His Royal Highness Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas

Gburu Gburu 1 of Ohana Eze Ndiigbo in Cameroon

Cultural Icon, Leader, Peace Crusader and Business Magnate.

HRH Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas is the Head of the Nigerian Igbo Community in Cameroon referred to in the Igbo language as Ohana Eze Ndi Igbo Cameroon. It is this important leadership role and the conferring upon him of the title Gburu Gburu 1 in recognition of the huge influence and impact he was and is still having on the lives of people in the community that propelled him to the status of a flag bearer and leader. Because of his numerous outreach programmes in varying capacities, many people describe him in varying ways since he comes into contact with them in different circumstances. Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas cuts across and touches the lives of the simplest person and also connects with the top brass of society. The result is always the same. Where he passes, people hardly ever forget him because of the footprints he leaves with his passage. To get a holistic picture of this large soul, it will be important to visit some moments in his life that we recorded and which eventually justified his being included in this publication.

Footprints…..

Following the conferring of the title Eze Gburu Gburu 1 in Tiko and the assuming of the leadership role of Ohana Eze Ndi Igbo in Cameroon, HRH Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas unleashed his organizational skills and started giving shape to the Assembly of Igbo People in Cameroon.

His first move was that of spear heading the inauguration of the Limbe Chapter of Ohana Eze Ndi Igbo. Unprecedented important decisions were arrived at during this event. Flashy newspaper publications on the event were aplenty. One that caught our attention ran thus: “All Igbo Community in Cameroon ear marks 110 Million FCFA for the construction of Civic Center and school in Limbe.”

During a cocktail party at the US Embassy in Yaounde

Among the many speakers that had an opportunity to say something at the occasion, was Chief Ikeogu Nwafor Anthony who referred to the event as an inaugural celebration of the culture and heritage of Ndi Igbo in Cameroon.

In a press briefing at the end of the occasion, Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas, Eze Gburu Gburu 1 of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo in Cameroon and Ambassador for Peace said “as you can see, the whole issue is to promote our culture and let our people know that we come from somewhere. They should know that we have a culture. This forum will equally help them know our language; the Igbo language and to know that we have brothers all over Cameroon that speak one language.

 The executive that we put here in Limbe was simply a foundation stone for something that has been there for some years.” One of the admirers of HRH Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas’ initiative driven approach, HRH Highness Chief Ekoum Samuel Epupa of Dikolo in Limbe III said the development project that Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo planned to carry out was a great idea and called on the Limbe Community to support them in this wonderful initiative.

The next step in the trajectory of this Import and Export Magnate was his payment for the release of 22 inmates at the Buea Central Prison. A newspaper description of the event which was also published at ohanaezendiigbocameroon.wordpress.com ran thus
“In an unprecedented gesture, a Nigerian Business magnate and Head of the All World Igbo Community in Cameroon, His Royal Highness Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas has paid the sum of 2.750.000 FCFA for the release of some 22 inmates from the Buea Central Prison. This event took place on Thursday April 28, 2016 at the premises of the prison.

This cultural flag bearer of the All World Igbo Community in Cameroon known in the Igbo Language as Ohanaeze Ndiigbo Cameroon is also bearer of the venerated title of Gburu Gburu 1 which literally translates as the overall head. This explains why he is respectfully referred to as Eze Gburu Gburu 1 of Ohanaeze Ndiigbo Cameroon.

Among the 22 inmates released from the Buea Central Prison, only two of them came from his native Nigeria. While one of the inmates came from Chad, one also came from Mali and the remaining 18 from the Republic of Cameroon. All of them still had varying lengths of time to stay in prison but due to the benevolent gesture of Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas, Gburu Gburu 1 of Ohanaeze Ndiigbo Cameroon, they were all summarily released.”

2017 Outstanding personality Award in the CEMAC Zone by Mosaiques International

Commenting on his gesture during the occasion at the Buea Central Prison, HRH Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas, the business magnate and cultural flag bearer hinted on the fact that his was a gesture geared towards emphasizing on the needed collaboration between Cameroon and Nigeria especially in the domains of development. He said his intention was to give these inmates a new lease to life and called on them to seize this new opportunity to once more become free men. He said this was his own way of paying tithes. “My idea of paying tithes is not giving it to a church or to a Pastor. I believe anyone has his own way to pay his tithes and this is my own way of paying my tithes to God. I want to see them leaving this place and living a better life.”

