Umuaka News24

Worked with Hon Dikeocha in the Umuaka Electricity Lunching Committee (1993)

Ordinarily, in life, those who are known to have lived for and died for the people, their demise, whether timely or untimely attract outbursts of emotions, encomiums, eulogies and superlative epitaphs at their memorials. It is to this group of mortals that Herbert Dikeocha belonged. At death, youths, men, women, children, associates and political opponents acknowledged in words and deeds, his significant achievements, greatness, obvious common sense, nobility of spirit, adventurous curiosity and the mere simplicity of his life style.

Born in a devout christian family of the Anglican communion on January 21, 1943 at Achara Umuaka to Josiah Dikeocha & Mrs Rhoda Dikeocha, Herbert Dikeocha started his primary school education at Premier School Umuaka in 1950 and completed at CMS school Uburu Ekwe in 1957, passing out with distinction at the first school leaving certificate examination. From there, he proceeded to City High School, Onitsha, where he obtained his WASC/GCE in 1962. Between 1966 and 1967, Hon Dikeocha earned a professional diploma certificate in Public Administration of the Institute of Administration Enugu. In 1971, he did a course on Property Rating & Valuation at Cabinet Office, Enugu and in 1981was admitted as a member of the Institute of Public Management, Washington DC, USA. He later obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) & post graduate diploma in Computer & Communication Studies from Ogun State Polytechnic, Ago Iwoye and Federal University of Technology, Owerri respectively.

Upon graduation from secondary school in Onitsha, Hon Herbert secured employment at the Port Harcourt Municipal Council where he served as Personal Assistant to the Mayor between 1963 & 1967. His job took him to different parts of eastern region on transfer where he served meritoriously at Mbaitoli County Council (1968-1969), Onitsha Municipal Council (1970), Enugu Municipal Council (1971), Aba Urban Council (1972) and Abakaliki Urban Council (1973). He tried his hands in trade unionism and became the District Secretary, State and National Delegates of Nigerian Union of Local Authority Staff of the Nigerian Labour Congress. Between 1974 and 1976, he was councilor and chairman, Umuaka Community Council as well as Councillor, Nkwerre/Isu Local Government from 1976-1979.

According to Dr Praxede Egeonu, 2006, “Hon Dikeocha emerged in the political scene in Umuaka at a time when the Nigerian political system was cloudy. This was less than 10 years after the end of the Nigerian civil war and Ndigbo then were battling with image crisis and reintegration problems within the larger Nigerian landscape”. In 1979, Dikeocha was elected to represent Umuaka Constituency in the then Imo House of Assembly, which was prorogued in 1983 at the expiration of the four year term.

In spite of emerging from a minority party (NPN) in a PDP dominated state, Dikeocha’s challenges were made complex by Governor Sam Mbakwe who did not hide his feelings about Dikeocha. In his first working visit to Umuaka in 1981, Mbakwe publicly ridiculed Dikeocha and condemned Umuaka for throwing their votes into the nearby Njaba river. To Hon Herbert Dikeocha, the challenge was enormous but he remained undaunted and from that reception ground at High School Umuaka, he left and moved to Lagos to attract amenities to Umuaka. Succinctly put, what we still have today as the indices of development came into existence through the efforts of Hon Herbert Dikeocha. They include the following:

🎤Umuaka Ultra Modern Post Office
🎤 Umuaka Electricity
🎤 Umuaka Police Station
🎤 Umuaka Water Scheme Remnants
🎤 United Bank for Africa (UBA), Umuaka
🎤 Reconstruction of Owerri-Umuaka-Orlu Road (ensured it did not bypass Umuaka)
🎤 Influenced the appointment of some Umuaka indigenes in boards of government parastatals and ministries
🎤 Influenced the NPP-dominated House of Assembly to create Njaba LGA with headquarters in Umuaka

What a great leader! It is on record that while alive, Hon Dikeocha lived for his people. He spoke Umuaka, acted Umuaka and sacrificed himself for Umuaka. He died in active service in 2000, when he came back to contribute his quota to the quest for the creation of more autonomous communities from Umuaka during the verification of autonomy application claims by the members of Imo State House of Assembly.

A devote christian, Hon Herbert Dikeocha loved national and international political developments and is survived by 10 children.