PREFACESome are born great; some achieve greatness; some have greatness thrust on them.
- William Shakespeare
Air Vice Marshal Christian Ndubisi Chukwu was neither born great nor had greatness thrust on him. He achieved greatness by sheer hard work and providence. But in this, his story would be scarcely unique. It would seem that most great people all over the world started life from humble beginnings. Check out the biographies or autobiographies of the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa and Moshood Abiola. Read about Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela. Then Abraham Lincoln, regarded as the foremost American President and one of the America’s founding fathers. In our own generation, read the story of Barack Obama who rose to become the first African-American President of the United States. None of these great people could be said to have been born great or had greatness thrust on them. All achieved greatness by dint of hard work. Yet, Aliko Dangote, the present richest man in Africa may have been born with silver spoon but, by his own account, while in primary school, he used to buy and sell sweets – not for fun but to make money.
Yet, as you begin to study the lives of great people, you discover that though they may have something in common in their humble beginnings, along the line their stories become unique. This is also true of Air Vice Marshal Christian Chukwu. In fact, in his case, the story is not only unique but exceptionally so.
AVM Christian Chukwu was the seventh son of ten children, seven boys and three girls. The mother had hoped he would be a girl so that she would be going to Omugo. But not yet. She would have daughters, three of them in fact, but that was after Chris, this child of destiny. Did I just say “destiny”? We have all heard about the stories of some people referred to as, “stranger than fiction.” The story of AVM Chukwu is definitely one of them.
There is a chapter titled, “Liberia: The Smell of Death”. It was not once, not twice but several times that AVM Chukwu smelt death in the course of his hazardous career, particularly during his ECOMOG mission. In fact, the smell of death ran from his father, Albert Chukwu, through his eldest brother and mentor, the legendary Sqn Ldr John Chukwu down to himself.
Yes, the smell of death had run through the family. His late father, Albert Chukwu, was lured into slavery by a teacher he was living with in his native hometown of Nenwe to Ishiagu in the present-day Ebonyi State. The chief of the town who had bought the little Albert of about 9 or 10 years planned to use him for sacrifice to the gods of the town. By Providence Albert came to know about the evil plan. He escaped into the thick forest in the middle of the night. He later recorded this episode in his diary. His escape was miraculous because he could have been devoured by wild animals or recaptured by the natives who were sent by the chief to comb the forest. Albert smelt death but he escaped and eventually returned to his family. Had he not escaped, obviously, we would not be reading the story of AVM Chukwu today.
The story of the late Sqn Ldr John Ikeokwu Chukwu, AVM Chukwu’s eldest brother and role model would require a book in its own right. Here was one of the best trained Nigerian fighter pilots who had already showed his prowess but found himself on the side of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. He was the leading Biafran fighter pilot who caused a lot of havoc on the Nigerian military targets at the early stages of the war. JC smelt death when his aircraft came under attack of Nigerian anti-aircraft batteries over a town in the Niger Delta and a bullet pierced his body and exited but missed his heart, spine and head. That was miraculous.
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| Sqn Ldr John Ikeokwu Chukwu |
John or JC as he was popularly called, was among the pioneer Nigerian Air Force cadets sent to train in Germany in 1963. Among his course mates was Ibrahim Alfa, a lifelong bosom friend who after the war sought and took JC out from where he was hiding with the family and ensured that he was reabsorbed into the Nigerian Air Force. That rare account of former friends turned warring enemies and later re-uniting as friends again, is one of the stranger-than-fiction anecdotes in this book, which incidentally AVM Chukwu witnessed live as a boy of just nine years. That experience, according to Christian, was the motivation for him to become a soldier, and indeed serves as the starting point of this personal account of his military career. Thus, when unfortunately, we lost JC in 1978 at his prime, aged 35 years, due to illness, it was only a question of time before Christian Chukwu stepped into the giant shoes his brother left behind.
The story of AVM Chukwu is laced with adventures. During his Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) in the United States in 1982, he also caused some anxiety for his instructors. On a solo sortie one fateful night, his jet developed electrical fault. The control tower advised Chukwu to declare emergency so that he could be given priority landing. This dare-devil and self-assured fighter-pilot in the making declined the advice and went ahead to perfectly land the jet with what they call EXTD (excellent touch down). That incident raised his profile but also earned him the sobriquet, “that Nigerian student who flies around at night without light”.
