September 27, 2013 is a day residents of Umuchima, Ubaha, Okigwe Local Government Area will not forget in a hurry. On that fateful day, a very unusual but deafening noise suddenly rented the air, accompanied by a rare spectacle that threw all and sundry into panic as they scampered into safety. The strange sound was later traced to the family home of a visually-impaired pensioner, Mr. Augustine Eke.
What further heightened people’s anxiety was when they also noticed a thick smoke coming from the hapless man’s compound. They had every reason to believe that Boko Haram insurgents had invaded the community. News quickly spread that a rocket had landed in Eke’s compound. They were right but it was not coming from Boko Haram!
Indeed it later turned out that there really was no cause for alarm as the rocket was nothing but a practical expression of the technological talents of an ex-student of Federal Government College, Okigwe, Gideon Chiadikobi Emenike and his friend, Chibuisi Nwafor. The duo fabricated and launched a rocket that travelled over five kilometres into the sky before crash landing.
Gideon speaks: “My name is Gideon Chiadikobi Emenike and my friend’s name is Chibuisi Nwafor. I studied in Federal Government College, Okigwe and I graduated last year. This project started when I was still in school. I was told to build a project in school for a competition.
“In my SS1, I built a helicopter. In my SS2, I was told to build another project. I built this rocket and we went for a competition in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. I came second in the competition with the project. This was at the national level.
“We also went for another competition organised by the Society for Science and Technology. I also came second. I also went for Olympiad and I equally came second there. I was told that I was going to represent Nigeria in Brazil but later, my principal said that I was no longer going to represent the country.
“I still don’t know why the principal cancelled the trip. This frustrated me somehow but later, I picked up from where I dropped and started again. I now met my friend at a learning centre. I found out that he had things related to science. We then pooled our brains together. “That was how we planned to build a rocket and a satellite, as well as sending it into space. It was an amateur satellite because you know we are not yet university graduates.
We just graduated from secondary school last year. “We have done this for now. I was really challenged when I heard that other countries were planning to launch satellites into space. It made me to think deep. This is what pushed me to do what you are seeing today. If government can adopt our technology, we can help them to actualise their dream of launching a satellite.
“This particular project was a mere attempt to reach a particular altitude. It was not fashioned to remain in space. This project came through after several experiments. If the Federal Government can sponsor us, we can take Nigeria to any level they want.
The boy’s father speaks
“My name is Friday Mgbemena Emenike. My son is curious about science. He got admission in University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, the last time. I tried to make him to study medicine but he rejected it and preferred to read aeronautic engineering. That was why he refused the admission. That is why he is still at home.
“He got an opportunity to travel to Brazil but the principal of his former school frustrated the move. He is intelligent. I am aware of this incident. When it happened, I didn’t feel too good till I learnt that the thing did not kill anybody and that it did not destroy anything. That increased my joy and I described it as the first victory.
The question everyone is asking is whether the Federal and State governments have taken note of the success recorded by these boys. What they will do with these boys thereafter equally remains a huge guess.
Excerpt from vanguardngr.com
