Obituary: Anezi Okoro OON (1929 – 2024)
By Ifeoma Esiri
I was privileged to meet Professor Anezi Okoro on the 19th of February 2013 when in response to a request from ZODML, he journeyed from Enugu to Lagos and spent time in our library with 26 starry-eyed students from Ireti Junior Grammar School, Ikoyi and Falomo Junior High School, Ikoyi. The students listened to him talk about his book; ‘Double Trouble’ which continues the story of the exploits of Wilson Tagbo, the protagonist of ‘One Week One Trouble’. He read to them, answered many questions, gave advice and shared gifts. In addition, he presented the library with copies of most of his YA books.
When I consider Okoro’s successes in medicine and literature it is difficult for me to say which profession is to be considered truly his own.
As a writer, he published his first book ‘The Village School’ in 1966 and then in 1972 his laugh-out-loud classic ‘One Week One Trouble’ was published. The book recounts the school life of Wilson Tagbo, who as the title suggests gets into trouble at least once every week. Okoro published some 15 books, mostly fiction in the Young Adult category with some medical books such as ‘Pictorial Handbook of Common Skin Diseases’, a translation into Igbo of Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare co-written with Nwaobiara Chukwueah and his autobiography, ‘From Arondizuogo to the World’. He was the Grand Patron of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Enugu Branch.
As a medical practitioner, he rose from house surgeon at University College Hospital, Ibadan in the late 1950s to become professor of medicine at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1975. He was West Africa’s first professor of Dermatology and visiting professor at the Medical College of Georgia, USA, in 1987 and the University of Minnesota, USA, in 1988 and professor of Dermatology at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1995.
His kindness and humility touched us. At the time he was 84 but did not hesitate to come for the session with the students, such was his commitment to the younger generation.
We mourn his passing but celebrate his life.
Rest in peace, healer, writer, teacher and friend. Your contributions to medicine, literature and humanity will endure for generations to come.
A selection of Okoro’s books is available from our library at 196, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
