Transition of an icon, James Nnaji, and testimonies of his kinsmen

There is no other way to describe death than to just say that Death is a necessary end, and will come when it will come, according to Caesar in a Shakespearian play that incidentally bears the name Julius Caesar. For Caesar Death is inescapable; there is no use worrying about it. That is just the advice.

Also that iconic Play writer, his protagonist, Macbeth, in a play that also bears the same name says that ‘Life is but a walking shadow, a power player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is merely saying that just like an actor who plays a role on the stage for only a moment before they’re forgotten, life is fleeting and brief.

Yes all the world is a stage, and all men and women merely players. That is just the simplest summary of what death is, and also carries such wealthy advice to people who have lost someone dear to them. There is no other way to look at death otherwise we run the risk of asking God why.

We are mere mortals and we have no powers over our very life, naked we come, naked we must go one day. When we were created, we didn’t know, when we are going, the same, therefore we must see the world as a market place, in the end all men must go back to their creator to give account of their life.

However, many die, and the testimonies of their kinsmen bore witnesses for them before God, and they are already seated by the hands of God almighty, because according to the popular cliché, vox populi vox dei, meaning, the voice of man is the voice of God.

The death of Mr James Onyekachukwu Nnaji, Chairman/CEO of Janaby Intl Limited, domiciled in Benin City, Edo State, a man that was widely known as a business mogul dealing in all brands of Motor Tyre, be it Michelin, Dunlop, an importer of all known tyres from across the world, yet humility and philanthropy were his middle names.

News of his demise was devastating not just to the public but also including yours sincerely whose university education he sponsored without asking a dime in return. How are the mighty fallen? This very rare gem was lowered to mother earth on the 15^th of February, 2024, after just 67 years sojourn on earth; we missed him, his family missed him, both nuclear and extended friends, business partners and well-wishers, must miss this enterprising unique homo- sapiens. This man that did not lack any ingredient of creation, possessing all the qualities of a good man, has left this world. His death has indeed taught many a million dollar lesson that this world is just vanity upon vanity and all is vanity. There is nothing in this life. Nonetheless his greatest joy while departing this world as he smiled; was the same smile he put on the faces of the less-privileged, the widows and the downtrodden.

Of course, there was nobody in Osina community, and indeed Ideato nation, as a whole that would deny effect of his philanthropy either through direct contact or by donations he made to the church or town unions for the development of the community. He made so many millionaires especially business partners who benefitted from his unquantifiable magnanimity especially those who came to him with truth, for he detested dishonesty. If you had come to him in all sincerity, you would become a rich man just by knowing him and doing business with him. In all this Mr. James Nnaji refused chieftaincy titles that were placed at his feet on a platter of gold; that is the kind of man he was, he was neither flamboyant nor boastful.

According to Elder Anthony Igwe, one of his kinsmen, James was just a friend in need, who was not just a childhood friend but also a helper. He narrated his experience with the late James Nnaji. “Our relationship was a childhood relationship, because we grew together, we were brothers, we were friends. And my own relationship with him was peculiar, because the same day, the same vehicle we boarded to Enugu to serve our master in the early 70s. We were there, 71, 72, 73, before they left Enugu for Benin, then myself, I left Enugu for Maiduguri. And since that day till his demise, we were working together, both businesswise, relationship, and every other thing.

“The most important thing that made the relationship different from all the people I know, he is the only one among our people who recognized my ministry, Adoni Ministry, Awka, and he sponsored it. He is the only one among the people of Osina, among Umuotuasi kindred people, so he believed in my God, which means he believed in what I am doing. He believed in me and I believed in him. So we were brothers and we were friends, and it was just like a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Speaking further he said “I thank God for is life, he was a very quiet and a man that moved very slowly till he reached where he was determined to go; and God blessed him and established him. Not that he was old, but God made him, you know, in life, not that you live 100 years is the issue, it is not the matter, but the little years, how did you impact life? He used the little years he lived on earth and what God gave him to impact life. I appreciate God for him and I pray that God will give him rest in his bosom in Jesus name, amen.”

Elder Anthony also advised the family in this way, “My advice to the family is to start from where he stopped. He has run his race; he has handed over the baton to them to continue from where he stopped, they should not allow anything to stand between them. He had a principle, he had what he believed, they should not allow those things to die in their hands. My advice is God first, let them key into God. Like I told you, only me and him, maybe his wife and family knew he sponsored my ministry, Adoni. Therefore I ask the children, the family to hold unto what he believed, he believed in God, and he died in God.”

Chief Innocent Chinyereugo Ihionu Oguaghamba, Chief of  Ihumuogbo, the Onowu, the Traditional Prime Minister of Osina Ancient Kingdom, was passionate about what he said about the late James Nnaji. “We are descendants of Chinaga. James Onyekachukwu was a man in every sense of the word in whatever that is good. He disliked trouble; his own father was a good man also who detested trouble. The death of James is simply the will of God. He was still young, just that in our world today, you hear 30 years, the other day, a 21 years young man was buried, we don’t pray for such death.”

Speaking further he averred that it is not in the power of man to question God, “Now James, we cannot fight the spirit, while he was alive, he never called me to report somebody to me, he detested trouble, he was a taciturn, when he felt bad, he would simply tell you and if you disregarded his advice, he world just keep quiet, and in all these it would not stop him from helping you if there was need for that. Another unique character is that if he offered you any assistance, he wouldn’t like another person to hear about it otherwise, you have offended him. He was not boastful; those he helped in life are uncountable. Again he would tell you straight in your face if you were at fault, he was not afraid to say the truth, whether you were his elder, big or small, he would speak to your face that you were at fault. He would tell you that it is better to live in peace than having quarrels.

“I loved the life of the young man, I don’t know how to put it in English, but I will say it ‘He was a man of justice, a transparent personality, a philanthropist, a helper to those that are downtrodden, a friend to the poor and the widows, he didn’t carry his shoulders high as a rich man, no, he was so natural, he mixed up with his people. I don’t know, I want to talk like human being, I am not God, I don’t know whether because of his transparency, help he rendered to the helpless that made God to call him at this age, I don’t know. It is like God called him so that evil people would not contaminate him; maybe that was just what happened, he was just an epitome of an all-round man.”

Chief Oguaghamba who is also known as Ahunwaelotanna, advised the family of James Nnaji especially the first son that he must be a man and work to keep the legacies of his father. “You must not deviate from the manner your father lived on this earth, because he was a good man. As an elder in this Umuchinaga family, I bless him with same blessing which was also upon his father, if he abides by the lifestyle of his father, his blessings would come in million folds more than that of his father. That is my advice and my prayer for him, as well as my prayer for the younger ones. Anybody that enters the family to disorganise it, the spirit of our ancestors will destroy such person. Let the family continue with the peace which their father has established,” Chief Oguaghamba stated.