Nelly Uchendu Made a Fool of Again!
John Beadle
Sunday, July 30 , 2000
At Last, Nelly Finds True Love
By Patience Saduwa
THEIR story is the type that has spawned dozens of movies, novels
and plays. It is the tale of young love, lost but later found in
mid-life.
For Nelly Uchendu, the singer with the voice of a nightingale and
Chief Obika Ikpeze, a former star footballer with the Nigerian
Prison FC, who has lived in America for the past 28 years, their love
story began over three decades ago when they first met as two
starry-eyed youngsters.
But before their love could blossom and mature, sinister and
disrupting events occurred and scuttled their new-found romance; the
Nigerian civil war broke out, thereby putting a wedge between the
two.
Two weeks ago, the gulf between them was finally bridged when they
got married in a traditional ceremony known as Igbankwu
nwanyi, at the bride's home town in Umuchu, Aguata Local
Government Area of Anambra State.
When The Guardian On Sunday visited the couple's home at New
Haven in Enugu recently, they were still resting from the stress
occasioned by the marriage ceremonies.
"My B.P. is high and I need bed-rest on doctor's orders," Nelly told
the reporter.
The onus thus fell on her husband to give the history of their
relationship. "We met a long time ago before the war started. That was
around 1965, '66. She was very young, a small girl then, and I was
more mature. Then the war came and we were separated. We lost
contact for a long time. We were not the only ones, as the war made
many people who were close to lose each other. You know, people
were running from one place, one town to another trying to stay alive.
"After the war, everyone was trying to know who was still alive and
who was dead. We did not see immediately after the war but much
later," the bespectacled ex-footballer, now in his 50s, stated.
Over the years, contact between them was sporadic, often in the form
of occasional phone-calls. "There was a time when she was in the
United States for a visit. She phoned me. I don't know how she got my
address. I wanted her to come to my place but she said she
could not because she was with other people," he said.
Then, last year, the relationship was fully renewed, when a sad event
brought them together. Said Ikpeze: "Last year, my mother died
and I had to come home for the burial. Nelly came too and she was
very helpful. She stood by me and was very supportive. That was
what made me to start thinking of marriage, of finishing what was
started years ago. I discussed it with her and she agreed, so that's
why we are here together today. I believe we were destined to be
together, no matter the odds."
And the odds stacked against them were indeed many. For instance,
Ikpeze was previously married to a fellow Nigerian in the United
States but things did not work out and it ended in divorce. "We split
due to incompatibility," he explained briefly. They, however, had
three kids before the break-up.
Nelly on her part has had a chequered life. Years ago, in the '80s, she
was once engaged to be married to another U.S.- based man, but
that relationship floundered. She, however, did not give up on love,
going by the lyrics of her songs which drips with love and affairs of
the heart.
For instance, in her "I believe" album, released in 1979, a track
titled,
"Can't part from you" begins thus: "I don't ever think that I can
ever part from you, we've gone too far to end now. Hey, don't you
know that I love you?"
Perhaps, she had her on-off relationship with Ikpeze in mind while
composing the song.
The lady, whose voice has enthralled thousands, was once described
by the late celebrated journalist and publisher of the now defunct
Classique Magazine, May Ellen Ezekiel (popularly known as MEE),
thus: "There's something about her voice that gives goose pimples.
It seems to well deep and full from the deepest, clearest bottom of a
spring - a spring so clean, so uncluttered, it envelopes you with
peace as it washes over you.
"That voice. Did you hear her rendition of Ikemefuna in the TV
adaptation of Things Fall Apart? Didn't you hear the song still in your
ears days after the final notes had died - and Ikemefuna had been
murdered.
And what about her classics: Love Nwantiti, Nigeria Amaka and so
many others. The voice of Nelly Uchendu. In all my journeys,
with all my love for good music and good voices, I'm yet to find one
that competes with Nelly's. And the fact that she's Nigerian makes
me even prouder."
Chief Ikpeze who plans to relocate from the US back to Nigeria soon in
order to be closer to his family, spoke on his experiences in
America.
