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| Offia Nwali, the man who chased away foreign missionaries in Biafra dies: Found dead inside pond |
Nwali was the first black man to obtain PhD in computer and analytical studies from Harvard University, United States of America.
The late Inspector General of police, MD Yusuf, facilitated his return to Nigeria in 1972 shortly before he was appointed chairman of school board by the then East Central state.
This was the position that caused him a lot of misery. Yakubu Gowon infuriated by the roles foreign missionaries played in saving the lives of Biafran children and women, plotted to force the missionaries out of Eastern Nigeria after the Biafra-Nigeria war. Ukpabi Asika the then governor of the so called East Central State was assigned the task. To implement this, Asika and Offia Nwali forcefully took over all missionary schools in Biafra, thereby forcing the priests and nuns especially those from Ireland out of Biafra. Nwali being the Education Commissioner was the arrowhead of this. It was reported that in one occasion he desecrated a Catholic chapel, which led to revulsion and mass protests against him. Some reports have it that the catholic church placed a curse on him.
Nwali lost the entire family couple of years after (November, 1983) in an air crash near the Enugu Airport that killed 53 people out 72 passengers. The family had gone to Lagos to receive Nwali's wife, who has just delivered a new baby outside the country and on her way home to the then Anambra State, all of them including the mother and the new born baby perished in that crash.
This was the position that caused him a lot of misery. Yakubu Gowon infuriated by the roles foreign missionaries played in saving the lives of Biafran children and women, plotted to force the missionaries out of Eastern Nigeria after the Biafra-Nigeria war. Ukpabi Asika the then governor of the so called East Central State was assigned the task. To implement this, Asika and Offia Nwali forcefully took over all missionary schools in Biafra, thereby forcing the priests and nuns especially those from Ireland out of Biafra. Nwali being the Education Commissioner was the arrowhead of this. It was reported that in one occasion he desecrated a Catholic chapel, which led to revulsion and mass protests against him. Some reports have it that the catholic church placed a curse on him.
Nwali lost the entire family couple of years after (November, 1983) in an air crash near the Enugu Airport that killed 53 people out 72 passengers. The family had gone to Lagos to receive Nwali's wife, who has just delivered a new baby outside the country and on her way home to the then Anambra State, all of them including the mother and the new born baby perished in that crash.
The shock was so devastating that Offia became a recluse, leading to several rumours.
Nwali was a founding father of Ebonyi State and represented Abakaliki Senatorial District at the National Assembly between 1979 and 1983 and was a two-time governorship aspirant for his state.
He was appointed the deputy national chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo by the Ralph Obiora-led faction.
He was the first person to submit a written request for the creation of Ebonyi State on 10th October 1979 to the National Assembly, Tafawa Balewa square Lagos.
Governor Dave Umahi of the state visited the family to commiserate with them over Nwali’s death which he described as a national loss.
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