Ifechukwude- The power of a name

I was so sure within minutes of meeting Ifechude Jideonwo that he was the most persistent young man I had ever met. Thinking back now, it was a combination of the effort he put into arranging the meeting and his belief in the project he was trying to sell to me. Both made me pause and give him a second look.

I recall that day, he had spoken about this project with such enthusiasm, focus and force that you fully believed this project had the power to change every Nigerian Youth. I remember writing a motivation to  support the project in the company I worked in at the time, with that same gusto- that’s Chude for you- a young infectious young man, media entrepreneur, social activist amongst others.

He ended up working with me for about a year and I knew immediately he started that we had him for no more than one year. He was too restless, too ahead of his time to stay in a place for a long duration. As his manager, he frustrated me with his last minute reverts, which were often so good, It almost made up for its lateness, almost.

A serious word weaver, he often used metaphors to paint a picture, his departure a year later to ‘follow his calling’- didn’t at all surprise me. I had always known it was matter of time…not before he taught us many things though- from how talk shows are produced to American politics or even the adeptness of getting on top of a day’s news in a moment as a media professional. I cannot count many times I used his eyes as a pair of glasses to view media projects. Chude is as media savvy as he was wise. Knowing how to navigate through people and systems with the right prefix and suffix ‘ Yes Ma’, ‘True honour  Sir’, was never far from his mouth…he often held these and other levers as one would his bunch of keys.

A bit too wise for his young age I thought to myself. Each year thereafter, he had a new project, in pursuant of his dream to see a better Nigerian Youth. Each meeting was an update and sometimes a strategic review.  Nothing was too big to ask for (He and his bad cop, just know what foot to put forward).  I remember listening to him with trepidation when he came to tell me about going into publishing, i could hear in my head as I listened what my other publisher friends had told me about how hard it was, what the vendors association did to you and more. He’s still at it -years on.

In turn I remember ordering him to my house on a return from a study sojourn to tell him how I wanted to express myself on a wider platform – it was he who helped me find my rhythm after I had explained what was needling me. It is he who helped articulate the name for this  column and help decide which paper I settled for. From social activism to being recognized by the ‘world’ as I like to call it, I ended up writing Chude’s mother a letter one day  to tell her what a focused son and ofcourse enquiring what the ‘magic formula’ was; I promise you it wasn’t everyday one saw a young man who started more than a vacation job at 15 with hands still on the plough..

So when I received a late invitation for his thirtieth birthday, I grumbled to myself that it was just like him to first send it late and then choose an odd day for a birthday and not have the graciousness to move it to the weekend. I dragged myself reluctantly to what turned out to be an amazing evening that reminded me how age is indeed nothing but a number (Aaliya the musician of blessed memory). Firstly, amidst his media colleagues, fan base and mentors, Chude unashamedly expressed his faith( expression of faith isn’t always cool amongst many youths in my view), he very graciously gave half of the day to so many people who had influenced his life, even his youth music teacher. I knew I was running late for various assignments, but I just couldn’t pull myself up to leave. It was too good an evening, too useful a lesson (or lessons) to learn. I wasn’t eating and going to leave without a message at the party.

The lessons were about a young Builder, a young Giver, a Young Son, Friend( err, no wife as yet)…I’m not sure there’re too many thirty year olds who will boast of such quality for audience, from ex-ministers to friends from year one, youth, church, pastors, the corporate world…just many. I mean, I’ve always known that names are powerful, but I suppose Monday made it stronger….literally that what God writes down, will come to pass. That’s the full meaning of that name apparently-Ifechukwudegeme…Here’s extending truly warm wishes to diamond in the sky. May you continually light up your generation.

Nkiru Olumide-Ojo