in American Schools

Chapter Six

Getting Married at Osina

Dedication

The Escape is dedicated to the Sons and Daughters of Ekekwe Ohanugo for their peaceful co-existence.

Acknowledgement

I owe a debt of gratitude to Agodi who mapped me out for success and he kept the ball of success rolling in my life. The moment Agodi picked me up as a child from the Ohanugo compound, he saw and built my life as one that is meant to prosper and succeed. He envisaged and saw me succeed despite the ambiguity that dogged my progress at some point. Where Agodi fell short due to life challenges Benson and other members of the Ohanugo family picked me up without relenting. I owe them all my immense gratitude for encouraging me at every stage of my life. That I have been able to achieve any thing in life is through their prayers and funding me relentlessly.

I shall not forget my teachers who through their concerted efforts built and enhanced my academic growth. I was very fortunate to have had a handful of gifted teachers during my years in school; among them Messrs. Moses Jeje and S.B.C. Anyanwu. Their passion for their subjects- music, literature and writing was inspiring. But their most important attribute was not that they taught what to believe, but how to learn – not what to think, but how to think. My first gratitude goes to my infant teacher Moses K. Jeje. As little as I was, he was both my teacher and my friend. My thanks to Professor Hillary Conroy and Dr. Christian Onuoha who edited my initial script of this book, the book cover designer, Earl Martin and all other teachers who touched me in my academic match in life. My gratitude goes to Dennis Udeze for picking up Benson sooner than later. Greater thanks to my mother who set the ball rolling in my formal and informal education. Thanks to my elementary school friend Maxwell Amaefule. Of course my wife who was with me at thick and thin cannot be forgotten. May good things continue to happen to you all.

J.O.E.Ohanugo

Chapter One

The childhood and the early

education of Joseph

Joseph came from the heritage of a single child family. The great great great grand father Anyaeletuobi, the great great grand father Ozoemena, the grand father Ohanugo and the father Ekekwe each was a single child. Each of them was a polygamist. Ekekwe’s three wives, each had children but high rate of infant mortality played adverse role. Akuekwe, Joseph’s mother and the first wife had eight children-six males and two females. The last female died before she was five. The remaining female, Louisa died during child birth and she is survived by two female children. By 2010, there are three surviving males of Akuekwe’s children. Vincent, the first son is survived by three sons and two daughters. The second son Agodi, is survived by four sons and three daughters. The third son Ohiagu, is survived by three sons and three daughters. The fourth son Benson, has three surviving sons and four daughters. The fifth son Joseph has two sons and one daughter. The sixth son, Emmanuel has five sons and two daughters. The generation of single child ended with Ekekwe Ohanugo.

The second wife of Ekekwe, Ajaerinma had several children but only one son survived.The surviving son, Samuel died in 2009.He is survived by four boys and three daughters from two wives of the same mother. The first wife died and he married the sister. The third wife, Egeolu, had a male and two females. The male, Jeremiah accidentally died in motor accident in 2001.

Joseph Obioma Ekekwe Ohanugo was born into a polygamous family at Obinugbo, Akpaka N’ezeala, Ofe-eke,Osina; Ideato Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State Nigeria, on June 7, 1942. The name Obioma is an abridged form of Nworusobinma. Friends call me Nworu. This was the original name from my parents. Since Ohanugo family has been identified with single male child all along, detractors were aggrieved and complaining how the family could grow with so many male children. Hence I was given Nworusobinma. Meaning (Is everyone happy with the birth of another male?) A man, Samuel, a friend of Agodi and a native of Umudinkwa Ofe-eke Osina, looked at this name from the Christian perspective and changed it to Obioma. Which means good spirit or Joy. I welcomed the latter name. My father died when I was about five years old. It was the Ibo tradition then to bury a man inside his house. That was done accordingly.

Obinugbo and its origin:

Ugbo was the name of a giant tree that had survived countless generations of the people of the land. Because each generation came and saw it, it is identified with the neighborhood. Obinugbo means people living around the ugbo tree. Ugbo tree connotes success, prosperity and survival for the people. The tree produced white cowry form of flowers during the harmatan period. The Cowry (ego ayoro) was a medium of exchange (money) in Nigeria between 18th and early 19th century. People saw the ugbo flowers as ‘ego’ or money even though they were not used as such. For this the ugbo is referred to by the people as ‘ugbo n’ami ego’- the tree that grows money. The ugbo tree crumbled, rotted away and fell apart in the late 20th century out of age. Standing in its place is the Obinugbo Hall. A symbol of the existence of ugbo tree and its people.

Joseph was born when there was neither hospital nor maternity at Osina and the environ. Once a mother was in labor, an elderly and experienced lady was quickly invited to attend to her. The elderly woman on arrival took the expecting mother away from the house. This was to keep children who may be around away from witnessing the delivery process. The most convenient place was at the