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| Air Marshal Ibrahim Mahmud Alfa |
Now, if the younger Chukwu’s solo night flight experience in the United States was seamless, that was not the case with “Aggressors in Thunderstorm” later in Nigeria. It was another case of smelling death by the AVM. He and three other “Aggressors” had gone for military exercise, named, DOKO NDAPONGI around Bida in 1987 with four Alpha-Jet aircraft. They had successfully completed the simulation of the battlefield interdiction, with the army troops. When the Aggressors finally departed, bad weather had enveloped the Kaduna military base and they were diverted to the civilian airport. Meanwhile, they were all running out of fuel and the weather at the civilian airport was equally terrible. While the pilots were manoeuvring their jets with poor vision, Chris almost collided with another aircraft. According to him, if he had stretched out his hand, he would have touched that aircraft. Instinctively, he ducked expecting to hear a bang but as he did not hear any, he knew he was still alive. As a very experienced jet pilot, Chukwu made quick decisions and diverted to Zaria where he managed to glide the jet to land at the small airfield with fuel virtually at zero. This narrow escape was the first time he personally experienced what they had been told during training, about pilots’ knees involuntarily knocking together after a narrow escape. He later learnt that the rest of the aggressors also experienced the same thing!
There are several of these near mishaps which would hold the reader spellbound. Most of these happened during his altogether nineteen months of participation in the ECOMOG operations on many occasions, between 1990 and 1994. They included what he calls, “Mysterious Spin over the Atlantic” and “Near Death at Omega Tower.” However, the climax of these near-death missions is titled, “A Date with the Rebels.” Their mission was to destroy the convoy of trucks conveying Charles Taylor’s troops and ammunitions to Buchannan Port. As is often the case, Chukwu was leading the attack with a wingman. With professional efficiency he accomplished the task and was ready to return to their base at Lungi airport in Sierra Leone. Alas, his jet was hit by anti-aircraft canons and a large part of the canopy was blown off, missing his head by inches. Before long the remaining chunk of his canopy broke off and the plane was virtually tumbling. If he ejected, he would either have been caught by enemy troops or devoured by crocodiles or other wild animals in the swamps below. Chukwu finally decided to head to Spriggs airfield regardless of the long-range artillery fire from the enemy. He landed safely without canopy, applying the necessary procedures from his several years of training and experience. There was wild jubilation among his colleagues in Lungi, when eventually he and his wingman arrived there that night. Before then, there was much panic because of the news put out by the Taylor’s men that they had shot down two Nigerian jets. In fact, that rumour also reached Nigeria and naturally to Nenwe people. For Chukwu, “This was one of those missions I will never forget.”
If one were to summarise the military career of AVM Chukwu in one word, one could say it was a life of encounters with death at every corner but surviving to tell the story the next day. But it is also the story of military professionalism, excellence, brilliance, hard work, courage, devotion to duty and above all, love of fatherland. Indeed, it is a fascinating and inspiring story.
Enough of the hazardous zone. There is also the life of the soldier which is full of training, simulations and exercises, particularly in peace time. For the fighter pilots, aerial demonstrations are their stagecraft. From 1st October 1985 as a young Fg Offr, up to attaining the rank of AVM, Chukwu was involved in virtually all aerial demonstrations of the Nigerian Air Force, whether during National Day celebrations or the Nigerian Air Force Day celebrations.
The most memorable of the AVM’s aerial demonstrations was the Air Force Day celebration of 15 April 2000 held in Enugu, his home State. As a Wing Commander then, Chukwu was the leader of the four-ship L-39 aerobatic team and the one who performed the solo aerobatics. Chris was at his best in the aerial manoeuvres. As I read the account, of what he was doing with the jet up in the sky, with several turns and even inverted flights and landing in a short distance, involuntary tears of admiration were running down my cheeks. One can then imagine how the spectators who watched the show live felt; spectators that included his family members and particularly his mother!
Chukwu attained the zenith of his career in the Nigerian Air Force with promotion to Air Vice Marshal (Major General) in 2010 and disengaged on 13th August 2016, after excellently serving his country for 37 years. He deservedly earned his promotions and has been honoured in several circles, including by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria Air Force and his Nenwe Community. The Federal Government first conferred on him the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and in 2000 upgraded it to the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). In 2017, his hometown, Nenwe, bestowed on him the title of NKPUME NENWE (ROCK OF NENWE).
AVM Chukwu, to borrow from Julius Caesar, has come, seen and conquered. He was not only a brave fighter pilot but also an instructor pilot who brought up generations of fighter pilots. In doing so, he instilled in his students, high level professionalism, discipline and courage. In his military career, he believed that one must go the extra mile if one wants to achieve extraordinary results. For this, he advised young pilots to operate “with the highest level of proficiency … they will need the survival instinct and the angel of good luck on their side.”
