BIOGRAPHY OF LATE ENGR JOSEPH EZEH
Late Engr. Joseph Okafor Ezeh was born to the family of late Mr. Eze Okama
and Nnennaji Ugwuanyi both of Iheakpu Obollo in Udenu L.G.A. of Enugu
State, Nigeria in the year 1960. He was the second son of his mother, as his
mother was the second wife of his father who married up to three wives. Joe
was not lucky to be brought up by his parents as they died before he could finish
his primary school. To worsen his difficulty was that the senior brother from
the same mother by name Michael who had started doing well financially doing
business at Onitsha died before he could finish his primary school.
He attended his primary school at St. Patrick Primary School Obollo-Afor now
called central school Obollo-Afor. His late brother promised him western
education and died before he finished primary school in the year 1973. Engr.
Joseph was living with his half-brother late Eze Vincent. When he finished his
primary school. His dream was for him to proceed to secondary school of
which Vincent could not afford. Joseph was so determined to continue his
education which made him to leave his brother’s house with annoyance and
travelled to Igbariam where late Eze Matthias was living. Matthias was the
immediate junior brother to Late Eze Vincent of the same father and mother.
Late Engr. Joseph could not found his dream there, with face off, he left
Igbariam for home. He had nowhere to go because he had disagreed with his
senior brother Vincent at home. When he got at Ninth mile corner, his transport
money finished. He did not lose hope but started looking for a help to reach
Obollo-Afor. A long the line, he saw a land rover with inscription on it Isi-Uzo
L.G.A Ikem, he bended down and strayed by the motor waiting for the people.
It was here that God’s grace located him and his dream fulfilled. When the team
of the land drover came out, behold the leader of the team was Joseph’s relation
from mother’s side. He Joseph did not know him but when he approached him
for help, the leader asked him whom he was and when Joseph explained
himself, the leader asked him what was his level of Education and Joe said primary six he asked him do you want to go to college, Joe said yes he asked
Joseph to enter motor and took him to his house Ikem. Joseph started living
with him and his family till when next it was time to seat for common entrance
of which Joseph took and passed and was posted to a prestigious secondary
called comprehensive secondary school Ngwo.
Who was this man, he is late Pa Onah Gabriel. He trained him not because he
had much money but out of pity and determination. The day Pa Gabriel took
Joseph with his prospectus to buy things required for his schooling, he directed
his motor boy to bring money realized from his (Pa Gabriel) lorry truck, his
motor boy disappointed and refused to show up. Pa Gabriel and Joseph waited
till 12 noon, this gentle man asked Joseph to wait for him and went back to
Ikem and collected all his savings carried his Philip Radio to Obollo-Afor sold
it and took Joseph to the saling point, bought all Joseph needed for his going to
school. His motor boy never new that cloud does not stop sun from moving. He
send Joseph to the bonding house throughout his secondary education.
Joseph passed out of the secondary school with a very good result in the year
1980. The grace of God followed him that he made his JAMB that very year to
go to Anambra State Science and Technology for Electrical Engineering.
At this point, another man came in to help in the person of late chief Abonyi
Innocent who was a staff of Onitsha L.G.A. then.
Joseph graduate as an Electrical Engr. in the year 1985. He proceeded to the
youth service at River state and served in oil company of which he finished in
the year 1986. This very year was the beginning of unemployment.
When he came back from service, he relocated to Enugu Town where he lived
with his uncle Late Onu Clement who was a staff of Daity Star newspaper
then. It was here that Joseph nearly lost his life to the men of underworld as
they broke in while light was on. Joseph jumped up from sleep and the robbers taught he was for attack, one of them landed his matchet with view to brake his
head but Joseph waged it with his hand which the man nearly cut into two.
Joseph suffered unemployment from 1986 to 1989 when he was employed to
Anambra State Vegetable Oil Project (AVOP). He was with the AVOP from
1989 till when Enugu State was carved out from the former Anambra state in
the year 1991. When the people from Anambra state working with Anambra
state Rural Electrification left for Anambra there be come vacancy in the
Enugu State Rural Electrification Board. Engr. Ogbuga from Nkalagu Abakiliki
was the General Manager of the Board then and Engr. Joseph was close to him
then.
Joseph was then employed as the third Engineer to the board. He was incharge
of the field work then. As time progressed the second Engr. Elias Mbam got
Federal Appointment to Abuja, Joseph became the project Engr. to the board
and his life begin to change to better. He was a very hard working that his
manager trusted him so much that two of them continued to agree with respect
to duty. The two of them were lucky that they have to implement the African
Development Project attracted during the regime of Governor Jim Nwobodo
under the military Governor. The Project was Rural electrification. Joseph rose
to the post of General Manager when he was on level 12. When Abonyi State
was created, the Enugu State Rural Electrification General Manager was from
Abonyi and he had to leave. When he left, Engr. Joseph was the project Engr.
and the highest in the Board. He took over the affair in the Board. The
Governor then was a military man Arc. Gilbert Edoga was very close to Joseph
then and his mentor and he (Edoga) was almost the number two person in
Enugu Politics then, with him, Joseph was confirmed the GM of the Board
then. This was when Joseph saw his dream. He occupied the post till the
arrival of Democracy in the year 1999. When Governor Chimaroke Nnamani
came, he invited Joseph to his office told him do you know that I have the
power to remove you. Joseph answered yes. The Governor said I will not remove you, go back and work. He went back to his office and continued
working. His stay with Governor Chimaroke Nnamani was more fruitful than
that of the military governor. He served throughout Nnamani Administration
with no query.
