Professor Simon Ottenberg: Memoirs of Hon. Nnachi Enwo as narrated by his son, Dr. Otu Nnachi Enwo

Sometime in the 1950s, a young American research fellow called Simon Ottenberg was introduced to my dad, Mr. Nnachi Enwo, by the Administrator of Afikpo Division. Nnachi was ten years older than Simon, but his charismatic nature meant that they both got along very well. Having such a confidant made Simon's research work much smoother for him. Nnachi's father was a community leader who was appointed a Warrant Chief by colonial Britain in 1913, so again, it was not surprising that Nnachi accepted to guide “Si” during his research (Fig. 1). Mrs. Jane Nwachi was the field assistant of Dr. Phoebe Ottenberg, Simon's late wife.Although Simon lived in the more comfortable Government Quarters, hestill integrated with the community. This really endeared him to the people of Afikpo. He was initiated into the Ogo cult, a cult that every Afikpo boy must be initiated into to become a man. I recall the story that during the initiation session that year, honeybee swarms attacked people during the ceremony and Simon had to sleep in his car as initiates are not allowed to go home until the following day.During one of his visits, Si sought to know more about double descent in Afikpo community. Nnachi took him to witness a meeting of one of the matri-lineal descent groups (Ikwu) called Ibe Okwu. Simon was made an honorary member of Ibe Okwu and remained so until his death. Again, this made Simon very popular with Afikpo people.I was named Otu at birth, about the time of one of Simon's visits, so Dad and his friends fondly called me Ottenberg. I didn't get to meet my namesake untilI had graduated as a medical doctor. Simon told me that his father, Reuben, was a hematologist and worked in the same laboratory as Karl Landsteiner, who discovered blood group types in humans. Given my own medical background, I was intrigued to have become associated with the son of the first hematologist to successfully carry out blood transfusion in humans using the Landsteiner ABO blood types. This connection made us even closer, and throughout the years we maintained regular contact.Simon appeared at first to be a strict personality. At the end of the British colonial rule in Nigeria, elections were held into the Federal House of Parliament in 1959. Dad contested this election (and won), and he canvassed for funding support from his close associates and friends. When he approached Simon, Si told Dad that he was advised by his sponsors to stay away from politics, so he could not help him. This, however, did not affect the relationship between them. Then came the Biafran civil war in Nigeria that affected Afikpo and the whole of Eastern Nigeria. I understand that Simon helped to raise money for humanitarian aid to Eastern Nigeria during the war. After the war, Afikpo was in dire straits as it was completely razed to the ground. We had to rebuild from scratch and, surprisingly, no Afikpo person received a scholarship to study in University of Washington through Prof. Simon Ottenberg.As Simon was completely integrated with Afikpo during his research, he was regarded as one of our own. He visited Afikpo after the war and was duly honored with a chieftaincy title Enyo Ehugbo (Ehugbo mirror) and given a symbolic key to Afikpo, which afforded him unhindered access to Afikpo (Ehugbo). Afikpo people are eternally grateful to Prof Simon Ottenberg for recording their culture and, through his publications, spreading it to the entire world.My career has taken me to London, England where I work as a consultant neuroanaesthetist in the NHS. Simon visited me in London in 1997 when he came over to examine a postgraduate student. He later sent me copies of my family ancestry, which he documented in 1953—a treasure I very much cherish. I reciprocated Simon's visit when I traveled to Seattle in 2018. Simon and his wife, Carol, received me and my wife, Lois, very warmly. I was pleasantly surprised when he took me to his bookshelf and brought out all the books he had written on Afikpo, autographed them, and gifted them all to me. Simon also took us to visit the Seattle Arts Museum where Afikpo culture is on full display (Fig. 2), and kudos to the curators, although I wish some Afikpo indigene were available to add more depth to the narration, going forward.It was a pleasure knowing Prof. Simon Ottenberg, and on behalf of the Nnachi Enwo family I thank you for the opportunity to write this tribute to our dear friend.