Caesar and 6 others

Born before television entered ordinary homes, he now keeps in touch on WhatsApp. Today, my father, Ogbueshi, is 100 years old. On November 9, 1926, the world he entered was almost unrecognisable. Queen Elizabeth II was a six-month-old baby. Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz and McKinsey were newly established. Television had just been publicly demonstrated. In Nigeria, the Union Jack flew over a British colony, and the Daily Times had only begun publication. He was 33 when Nigeria became independent. He was 39 when the first military coup came in 1966. He lived through the tragedy of Biafra, the return to civilian rule in 1979, and the long years of military government. In 1999, he witnessed the restoration of democracy, and he has now seen 27 unbroken years of it. He has travelled from handwritten letters to the telephone, and from the telephone to the smartphone. Today, he chats on WhatsApp, transfers money on his banking app, and still reads the news online. A man born under colonial rule now moves with ease through the age of artificial intelligence. Yet his life has not been made of change alone. He has buried all his siblings and outlived his two wives. He has known the joy of raising a family and the sorrow of saying goodbye to those he loved. Through it all, he has remained steadfast. His mind is clear. His health, within the limits of age, is remarkable. No terminal illness. No debilitating disease. As a teenager, I never imagined he would see 70. A hundred was beyond my imagination. November 9 has always been special to our family. My youngest brother was born on this day, and on this date, I married the love of my life at the Anglican Cathedral of the Advent, Life Camp, Abuja. This morning, we will gather around him and sing his favourite hymn, How Great Thou Art. On December 27, we will gather at St Andrew's Church, Obosi, where he was baptised, to thank Almighty God for a century of mercy. A hundred years ago, the world was different. Nations have risen, empires have fallen, and inventions once unimaginable have become ordinary. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: God's grace. Happy 100th birthday, Papa. Your life is our testimony. #100YearsOfGrace #chidoka100 Osita Chidoka 9 November 2026