Kasie Abone
It was a homecoming that stirred both pride and gratitude. For two days, Abagana community came alive in celebration of their son, U.S.-based medical doctor, Dr. Josiah (Joe) Ekunno, marking his 85th birthday; not with flamboyance, but with thanksgiving, family togetherness, and acts of charity.
The celebration began at his country home, where colorful canopies were set, and the compound brimmed with relations, townspeople, and well-wishers eager to honor the octogenarian and his wife. It was the kind of gathering that carried the warmth of village kinship: kinsmen in flowing attire, women balancing trays of food, and music drifting into the twilight.
Food and drinks flowed in abundance, laughter filled the air, and tributes followed one another. His junior brother, Mr. Ikechukwu Ekunno, a pharmacist, raised a heartfelt toast, praising the celebrant’s generosity, steadfastness and echoed his cherished maxim: “Nothing in life is worth spilling one drop of blood.”
Then came a moment that drew tears: his junior sister, Dr. Uzoamaka Aguoji, unveiled a life-sized painted portrait of Dr. Joe, supported by his wife.
Uzoamaka, who had flown in from New York for the event, gave a moving speech, recalling how her elder brother had stood as a pillar for her and their other siblings. “I came to honor him in life, not in death,” she said, her voice breaking to thunderous applause.
The evening climaxed with music, dancing, and the cutting of the birthday cake. Joe and his wife, who have shared over five decades of love, held hands as they swayed gracefully to the rhythm, drawing admiration from younger couples. The celebration was ushered in with a prayer by Venerable Chinwuko of St. James Anglican Church, Abagana, where the next day, Ekunno would lead his family in thanksgiving and charity.
Thanksgiving and Giving Back
At the church service, Ekunno turned the spotlight away from himself and onto God. He made donations toward rebuilding a local primary school and contributed to his parish, emphasising that giving back was the truest way to mark milestones. “It was my desire to celebrate here with my people,” he told reporters. “I wanted to give thanks to God, and I wanted my people to be witnesses before Him.”
A Path Carved by Faith and Grit
His journey to this point was anything but easy. Inspired early by his grandfather, a village herbal healer, and his grandmother, a midwife, he saw healing as a noble calling. A personal childhood wound that required seven injections deepened his resolve to become a doctor.
But obstacles abounded. His father had envisioned a future for him in the classroom, not the consulting room. Yet, his dogged determination to study medicine drove him to seek admission at the prestigious Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha. With the deadline to pay the £21 school fees fast approaching, and the risk of losing his hard-won place, providence intervened. Help came in the form of a loan from Dr. F. C. Ogbalu, the renowned Igbo language scholar and a fellow townsman, who trusted that Josiah Ekunno Senior, then working in Ottah (in today’s Kwara State), would settle the debt upon his return.
“That was divine help,” he would later reflect. “If not, my journey might have ended there.”
Life at DMGS was far from comfortable. His bed was nothing more than a plank balanced on cement blocks. At one point, he owned just one outfit, which served both for school and for church. Yet, despite the hardship, he graduated with Distinction — and earned a scholarship that became his golden ticket.
With that scholarship, the young Joe pressed forward with excellence and in time, carved his path to medical school.
From Nigeria to the U.S.
Graduating in 1970, he worked in Nigeria briefly before leaving for the United States in 1975 to pursue residency and practical training. There, he built a successful career, overcoming the early barriers of race and bias. Though he had intended to return, Nigeria’s worsening economy and political instability made it impossible.
“When I left, the naira was strong. By the time I finished residency, it was sinking,” he said. “It was wiser to stay, work hard, and send money home.”
Despite the distance, his ties to Nigeria never weakened. He funded scholarships, supported medical missions, and mentored countless professionals. Yet he lamented the bureaucracy that discouraged Nigerian returnees. “Meanwhile Ghana opened its doors,” he said. “Today Ghana is far ahead in medicine, while Nigeria keeps losing her best.”
Medicine and Mentorship
Ekunno’s impact goes beyond personal practice. He treasures stories of patients who went on to live full lives because he took risks others would not. One such case was a young Nigerian woman in the U.S. who, under conventional treatment, would have been childless. “I treated her differently, and today she has four children,” he said with quiet pride.
He has mentored dozens of young nurses, doctors, and medical students, many of whom now thrive both in the U.S. and Nigeria. For him, this is the greatest legacy.
Love That Endures
At the heart of his life story is his enduring marriage. He met his wife as a medical student and, more than 50 years later, the bond remains unbroken. At his birthday celebration, the couple’s lively dance reminded guests of their younger days, when they once won a university dance competition.
Asked for the secret, he answered simply: “L-O-V-E. And putting God first.” His wife added: “In everything he does, he puts God first. That has kept us.”
Lessons at 85
Now in his twilight years, Dr. Joe Ekunno focuses on faith, peace, and gratitude. He keeps fit with daily walks, prays constantly, and advises people to live simply. “Don’t be envious of others,” he said. “Where there is peace, there is progress. My mission now is to remind my people that there is a supreme God, and He must be the center of everything.”
He does not measure success in wealth or titles but in faith and service. “Fear God. Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. Live in peace.”
As the celebrations wound down and the music faded, Ekunno and his wife stood hand in hand, smiling warmly at family, neighbors, and guests. At 85, his step is steady, his heart.
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