This occasion saw the participation of State Counsels and other members of the judiciary from Muyuka, Limbe, Tiko and Buea, towns from where the prisoners came. Apart from the strong presence of personnel of the penitentiary, there was also a cross section of administrators and their representatives.

The next illustrious move of the Cameroon Igbo Community Cultural Head was the throwing of his weight behind the Muyuka Oru Cultural Festival, an annual event that takes place every December.

This was made evident on Sunday, December 6, 2014 during the Annual Cultural Festival and the launching of the uniform of the women’s wing of the community. The cultural flag bearer supported the festival and the uniform launch financially and also promised to provide scholarships to deserving students and support initiatives of the community among other things.

He summed up his feelings in Muyuka that Sunday in the following manner, “I am a very happy person. You see, Oru is a part of the Igbo Community in Cameroon and as such constitutes part of the community that I take care of. They are part of the people I take care of and I appreciate the honour they gave me. I talk of scholarships and I never really say things and don’t do them so I must do it the way I say it. I told them especially the women that if they remain the Law abiding people that they’ve always been, then I will do whatever thing that I promise them. I am a man who stands by his words. I therefore call on them to be law abiding citizens and not to look for problems. However, if problems come, we will know how to handle them.”

During this festival, Eze Gburu Gburu 1 did not hesitate to lend his support to the launch of the women’s uniform in Muyuka.

HRH Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas, Eze Gburu Gburu 1 has constantly maintained very good relations with the United States Embassy in Yaounde and is always in close contact with which ever Ambassador who sits in that office.

As a quasi Cameroonian person with roots in Nigeria, he has constantly played the role of a Peace crusader and at one time during the heat of crises in Cameroon actually said “Cameroonians and Nigerians should place more confidence in their leaders as they grapple with Boko Haram”

As a constant participant during Nigeria’s Independence Day Celebrations in Cameroon, Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas has actively participated and supported the Consul General in the organisation of this important event in the history of Nigeria. As a result he has received awards in recognition of his enormous contributions.

On one of such occasions in Tiko he sent out the following message.“My message first goes to President Paul Biya and I must congratulate him for his effort to maintain peace and unity in this country. I equally congratulate President Buhari for all he has been doing in the fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram. May be in less than no time, both countries will have peace. More grease to their elbows. I call on their respective populations and citizens to be patient and place more confidence in their leaders as they travel the difficult road towards eradicating Boko Haram. Cameroonians and Nigerians should place more confidence in their leaders as they fight to eradicate Boko Haram and rebuild a peaceful environment.”

                                                                                                       

He has slowly but surely gained prominence as a meeting point between administrators and Traditional rulers in Cameroon at large and more specifically in the Southwest and Littoral Regions where he is a formidable force having the listening ear of all the movers and shakers.

Small wonder that during the maiden visit of H.E. Muhammadu Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Cameroon, he was one of the key personalities selected to meet the President at Hilton Hotel in Yaounde.

During the meeting, attention was drawn to Eze Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas as a result of the pertinent question that he put to the Nigerian Head of State which ran thus “In your trip to the United States you admonished Nigerians to remain resolute and be dedicated, using yourself as an example or a testament of perseverance and determination before you finally won the 2015 election. My question is, why did you persevere so much and what exactly do you want to change?
It is in answering this question that the Head of state prescribed the virtues of resoluteness and perseverance as the main tools of success in everything that is done. Referring to the life of the one who asked the question, the President said if Onyengubo Jonathan Thomas was not full of perseverance, he wouldn’t be the head of the Cameroon Chapter of the All World Igbo Community referred to in the Igbo Language as Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Cameroon.

The justification for the inclusion of Onyenguba Jonathan Thomas in this publication lies in the fact that he has manifested enormous love for Cameroon through everything that he has been doing and continuous to do. He is considered by Cameroonians as a philanthropic Cameroonian and by Nigerians in Cameroon as an exemplary Nigerian. 

 Cameroon People/ Les Gens Du Cameroun/ Email: francoeko@gmail.com/ edevnewspaper@gmail.com/ Tel: +237678401408/ +237696896001/ +237696594138/+237669542467