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| Rev. Fr. Nicholas Tagbo |
By ODILI TONY UJUBUONU
I write this with
the ink of tears. I write it with hands shaken by memories and pain. Pain, not
of regret or unhappiness but one which draws from that certainty of truth you
know is and would never change. When reality upends the sacred vial of truth
can anyone or anything change it?
No. Nothing can
change the fact that Rev. Fr. Nicholas Chukwuemeka Tagbo, OON – the longest
serving and first black principal of Christ the King College, (CKC) Onitsha is
now at home with our Father who art in Heaven. He was a true father of
countless sons whom he had carefully moulded to become leaders in all walks of
life across generations and across the globe.
These men are
crestfallen at this moment not because they lost a father who was more than
everything to each of them. No. The ‘Amaka boys’ as they are fondly called
never believed their Father could die. Their story is my story. Their conviction
was my conviction until reality stole our belief beyond reach...
I guess my hurt
and indeed that of countless students who passed through him is that we’ve
grown to believe that Father was immortal. Father still vividly lives in each
of us. He must have implanted an unusual psychological chip in our heads that
made him seem indestructible by death in our minds. We left his school many
years ago but, he lived in our minds everyday afterwards. He reigned in our
thoughts at very important periods of our lives. Like a guardian angel, his
words of exhortation illumined our paths, leading us to decisions that formed
milestones in our lives. He was more of our Avatar, an eternal guiding light to
what we would later become in life. What this clearly points to is that Father,
while he lived, constantly prayed for us, his sons.
Tagbo encouraged
us to work hard and also provided us with more than enough to play with –
football pitches, cricket pitch, hockey field, basketball courts, volleyball
court, lawn tennis courts, badminton court, handball court and huge field for
athletics on the one hand. Then on the other hand student law courts, debating
and literary societies, altar servers, Man ‘O’ War, Historical and Current
Affairs Society, name it. The CKC of his time was run by the able hands of his
students with minor guidance from the tutorial staff. He made us forget our
homes and gave us the veritable fillip to live like a family of over six
hundred children. He knew each of us by name, at least by our surnames. Tagbo
taught us to pray but above all, taught us to dream. In dreaming, he was quick
to remind us that dreams were not enough. He fitted us with wings and urged us
to dare. To the wide golden fields of life we dared… thankfully most of us
soared to remarkable heights. He gave us faith without fear; love without
weakness.
The greatest aspect
of his power was his reputation. Nobody ever wanted to be in his black book
because of stories of his skills in straightening crooked boys. We feared him
like a god yet we loved him like a father. He was indeed our father and we,
happily his sons. He gave us what nobody else could have given us – infinite
belief in ourselves, our college, our country and our God. He taught us to live
above the common level of life. He made us commit to choosing the harder right
instead of the easier wrong. He made us never to be content with the half truth
where the whole can be won. Loyalty and honour were etched on our sacred
breasts just as hard work became the colour of our bloods.
His life was a
treatise in modesty. It took me almost a lifetime to finally brace the
profundity of Tagbo’s virtue of humility. A man of his ilk was content to make
great men out of plain boys while he remained a simple priest. He gave up his
life ambitions to make us rule our worlds. Tagbo was satisfied to be just a
principal and a priest while some of his classmates in Christ the King College
became bishops and one would later become a cardinal. He gave Nigeria over
twenty Senior Advocates of Nigeria and remained an obedient citizen. He raised
men who became GCON, CON, CFR, MFR etc. but was content and very proud to be
honoured with just an OON. He produced three state governors while he remained
a simple priest in a local parish. He had over a hundred billionaire
businessmen as his sons yet he remained faithful to his vow of poverty as a
priest. He trained boys that became Chief Judges of about four states and
senior judges in courts across Nigeria, yet he ended as Citizen Nicholas. His
bell of humility tolled twelve when he happily lived as a poor old priest under
the current Archbishop of Onitsha Diocese who was once his obedient student in
Christ the King College. Our Fr. fathered Senators, members of the National and
State Assemblies, over seven Secretaries of State Governments, movie stars,
top writers, university professors, world class researchers, inventors and
their likes, yet he lived as a quiet priest who reposed in his silent corner of
no allure – praying ceaselessly for his errant children.
Yes; talking about
errant children, Tagbo typified the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ talked about,
who would leave ninety-nine obedient sheep and go after one errant sheep.
Tagbo would go out of his way to ensure that the erring child followed the path
of honour. He could sneak into a hostel by 1:00 a.m. to do a head count while
the students snored and slumbered. He could travel the miles and tear the wires
to ensure that a bad boy returned home a prodigal. He made us live the motto of
our school Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia – Goodness discipline and knowledge!
Ujubuonu writes
from Awka
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