Ojukwu’s family disowns late Sylvester Ojukwu

Nkiru Nwagbo, Awka

The family of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has insisted that late Sylvester Ojukwu who will be buried this week is not a son of their patriach.

It would be recalled that since the death of Ikemba Nnewi there has been controversy over who the first son is between the now late Sylvester and the former Commissioner for Special Duties in Anambra state, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Jr).

According to the spokesman of the Ojukwu dynasty, Mr. Ifeukwu Ojukwu, who spoke with reporters in Nnewi, the man in question is Sylvester Udeh, who later changed his name to Sylvester Ojukwu.

He contended that the funeral of Sylvester is entirely the affairs of his family and not that of the Ojukwu family as it is being peddled in some quarters, insisting that the dead man was born Sylvester Udeh before later changing his name to Ojukwu at the age of 21.

The Ojukwu family spokesman added that the late Ikemba never accepted Sylvester as his child and that his name is not contained in his will.

“Members of the Ojukwu family have not been notified of his death and they are not aware of the burial. Ikemba never accepted him even in his death. He said it is the father that knows the son not the other way round.

“If Ikemba was a poor man, will Sylvester be coming out to claim him? He was just trying to force himself on him. He was answering Sylvester Udeh in the secondary school at Federal Government College Umuahia.

How can you change your name and the document you went to school with? People that went to school with him know him as Sylvester Udeh. That is why he can’t bring his birth certificate,” he added.

Ifeukwu stated that based on Nnewi culture, when somebody dies, his kinsmen are informed and that kolanuts and drinks are brought before the announcement of the burial rites is made public, but that in the case of Sylvester nothing of such happened, so the Ojukwu family has nothing to do with his burial.

Furthermore, he disclosed that Sylvester after the burial of Ikemba, sued the family, but eventually lost the case, adding that “Justice Abba told him that the onus is on him to prove his paternity through DNA.

“Ikemba brought Emeka to Nnewi and introduced him to his umunna as his first son.

He did it when he was alive. When somebody writes his will and lists all his children, and says anybody that is not here is not my child; it should be taken that way.”