A Birthday ODE To Former President Jonathan's Daughter Ine

To My Friend Ine Onyemachi On Her Special Day By Chukwudi Iwuchukwu 

Writing this has been very difficult for me, in many ways, I have been struggling since last night for the perfect word to describe this gem, a friend and colleague that I have known for 10 years now and counting and she has been amazing in many ways.

We were new in Madonna university Okija when I saw her for the first time. I was reading Newspaper at the Law Library which was my favorite past time as a Madonna student when she entered the library . She was simple but classy, we spoke for few minutes and she left

In one of our GSS classes as new students, a babe I was toasting then Vivien was her friend so I sat with two of them in class. In the course of our discussion, Vivien introduced her to me with this handle : She was the daughter of the then Deputy Governor, Goodluck Jonathan

The babe that was introduced to me as the daughter of a Nigerian deputy governor did not look it, she wore no Brazilian hair, she had no expensive designer bag neither is she expensively dressed. She was herself, modest, humble down to earth and related to me as equal. Hope Vivien was not lying? I said in my heart

That introduction done by Vivien has led to a 10 years of rewarding friendship which is still growing stronger by the day

It is on record that all through the 5-years we spent at Madonna, not many knew who she was, even among our course mates, they did not know her and the reason is this: Endurance as I call her is one of the rare Nigerians that wears humility as a virtue and as a badge of honour and really, it is infectious. She does not impose her background on people. nor "Intimidate others with, "Do you know who my dad is?" An act that is common among young people. She was herself and nothing but herself in a world it is a crime to be so

Fast word to Law school Bwari Abuja,we found ourselves again at the same campus, nobody again knew who she was

Nigerian Law school is a reflection and mirror of the Nigerian society,we have the poor, the wannabee and the rich at that campus, Bar 1 students(Students that studied Law in a foreign university) always struct around in the campus, reminding those of us who studied in Nigeria that they are Bar 1 students, they studied with Obama at Harvard and most of them dont stay at the campus because Obama's class mates dont stay in such inferior accommodation. They stay in Hotels and off campus accommodation which is a valid right though. But the president daughter as she was then was so humble to stay with us inside the accommodation offered by the school management , rejected by these Obama classmates who goes by the name Bar 1 studentsIt took the visit of the former First Lady, Mama Peace who visited the campus(The first time a sitting first lady visited Law school)to see Endurance and her other daughter Faith who was equally staying with us inside the school campus for the world to knew who she was. People were left in a state of awe of her humility and down to earth personality and Obama kids known as Bar 1 students who apparently have been reading about Mama Peace on Bella Naija were stunned and speechless of the kind of babe she was and her down to earth disposition

One act sold Endurance to me that compelled me to write this, During the presidential election in March this year that myself and my team monitored and were doing real time report on  social media,   she was tensed up as every other person that supported Good luck but guess what: She followed me all through there to monitor the results and not only that she followed, she compelled her husband Doctor Simeon to follow me too

I was accurately reporting that her dad Good Luck Jonathan was losing, she was still reading. , that bold initiative we did during the election made so many PDP supporters on my Facebook page  to hate me, some branded me APC pig while some out rightly deleted and blocked me for reporting the results as it were. Some folks took it further to unfollow me on Twitter 

I was cajoled, called names, insulted and one deranged guy went as far as calling SSS to arrest me for doing a real time report of the results but the direct beneficiary whose Dad was on the losing side never did, for our friendship. 

Ine Onyemachi does not have plenty friends but for few of us that she adopted as her own, she can go to end of the world and back, just for us

One of the friends that I know that live true to this creed of friendship

You have been bothered and worried about my single status, it worries you more than every other person I know but dont worry, I have seen her and you know the person. Lol

It is your day Endurance my friend, drink that champagne on my head, I will pay no matter the outrageous cost because It is you.

*side eyes*

Well Happy Belated birthday to Ine..we await news of the arrival of her pitter patter of tiny feet.