He would have retired as the general manager of the board if not because that
our people believed that one could not make money outside the Board. When
Chimaroke was leaving the office he took Joseph to Sullivan pleaded that he
Sullivan must give Joseph position. The plea of Chimaroke could not work
because of our people. Engr. Joseph Okafor Ezeh reached the apex of his
working career and statutorily retired as a career civil service from the board in
the year 2020.
Marriage:
Engr. Joseph Ezeh first got married to a very slim, Jovial intelligent and
beautiful wife called Dibuema Eze in the year 1992. The marriage was blessed
with two children of which one is now late and the first one is Eze Chinonso
now a barrister and happily married with children.
This his wife is from Umundu in Udenu L.G.A in the family of Ezeowushi a
sister to General Eze. This wife of his got sick of after running around to save
her life she died. The death of this woman and the death of his only brother
from the same father and mother made Engr. Joseph Eze to become afraid of
people till his demise.
He later remarried Mrs. Theresa Eze (Nee Idoko from Amalla Ifruoka in the
same Udenu L.G.A. This very marriage is equally blessed with four children of
which the first is already a nurse, the second is studying medicine outside the
country, the last two are boys in the primary school.
Community Service
Iheakpu Obollo village and Ulo n’ Obollo were abandoned during the rural
electrification in Obollo-Afor Community during the regime of Jim Nwobodo.
When Engr. Eze was the project Engineer in the Rural Electrification board, he
single handed saw that every part of Iheakpu village then was electrified. It was
into year 2000 that the village got light. After the electricity, he went for
borehole and that was when he was told that government donot drill borehole
for villages except communities. When the above was said, he came back and
used a club called circle 6 of which he was her chairman and pushed and turned
the village to a community in the yer 2005 when Chimaroke was the Governor
of Enugu State.
Ulo n’ Obollo was not left out she equally was blessed with light. He brought
and installed 4 transformers within Obollo-Afor Town to upgrade the light
within the town.
Human Development
Engr. Joseph Eze was a silent achiever, he is the type that puts the interest of
other people above his own. He is the type that donot want people that he
helped to come back and thank him. With his position in the government of
Enugu State then, he helped many people got employment. He equally trained
many people both home and outside to university level and empowered them
as well.
His legacy in Enugu State is that there is no community in any part of the state
that he has not done one thing or the other for them.
Religious Life
Engr. Joseph Okafor Ezeh was a practical Christian and an ardent believer in the
word of Jesus Christ which says whatever you will not like others to do to you, don’t do it to another person. Joseph was known as God fearing person
anywhere you found him.
He contributes to the building of the church all the time. He paid and brought all
the ceiling fans in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Iheakpu Obollo.
In the year 2014, he gave the St. Mary’s Catholic Church the sum of one million
naira to tile the whole floor of the church. The one million was not enough and
he completed the cost. Apart from the bazaar 2024, he had been active other
years for both parish and station bazaar.
Self-Employment
Engr. Joseph did not remain as government worker only. As a hardworking
man, he opened other ventures that was yielding money for him. He was the
first person to bring internet work in Obollo-Afor which was housed in Elenwa
Plazza. The first plaza in Obollo-Afor was constructed by him. He opened
frozen fish business in Obollo-Afor before others followed.
He floated and Registered internet work Engineering Company and Elenwa
investment company all were working.
As with all things, his tenure on this part of the planet expired in the early
hours of October 05, 2025, having run a good race and left his foot prints on
the sands of time, Engr. Joseph Okafor Ezeh embarked on the home ward
journey to meet his creator and Him that knows it all.
LEFT TO MOURN HIM ARE:
- Mrs. Theresa Ezeh (wife)
- Mrs. Chinonso (Nee Eze) Daughter
- Miss Chiamaka Ezeh (Daughter)
- Miss Amarachukwu Eze (Daughter)
- Akachukwu Ezeh (son)
- Izuchukwu Eze (son)
- Hon. Dr. Onah Emeka (Foster son)
- Fidelis Ezeh (Brother)
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR ENGR JOSEPH EZEH
Wednesday, 19th November 2025
5pm - Christian Wake-keep at his residence
No 3 Hon Emeka Onah Crescent, Fidelity Estate, GRA, Enugu
Saturday, 22nd November 2025
7am - Body leaves Orthopedic Hospital Enugu to his home town at Iheakpu Obollo Afor
8am - Lying in state in his home at Iheakpu Obollo Afor
10am - Burial mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Iheakpu Obollo Afor
1pm - His body will be laid to rest in his home.
Other funeral rites continue immediately after the burial at his foster son's house opposite Lemon Gate Hotel, Obollo Afor - Nsukka Road ( VITICO'S RESIDENCE )
Umunna, umuada and the members of the church will stay at his compounnd for the funeral rites
Sunday, 23rd November 2025
Outing/Thanksgiving Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Iheakpu Obollo Afor