Ochuko Tonukari

Ochuko Tonukari (born February 9, 1981) is a  Nigerian journalist, digital publisher, poet and short story writer. His stories are known for their nostalgic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Back in his native Urhoboland, Ochuko is known as a narrative historian, especially as he emphasized popular facets of Urhobo history and culture using features of colorful characters and historical vignettes, in addition to his use of basic plots, dates, and analyses. Despite the fact that his works are well researched and supported by footnotes, they are not generally presented in a rigorous academic style.

Early life
Ochuko was born Tonukari Ogheneochuko in Sapele, on February 9 1981, to Mr. Philip Tonukari and Mrs. Rose Tonukari who are both devout Catholics. Ochuko's mother and elder sister Eloho told him many stories as a child, which greatly shaped his worldview. In 1985, his parents relocated to their home-town Isiokoro, the headquarters of the present day Ethiope East Local Government Council. Isiokoro is a rural background that tended toward traditional values of the African kind. It was mainly a farming community when Ochuko was young, the crops grown there such as yams, plantain, cassava, corn, sugarcane, pumpkin, and okra were cultivated largely by families and clans. His father came from a background of hardworking peasant whose ancestors were all highly respected members of the community.

Education
In 1986, Ochuko entered Agbon Primary School Isiokolo and completed in 1991. Ochuko also earned a reputation in his childhood for being rebellious, leading his primary school teacher to label him as "a wild child". The same teacher who labelled Ochuko as a wild child was to see him later in life and was quick to note how he has transformed into a calm and gentle young man.

As a child, Ochuko read fervently; among his favorite authors were Chinua Achebe, S.M.O Aka, and V.C Andrews. After the death of his father, he was taken to Calabar by his eldest half brother to continue his education. Ochuko was admitted to Army Day Secondary School, Calabar in 1991 and finished in 1997. In 2001, he was admitted to Delta State University, Abraka to read Library and Information Science and he graduated with honours. After graduation, Ochuko was posted to Taraba State for his national youth service, and there he became an English instructor at Federal Government College, Wukari. A year later, after the service, he came back to Delta State where he worked as an editor of a magazine in Sapele, the city of his birth. As an editor, Ochuko played a vital role in bringing Urhobo history and culture into the mainstream.

Journalism/Writing career
After his first degree education, Ochuko became a reporter for the Urhbo Voice, where he wrote several articles bordering on women, relationships, Urhobo culture and Urhobo personalities. Up-till-date, he has researched and written extensively on different aspects of Urhobo Culture.

Books in Progress
Ochuko is currently working on two books, "The Woman I Want To Be" and "Nigeria Everyday Hero". These two books aim to express his strongest belief that Nigerians have an inner strength that needs to be utilized.

Influences
Ochuko has been influenced by a lot of factors. In his words, he knew he could become a writer after reading Amos Tutuola's book, The Palm-Wine Drinkard. He expressed: "the first time I read Tutuola, I told myself that if this man,with his limited English could write, then I could do it better". He discover from Chinua Achebe that the best way to write, is to write about the subject you know very well. This was how he began to reconstruct the history and historiography of his native Urhobo people.

Personal life
Ochuko has been into a couple of relationships, and has discovered a lot of facts about women all through the years. As he mature into a man, he discovers, as he put it, "that most of the blames we guys cast on women are our faults. If only we could look inward and see that we have our own share of blame".

In 2003, his eldest brother, Duke, died after a ghastly motor accident. The Tonukari family issued this statement shortly after the death: "We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the sudden death of our beloved Duke. He was our nucleus and our rock and his death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives.”

Spirituality
Ochuko strongly believes in spirituality as the true way to get to the divine. In a recent interview, he said: "A couple of years ago, I discover the need for me to start talking to myself, to become more spiritual and to try to understand, in clear terms, the true meaning of life. As I looked inward into my true being, I discover that, many at times, especially within our immediate clime, there is a certain kind of indefinable greatness that lies somewhere near. If only will could allow ourselves to evolve more spiritually, what i call developing the sixth sense organ, we could get there faster than we thought. Greatness is just a mile a way, beckoning at us". Then he added: " The greatest joy i ever felt out of life is seeing myself doing that which my mind, and everyone around me told me i can't do. But since i had no choice, i was force by life's circumstances to try the impossible. This is a true story. Today, I almost can't believe it. I give God the glory!"

Then in another occasion, he was quoted as saying: "I use to think religion is the heart of human life, the core channel that avails us the fastest means to reach the divine. But just yesterday, as I came upon the world spirituality, it seems to take a whole new meaning altogether. As I yearned more for an ultimate, immaterial reality, an inner path to enable me discover the essence of my being, something compels me to take to meditation, confession, prayer and fasting. My experience includes that of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; my confusions were giving ways to answers".

Again, he stated in an interview: "I was looking for an opportunity to use my inner energy, like never before, but I felt an inbuilt inferiority complex telling me I was not good enough. Then, I met an uncle of mine who left me with the greatest secret no one has ever told me about creative writing, and that is "write the way you think!"

Interests
Ochuko has spent much of his free time in sporting activities, playing football, as well as table tennis. He is a very diverse young man who passionately enjoys fishing, creative writing, cooking, traveling, gardening, reading, listening to music and playing scrabble. He has work in different capacities and has stayed in different part of Nigeria. In his secondary school days, he dabbled into acting, appearing in an amateur productions of a comedic nature, a spin-off of which continued later in his life, as evidenced by his organizing of a small comedy gala to celebrate his 27th birthday.