Nigeria’s Oldest Newspaper Vendor, Pa Obinedu dies at 95, Reconciled With Wife Before Death

Awka Anambra state jolted yesterday when the news of the death of Nigeria’s Oldest Newspaper Vendor, Pa Ephraim Obinedu filtered in. Late Pa Obinedu died at the age of 95 years. He was a vendor for 75 years, according to him, in his previous interviews in national dailies, he said," I’ve been doing this since 1942, after I completed my elementary education at St. Peter’s CMS Central School,
Amawbia in Anambra State".

He died peacefully in his hometown of Ndikelionwu in Orumba North local government area of Anambra State. The Nonagenarian had  three years ago bagged an award from the Anambra State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), where in an interview he had disclosed that he would be glad to retire, but could not do so because he fends for himself from the proceeds of his sales and that he had no wife, children or relatives.

He also revealed that he was squatting in a room in his church, (Assemblies of God
Church) in Awka, through the magnanimity of his pastor who took him in.

His citation in 2011 had evoked a lot of pity from the audience, causing an immediate institution of a retirement fund for him, with
the trio of Capital Oil and Gas boss, Dr Ifeanyi Uba, Special adviser to the President, Senator Ndi Obi and the national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh raising about N1.5million for him, with promises of more.

Though he had told journalists that he would now retire, but three months after, Pa Obinedu was back in business with a renewed vigour.
Though his fellow vendors had complained that the award and retirement funds did not make a difference in his life, warranting them to question the whereabouts of the millions, but an independent investigation by this reporter had revealed that his church was managing the fund for him.

Rev Patrick Offor, (his pastor) had clarified that the fund was being used to build a modest bungalow for him in his hometown, and they took him back to the village for retirement as he had refused to retire, sneaking out at every possible time to vend newspapers.

Obinedu, among newspaper vendors was regarded as a bank of knowledge as they will surround him while waiting for delivery of supplies in the morning, and enjoy his story of great news stories that have made headlines in Zik’s West African Pilot, and other ordeals he suffered in the hands of government while selling banned newspapers.

For Mr. Chukwunwejim Chike, Sales Executive, The Sun Newspaper Awka, Pa Obinedu lived a life of emulation, adding that, “he is a peaceful human being, who is always punctual in things he does, even at his old age before he died. He is always the first person to come out before other vendors everyday and he is the vendor that pays him on daily bases without any problem.

Chukwunwejim also noted that what surprises him about late Pa Obinedu is that he sales only The Sun and he asked him why? He replied that "Sun is Our Paper, Igbo Paper", adding that everybody knew him with as a hard-working man. 

In a press release signed by the chairman of Awka Newspaper Distributors and Vendors Association chairman, Mr. Ogbonna
Iwuagwu , he stated that Pa Obinedu would be buried in his hometown in Ndikelionwu in Orumba North Local Government area on 23rd May this year.

Iwuagwu said that the news of Obinedu’s death was a shock to the vendors, and that he would be missed for his fatherly advice to the
association, just as he was a source of information to them.

“He knows by heart all the major newspapers of the post colonial era and can reel out to you the order in which newspapers were
established, with the headlines that made the biggest sales in each of the newspapers before, during and after independence.". Adding that,"he is a hard working vendor who was known  as a 'bank of knowledge'.

“We call on good spirited individuals to come and pay their last respect to this man who devoted his life to serving his fatherland
through the dissemination of information.
“We urge people to make donations towards his burial in any little way that they can, especially as he is not known to have any children”, he pleaded.

Obinedu finally was reconciled with his wife before his death but unfortunately the wife could not bear the death of the husband and died equally last week. This reporter could not confirm whether he had children with the wife before they parted ways.

From Emeka Onwudinjo