GIST ME ON UM:THE UNTOLD STORY ABOUT ANAMBRA’S MOST FAMOUS TRIPLETS.

Coming in contact with these amazing and hilarious three with incredible qualities has been quite an experience for me and I often find myself in a fix when trying differentiate one from the other.

When I met Ekene, he made no mention of the fact that he was one of triplets, so I had no idea until I incidentally met Chiagozie in an eatery. I had stopped myself from approaching him when I noticed the slight difference in Chiagozie’s features. Nonetheless, the resemblance was unmistakable.

I had however, always heard about the trio through their projects, some of which were ‘Unizik Immortalizes Prof. Dora Akunyili’ ‘Unizik’s Project Fame’ ‘Unizik’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Season 1 and 2’. This kept me wondering how undergraduate students could organize, initiate and find sponsors for such programs that attracted personalities from far and wide and nearly shutting down the state.

Waiting to interview them collectively proved abortive and crippled my desire to create an exclusive content about them. Relentlessly, I resorted to tracking them down individually. I just wished to get an interview with one of them because they all sounded exactly the same!

The trio were born on December 5^th at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Enugu state, after a three months admission in the hospital to ensure intensive bed rest for the ‘Special Pregnancy’ as termed by the Chief Physician that handled the delivery session.

Ekenedilichukwu, Chiagozie, and Elochukwu Eze Umeanya are the last children of Hon. Arg. John and Evang. Comfort Umeanya. Who would expect any woman to continue reproduction after birthing three soldiers in a day? Their mother is often called ‘mama-ejima-ato’

They spent their early lives in Enugu state before moving to Anambra. The triplets were all admitted into Nnamdi Azikiwe University the same year after their celebrated graduation from secondary school.

According to Ekene, ‘When we were at the college, it was a routine ritual for all classes to present a three minute speech on stage during the morning assembly. At the end of the session, the best school speaker will be crowned. When it was my class’ turn, I was picked because of my neatness. I performed marvelously well. From that point on, my class began nominating me for speech delivery each time. Other classes were also borrowing my services especially the most senior class (SS3). It became my motivating factor to read study and speak more.’ He continued  ‘At the end of the first session of SS1, I took 25^th position out of 82 students. My form teacher could not believe that the best school speaker could not top his class. I remember vividly that she stood me up in front of other teachers in the general staff room and made a mess of my life and speaking career. 

That singular act pushed my brain to be more observant and store everything I read. I took 5^th position in the second session.By first term of SS2, I took first position, thereby topping the class and my brother, Elochukwu took third position. My ability to speak made me realize that I too was intelligent.’ Ekene further revealed that Chiagozie was tagged BOLD STEPPER for speaking for other students.

UM team members and I took very special interest in them after attending one of their major programs ‘Unizik Immortalizes Prof. Dora Akunyili’ which had the Vice Chancellor, top state representatives and the entire University community in attendance. The hall was rather unable to accommodate all the students, lecturers and special guests that came to register their names for this historic immortalization.

In the National Dailies newspaper, I got to know that the organizers of these events were two hundred level (200) students. Before their admission into NAU, they applied and passed the radio Unizik 94.1fm audition in 2011. As student politicians, Ekenedilichukwu became the first CEP student to be Faculty President of Social Sciences. Chiagozie and Elochukwu served as special advisers to the Student Union Government (SUG) president on various matters.

They do love speaking, travelling and changing lives through Inspirational/ innovative programs and project. Their major goal is to be the highest organizers and owners of the project that discover talents in youths in all of Africa.

After avoiding the question about the next project they are working on, Chiagozie later fessed up and said that their next project would be a nationwide symposium session with Nigerian Youths.

They intend getting married on the very same day too!