A NIGERIAN PROLIFIC WRITER LAUNCHES BOOK IN SPAIN

Uchendu Precious Onuoha speaking at the book launch

The Road We traveled; A Memoir of Two Worlds, written by Uchendu Precious Onuoha a Nigerian born journalist, writer, author and poet was launched on August 31, 2013 in Madrid Spain. The Nigeria, Spain based author who hails from Abia state has sojourned in Europe for about a decade now. He holds a bachelors degree in Mass Communication, Aviation diploma in Flight Despatcher, poet, and winner of Editor’s Choice Award in poetry 2008, from the International Library of Poetry. The author who is a statesman among Nigerians in Spain is the Founder of, Save African Youth Foundation (SAY-F), Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) Chairman Spain, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Nationals Madrid Spain, the Ex- Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Spain, Secretary General of the N.G.O. Precious Women of Faith International Spain and Foreign Correspondent of The Daily Independent Newspaper. The Author has published hundreds of articles in both National and International press media. He and his wife Anthonia and daughter Annabel live in Madrid Spain.

The event which was used by the author to pursue and foster unity among Nigerians with the objective to healing and bridging the gap in a community that predominantly toes along ethnic streaks. For the first time, all the leaders of the Igbo, Yoruba and Edo communities were in attendance. Including the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Yoruba community, Edo community, presidents of all Igbo state unions, among them were, Abia state association, Anambra state association (ASA), Enugu state union, Imo state association, Ihiala town union, Igbo bu Igbo among others. Also the event attracted a good number of other nationals from Spain, Columbia, Peru, Dominican, Ecuador, Guinea, Cuba, Cot Devoir etc. Also present during the launching and presentation were representatives of companies especially from the Madrid Barajas International airport where the author works.

The event also showcased various artistes, musicians and models. Among them were, Nwanne Campo, the Voice of Achievers prestigious award winner, African Diaspora Woman of the Year 2013. The stylish, glowing actress, model and event planner currently making waves in Europe, who was the event planner, leading a couple of dazzling young models, moderated as the master of ceremony. Also at the event to perform was the top rising Nigeria’s pop artiste, Dry Cap, who held the audience spell bound with his scintillating raps.

The book, which is already translated into Spanish language, was reviewed by three known Nigerian scholars in Spain, Professor Ogbonnia Onuoha, Dr. Joe Illoh, and a former radio Nigeria broadcaster Mrs. Chidimma Ezike who presented the book. Various comments were made during and after the occasion by the reviewers and others. According to Her Excellency Bianca Ojukwu, Nigerian’s ambassador to Spain who commended the author for a good literary work said that her son after reading the book was moved by a deep sense of emotion and grief for the author on the epitaph dedicated to “a departed sister” in the book. Bianca endorsed the book stating;

“This event filled book catalogues the writer's odyssey through life, from his early childhood experiences to his present day realities, and it is both frank and philosophical in its interpretation of his encounters and the circumstances surrounding each episode, from the sweet, the bittersweet to the downright unsavory but the great charm and magnetic appeal of this little book lies in its surreptitious humor and some of the hilarious incidents that are captured within. It is delightfully engaging and highlights a few life lessons which remain constant through the ages. It is, above all, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit against all odds and in the course of his voyage of discovery, the writer, by his reactions at every instance gives credence to the oft quoted maxim that there is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul”.(Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu)

The Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Rivers state, Dr. Obinna Nwodim who also endorsed the book stated;

“The Road We Traveled is a lucid prose, captivating and inspiring. It tells the story of a lad from an idyllic rural setting in Nigeria, who sought for greener pasture in the Whiteman's country. It has deep lessons to be derived from, even as it is informative and entertaining”.

Commenting on the book, Prof. Ogbonnia said;

The work of literal creativity is among the most complicated to accomplish. The range in interest groups and opinions to meet with is vast. The diversity of opinions, even in the same topic, is as wide as the eye can reach. As I read through the pages of the book (The Road We Traveled) my mind could not stop retroceding to my own very infancy and village upbringing, as my own parents were farmers and traders as well.

The Road We traveled has come to depict in a very simple and intelligible way, the typical community structural organization of our society – a typical Igbo society. The record the author of “The Road We Traveled”, Mr. Uchendu Precious Onuoha, has put together will always be there for posterity to read and learn from.

A part from the author biography of the author which it represents has come to break the silence or rather, the TABU and veto implicit on talking openly about our individual adventure to Europe. This feature is what I ‘count as gain’ for the African. From the time our people started scrambling to travel to Europe/the developed World in search for a better future/knowledge, nobody (at least non that I know of) has so far dared tell the true story of their own personal experiences in the sojourn in the “Land of milk and honey”, bringing out comprehensibly the discrimination, total rejection and other hostilities Africans undergo in Europe and which they keep silent about, thereby inducing others to follow their footsteps and depriving that continent of her youth.

Congratulations Uchendu Precious and more grease to your elbow.

Dr.Joe Illoh’s Comment; Uchendu Precious Onuoha has wittily created a cosmic realities of today's global village from a fistful memories of his background.

The Road We Traveled holds in it what the great literary works can hold because not only that it submerges you but also it takes you deeply through history lanes into the socio-economic, political and cultural divides between the North and South.

It is a wonderful book about the in quietude of the writer to search and discover facts outside the sphere of his infant and rudimentary knowledge, written with exuberance to entertain and refresh the minds of its readers, a book which each page must be read and reread in order to savour its wisdom and message.

It is carefully constructed, sensitive to issues that matter and funny enough that it creates a conducive atmosphere and a rethink for both those in the diaspora and the home-based folks.

Dr. Joe Illoh is an itinerant lecturer, Politics & International Affairs Enthusiast, Ex-president of FNC Spain and an Avid Socio-cultural Advocate based in Madrid, Spain.

Mrs. Chidimma Ezike (Journalist/Broadcaster) comments: The Road We Traveled is a book written by Uchendu Precious Onuoha. The setting is a typical African scene particularly in Igbo land Nigeria. It explores the living standards of the author in particular and Igbo race in general with a pre and post Biafra war experiences.

The book is divided into four parts.

PART ONE; is about the authors birth and upbringing. His family hierarchy and social status. Integration into the community’s norms and values, and paying off with woes of Biafra war.

PART TWO; Education an Awakening Experience. He talks about what education means for him and about the general embrace of Education immediately after the war. Primary school experiences, college Education. The high standard of Education he enjoined in his days and stepping out into the world with assurance.

PART THREE; this is the memories of his life. Losing his four sisters and dramatically finding his missing ribs.

The last part talks about his travels; Experiences living in Europe and making a comparison of his past life to the present. Europe as generally conceived in Africa is a fertile land with money bearing trees. Reading this book balances up the general conception of expectation and reality in Europe. The author used a lot of figurative languages and poetry to beautify his work. He is also an award winning poet.

For this book , Precious deserves the blessings of past and present African writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Elechi Amadi, Flora Nwapa, Ngugi wa Thiongo, Chimamanda Adichie, John Pepper Clark, Christopher Okigbo etc.

Finally, I call on the Nigerian school curriculum planners to consider this book as one of the recommended texts for our secondary schools. It is very worth reading and a representation of the memories lost. We welcome another rare African and Nigerian Author and poet.