It was ecstatic as I descended the belly of the earth. I stayed underground for about thirty minutes. I was so many feet below the earth but it was as if I was still on the surface of the earth,with the same atmospheric pressure. It was all fun.
The place is the Ojukwu bunker an unsung wonder of the world. It is located at the Okpara avenue, off government house umuahia. In front of the bunker is just a normal building- an upstairs but there is more to the building than meets the eye. Behind the upstairs the Ojukwu bunker lies underneath the ground. Underneath the ground is buried a massive structure.
It was constructed during the Nigerian civil war with a meteoric speed of just three months by two Biafran great minds, an engineer and architect. The bunker has facilities like offices for the Late Biafran General Chukwuemeka odimegwu Ojukwu and his secretary. It also has a room, toilet, kitchen, and a store for the late leader. Also inside the bunker is a conference room for the meeting of Biafran leaders of thought and a safe for keeping of sensitive documents. There is also a VIP cell inside the bunker to detain prisoners of war.
One important feature of the underground bunker is that it is chilled all times. It maintains a very cool temperature. This is made possible by air vent constructed with pipes and connected to the surface to let in fresh air and cool the entire bunker.
Another wonder of the bunker is that it is bomb proof. That is to say that no amount of bombardment can affect it. And in spite of all the bombings of the civil war it is still standing till this day. And in the case of any siege by the enemy there is an escape route at the back of the bunker. This is made possible by an iron ladder that runs from the base to the top which is fastened to the concrete wall. The Ojukwu bunker is ideal for family and group visit. It is also kids friendly but kids are not allowed to exit through the escape route to avoid fatal fall from the more than twenty feet iron ladder. The bunker also boasts of a bar and restaurant for the relaxation of visitors.
As I exit the ojukwu bunker through the escape ladder I wondered why what would have easily passed as one of the wonders of the world is kept mute and nobody is talking about it. There and then I resolved to sing this ‘unsung wonder of the world’ upon the roof top.
Peradventure, you find yourself in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, then the Ojukwu’s bunker should be paramount on the list of interesting places to visit in umuahia. It is a must visit. Come on let’s sing this ‘unsung wonder of the world’.
Click here to view the Photo album of the Ojukwu bunker.