Chris is a very fulfilled man, an officer and complete gentleman. Very unassuming, approachable, religious, humane, highly respectful and respected, the comments on his personality and character by some close colleagues who cut across ethnic and religious affiliations, included in this volume, are very inspiring. He is known to have always assisted both subordinates and colleagues to further their career, because, as one of his colleagues, AVM Zannah, revealed, “Chukwu, because he is sure of himself, therefore he never sees anybody as a threat to his career”. In the same vein, he has been providing guidance to young people both from his community and across Nigeria to make a career in the military. Characteristic of his humaneness, he reproduced in this volume his emotional Ode (Tribute) to some of his fallen colleagues. Furthermore, AVM Chukwu, though he did not amass wealth, has decided to be touching the lives of the less privileged with whatever resources are available. To this end, he and his adorable wife have established a charity organisation they named, in memory of the two great mentors in Chukwu’s life, JohnAlfa Foundation.
This memoir of the life and military career of AVM Chris Chukwu, is simply unputdownable. It is a privilege and honour for me to be among those who read the manuscript and to be requested to write the Foreword. It is a story of courage and adventures with remarkable anecdotes. We often hear about something being one in a million. This book perfectly belongs to that category. It should be an inspirational book not only for those aspiring for service in the Military in general and Air Force in particular but also for the Nigerian youth in general. For military authorities and the general reader, it is a must read for knowledge and relaxation.
Professor Mike Maduagwu
Directing Staff,
National Institute for Security Studies. Bwari – Abuja.
(Former Senior Fellow/Directing Staff
National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru – Jos).
May, 2020.
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EDITED VERSIONS OF COMMENTS
This autobiography is indeed a masterpiece on the life journey of Air Vice Marshal Christian Ndubuisi Chukwu so far. Certainly, it is a commentary depicting an insight into the environments in which he grew up and worked. Generally, his sojourn through the Nigerian Air Force, and particularly his escapades as a fighter pilot was aptly captured in this exciting book. It will be an interesting read for all book lovers across board and should serve as motivation for younger readers who may wish to have a career as pilots in the Nigerian Air Force.
While in Service, he brought to bear appreciable courage, tenacity, integrity and excellence in executing specified and assigned tasks, while appropriately applying the experience so acquired in dealing with issues outside the Service. Overall, he exhibited exemplary leadership in his personal and professional conduct, which endeared him to superiors, contemporaries and subordinates alike. Congratulations on this onerous achievement and best wishes always.
AIR VICE MARSHAL MOHAMMED S USMAN
Chief of Defence Intelligence, Nigeria
Reading through the scintillating life history of AVM Christian Ndubisi Chukwu held me spell bound for several days. This book climaxes the dexterity of a man bound in several talents. It could not have come at a better time than now that it seems excellence has taken flight in our national mores. Many of those who come across Christian, on the face value, may be tempted to take him for granted due to his unassuming nature. However, beneath that simplicity is a sapphire. A man so determined relentlessly, even in the face of mounting difficulties in the nation, to strive to be the best he can be, as vividly captured by this memoir. I am glad that he eventually acquiesced himself to render his story for the benefit of younger generations of Nenwe, Enugu State and the Nigerian Air Force. It is indeed a biography like no other.
AIR COMMODORE CJE OZOEMENA (rtd) fdc
Ogbanukwu II
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Avm Chris Chukwu
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FOREWORD
I am delighted to comment on the book “Wings of Distinction” — Career Memoir of a Fighter Pilot” by Air Vice Marshal Christian Ndubuisi Chukwu, OON (rtd). The publication of the book is indeed very timely, coming at a time that the career experiences of distinguished senior officers are needed for the guidance and motivation of serving members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the junior and mid-career officers, in the face of daunting national security challenges.
A memoir is a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge. This is exactly what the author has articulated in his “Wings of Distinction” presented in 3 parts — early life, operational experience and fruits of distinction which detailed his personality, non-military life and achievements. His local and foreign training prepared him for the exemplary operational accomplishments in the various tours of duty he had, especially during the ECOMOG operations. The “Wings of Distinction” is replete with accounts of enviable accomplishments of the senior officer during his 37 years of Service to the nation.
The experience as captured in the book are commendable and worthy of emulation, I hereby recommend the book to all serving and retired military officers as well as all stakeholders in military career development. I heartily congratulate the author for the publication, which is a remarkable asset to the promotion of Military Service.
General AG OLONISAKIN NAM
Chief of Defence Staff, Nigeria
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