Anybody who wants to know what it takes to inhibit the earth for a century and a quarter should take a trip to Enugu Ngwo in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. There, he would meet and take tutorial lessons from Pa Jonah Okwor Onoh who was born in 1886.

In addition to meeting the living legend live there, he would also get first hand information about his exploits from those who have been living and interacting with him these past years at different forums – religious, social and traditional settings.

The inquisitive visitor would satisfy his curiosity about what it takes a 123 years old man to still walk around on his own, see clearly and interact freely. And to be able to ward off an armed robbery attack as Pa Jonah did on December 3, 2007.
Born an only son who even lost his father at an early age, Pa Jonah has lived long enough to be blessed with nine children, 40 grand children and many great grand children. Today, he is a study in doggedness, resilience, commitment and longevity.
He has not only lived to sire many generations; he has lived a fulfilled live as a devout Christian, Labour leader in the Nigerian Coal Corporation, a successful farmer as well as a respected senior citizen of his community.

That he is more than one hundred years old is not in doubt. His age grade, the Igorobi Age Grade is the oldest known age grade in Enugu Ngwo. And he is the only surviving member of that age grade. Even other senior age grades in the town that come after his own such as Odabara, Eguraamandom Udoka have since lost all their members to death. The closest person in age to Pa Jonah in the community was the late Pa Dennis Nnadi who died in 1993 at the age of 108 years.

Pa Jonah took to Christianity with zeal in 1934 and was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ which metamorphosed into the Assemblies of God Church in the town. And his commitment to the faith has remained undiluted as he punctuates almost every sentence with praises to God. Having lived so long on earth, it would be interesting to know if Pa Jonah can attribute his longevity, even if partly, to either orthodox or unorthodox medicine. When he is asked this question, the uncompromising Christian in him comes again to the fore. “I rely on God who is my source of help” he answers.

The pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, Enugu Ngwo, Rev Isaac Nnaji speaks about him in glowing terms. On the occasion of the celebration of the life of Pa Jonah on March 29 2009 when the church crowned him as the “Ecclesiastical Royal Father,” Nnaji said, “First we are here to celebrate the life of a man who had suffered social, economic and emotional deprivations for the sake of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in Ngwo in its embryonic stage in the early 30s when it was not fashionable to be a Christian. Pa Jonah has served in this church for the past 75 years.”
The title “Ecclesiastical Royal Father” is one Pa Jonah cherishes so much. All along, he had always refused to acknowledge when people call him “Igwe,” insisting that God is the only Igwe. But he wholeheartedly accepts the title the church crowned him with and basks in its glory.

As said earlier, Pa Jonah still has an active and alert mind and so is in touch with contemporary issues. He says political leaders in his state are con men who line their pockets with what should rightly belong to the people. He chastises former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani for concentrating development projects in his native town Agbani to the detriment of other parts of the state. He is even afraid that the present Governor may toe the same live but is only developing the townships now so as to impress the people so that he would get a second tenure in office.

Indeed, compared with the colonial masters, he rates indigenous Nigerian leaders of both military and civilian extraction lower. “The colonial masters were not perfect but were better” he says.
Things not only worked during the colonial era but in addition

The inquisitive visitor would satisfy his curiosity about what it takes a 123 years old man to still walk around on his own, see clearly and interact freely. And to be able to ward off an armed robbery attack as Pa Jonah did on December 3, 2007