Service Of Songs On-going For Joe Anatune
The great Joe Anatune, Nigeria's foremost brand management expert and Advertising guru's service of Songs on-going with friends and family members in full attendance in Awa
The legendary Advertising guru will be laid to rest tomorrow at his Country home in Awa
Chief Joe Anatune, (Onwa 1 of Awa) died on 30th of April 2022 at the age of 62 years
PROFILE OF LATE JOSIAH CHUKWUDI ANATUNE, AKA ONWA N'AWA
Josiah Chukwudi Anatune, simply known as Joe, lived a live of selfless service to God and humanity before his demise. His 62 years life on earth was colourfully endowed with brilliance, excellence, simplicity, leadership/administrative prowess and speed.
As early as age 5, when his mates were still cuddling with and taking care of their younger ones in the homes, his father, Late Chief Gabriel Anatune, enrolled him into primary one at Primary School Awa, Orumba North LGA in Anambra State. It was such that most of his classmates were 3 to 5 years older than he, though his huge figure which was a family trait helped to make up his underage.
Joe was the darling of the father who was a community leader, a Church worker and an enthusiast of Western Education. The father had taken notice of his speedy development in life and thought, as a good and watchful guardian, that Joe was naturally ahead of his peers.
His excellent and brilliant endowment manifested very early in life. In almost all the examinations that he took during his school days, he was always top of the class. And in his terminal examinations, Joe graduated with the best of the grades - Grade one in his First School Leaving Certificate, Distinction in WAEC and Second Class Upper in his First Degree at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
In his secondary school days at Emekuku High School, Owerri (1975 - 1979), he took part in, and emerged overall best in a nationwide essay competition being organized for secondary school students by the then Post and Telegraphs (P&T) of Nigeria.
Consequently, P&T awarded Joe automatic employment on his graduation from secondary school.
He took up the employment but quickly jettisoned it to further his education as his first attempt at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination came out with success.
He was thus admitted to read Marketing at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1980.
Following his brilliant performance as a marketing student, Joe was among the few marketing graduates selected by the then body of Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria, AAPN, to join the advertising career in any of the member advertising agencies in existence then. That was how he joined the Dawn Function, a leading Enugu based Ad agency in the South East. Within a few years of joining the organization, he was drafted to establish Dawn Function in Lagos as Executive Director. He later became the Managing Director. In 2003, he founded the b3 Communications Ltd which later became a house name in the industry.
Joe was a golden fish in the advertising Industry in Nigeria. He was such an advertising guru that his colleagues would address him as "Big Joe with Big Ideas." Yes, Joe would not go for any advertising pitch without a resounding "big idea". Thus, he managed notable accounts of corporate and product brands in Nigeria, including Mercedes Benz, Union Bank, May & Baker, Dangote Foods, Partnership for Health Services (PATHS) and so many others.
He also serviced a good number of government and public agencies, including Standards Organization of Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Sports Commission, etc.
Joe would bring his marketing expertise to bear in almost every field of life or human organization. When he joined the League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) and was elected the Publicity Secretary of the organization, he sold the vision so massively that the body became the toast of most elites in Anambra State.
Again, when he led the greatest political movement in Anambra through the Soludo Promoters Forum, SPF, - a project he pioneered to enlist Anambra elites to support Professor Chukwuma Soludo's gubernatorial bid (2019-2021), the support and followership he garnered was massively mind-blowing.
No doubt, Joe's marketing prowess went a long way in selling the Soludo mandate effectively to Ndi Anambra.
Perhaps, Joe's greatest behavioral assets were his humble spirit, tolerance, never-say-die spirit and ever smiling disposition. These endeared him to people and would make everyone ready and willing to accept him as a leader.
Indeed, Joe was a huge blessing to his society. The tremendous contributions to the enthronement of the current Soludo Solution government of Governor Soludo earned him the Chief Media Aid to Prof Soludo. On April 19th, Joe was appointed as a cabinet member of the governor as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra Signage and Advertising Agency.
He had barely spent few days in office when the cold hand of death took him away from this mortal world. It was just just a great loss that caused many to weep profusely.
Alas Joe would live on in the heart of many. His master piece writings will endure from generation to generation: many would never forget his closing line: "Be of Good Cheer!" in every of thrilling stories.
Joe died in Amaku Teaching Hospital, Awka after a brief illness. He was survived by his lovely wife, Ifeyinwa Anatune and two wonderful children - Chinedu (Computer Engineering graduate) and Ada (a medical doctor).
It's indeed sad to say goodbye...to a great man who touched everyone's life!!!