Johny Aguiyi-Ironsi (1965-2019)

Johny Aguiyi-Ironsi (1965-2019). Many of you might remember him. Johny Aguiyi-Ironsi was of the class of ’77; Cozens; the kindest boy in his class. His life was a mirracle too: not yet one year after he was born, his father, General Johnson Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, Supreme Commander of the  Nigerian Armed Forces and first military Head of state of Nigeria was assassinated, spiralling events that led to war. Johny for whom he was named, never in fact got to know his father. He felt and knew him only as a myth, and he struggled to come to terms with the profound effects of an absent father in the life of a highly sensitive child. But he was also very protected, perhaps in fact over’protected, by his very strong mother Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi. I remember Johny as a most generous boy who would allow you to ride about in his Chopper bike in Umuahia. Sometimes we went to his gamily house on Nkwerre street to look at facinating family pictures of the General. He was quiet and reserved; but that quietness hid a very large sense of humour and mischief, and a generosity of spirit that seemed imcommensurate yo his weakened body. He suffered from really terrifying health problems. I did say his life was a mirracle: John had a sickle. He was not supposed to live up to this point.  But it was the power of love – his mothers, his very protective elder sisters, particularly his immediate sister, Louisa,  and his capacity to attract very loyal friendship as I recall, that may have kept him this long among us. Among his closest friends was Vincent Onyirimba. And Johny just died this week, I’d been informed, by Ogochukwu Okaro, who kindly called to tell me. You must all remember Johny Ironsi. Kind, generous, unassuming. A thorough gentleman. May his soul find true peace.

Obi Nwakanma