"After my secondary education at Abbott Secondary Grammar
School, Ihialla, I joined the Prisons Department. I worked there from
1965 to 1967 when the war started. I was in Prisons Football Club and I
was a top striker there. After the war, I moved to Lagos and
rejoined Prisons FC. Later, I was approached by A.C.B. FC to join their
team. I stayed with them for a while but being an ambitious
young man, I had the desire to further my education abroad. So in
1973, I left for America.
I got admission to Robert Wesleyan College, New York, to major in
Atomic Nuclear Physics. I was on half scholarship, so I had to
work to support myself financially. I also continued with my football
career, playing for the Dallas Cowboys and other teams."
After graduation, Chief Ikpeze worked for a number of companies like
the Eastern Kodak Company. "My job included designing
cameras for the company," he disclosed.
He revealed that he was also involved in top-secret jobs for the
United States government where he designed bomber and fighter
planes
for the military.
In Rochester, New York, where he lived, he, together with other
Nigerians resident in the city, decided to form an association that
would represent the interests of Nigerians living there.
"We came together to form an association known as Association of
Nigerians Resident in Rochester which included Nigerians of
different tribes, sex, age and backgrounds. Because of the active role I
played in the association, I was given a chieftaincy title by the
people. Eze Chinyereaku which literally means "The king God gave
wealth." Even the Americans, especially the politicians, all call me
Chief. They call me Chief of Rochester," he said.
On the situation of blacks, especially African-Americans in the
country, Chief Ikpeze stated: "There is a lot of racism in the country.
The white people are scared of the black skin. They are worried that
the time is coming when blacks will take over the United States.
And this scares them.
"So, they are using all sorts of means to suppress the blacks and hold
them back. One of such means is the Ku klux klan - a secret
society formed by the white racists to intimidate the blacks. It is
supposed to have been banned but it still exists. The Black Panthers
which was formed by the blacks in the '60s to counter the activities of
the Ku Klux Klan has been disbanded by the authorities which
arrested and jailed its leaders. The same was not done for the KKK.
"The blacks are not really happy about the situation of things. Things
are really tough for them. For instance, there is a quota that
blacks are supposed to fill in government positions and companies.
But this is not often done. The Clinton administration is trying, but
it is not enough.
"The youths especially feel frustrated and marginalised; that is why
they take to drugs and other vices. The rap or hip-hop music that
is so popular among them is a kind of protest music as it depicts the
situation on the ground."
On Nigerians who are based there, he said: "There are a lot of
Nigerians who are doing very well and are in top positions in the
country. The Americans respect Nigerians a lot because they believe
that we have the brains.
"But there are still some of our people there who, in a bid to become
rich overnight, commit all sorts of crime and many of them are in
jail. Most of them call me for help and I do the best I can for them,
like
hiring of lawyers, but they often don't tell me the truth. For
instance, before I left Rochester, there was one young man arrested
for social security and credit cards scam. He had made a lot of
money before his arrest."
Chief Ikpeze, who has American citizenship, believes strongly in the
future of Nigeria and is ready to use his expertise acquired in
America to better the lot of his fatherland. Said he: "There is no place
like home. No matter how much money, how many dollars you
have, home is best.
"I believe with the onset of democracy, things will improve in the
country. Life here right now is not very comfortable with the bad
roads, no light and lack of security. In all my 28 years in the States,
the
light has been taken just once in New York. It was caused by
heavy snowfall mixed with rain which cut the supply lines in two. It
caused a lot of havoc, people even died - mostly those on
life-support machines in the hospitals. But within twenty hours, the
light was restored.
"Many people who suffered damages sued the power company
including myself. I had stocked my refrigerator with a lot of foodstuff
which all went bad. So I sued them and I was promptly paid."
Areas in which the chief who is now a businessman says he could
help the country include communications, road construction and
telephone. "I can help in supplying abundant electricity," he stressed.
Nelly, who was in her room all the while during the chat, finally
emerged as the reporter made her exit. She expressed surprise at her
husband's outspokenness.
"You mean he spoke to you. Thank God o!," she exclaimed.
Then she added teasingly to the amusement of her husband, "I'm
surprised he agreed to talk. He is usually press-shy."
John Beadle
nnamc...@yahoo.com
nnamc...@yahoo.com
Homzy Record @ Enugu recorded Love Nwantinti , Akabueze, Hossanna and Super Eagle
On Saturday, 12 August 2000 08:00:00 UTC+1, John Beadle wrote: