From Maurice Okafor,Enugu.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has expressed dismay over the demise of two prominent Igbo sons,namely Rear admiral Ndubuisi Kanu[rtd],who was appointed the military administrator of Imo state at it’s creation in 1976 and closely the military administrator of Lagos state in 1977 Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide also expressed shock over the death of Senator Onyeabo Obi,who was a member of the upper National assembly from 1979 to 1983. Details of their death which occurred yesterday,Wednesday,January 21 is yet to be disclosed by the family.
A press statement made available to news men in Enugu yesterday evening, signed by the newly elected national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide,,Chief Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia described the two deaths as a chain of catastrophe to the Igbo nation. Ohanaeze said they are devastated because Ndigbo will miss the services of the two prominent Igbo sons known for their disarming intellect and wise counsel.
In the statement Ohanaeze Ndigbo described Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, [Rtd] to had at various times expressed profound pasion for his people by playing several roles in Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The statement read in parts, ”He was jovial, personable but firm and courageous inhis convictions. Throughout his carrier history,Kanu remained undaunted and exemplary.Admiral Kanu was a member of the Supreme Military Council (PMC) in 1975 under General Olusegun Obasanjo. At the creation of Imo State in 1976, Kanu was appointed the military administrator of Imo State where he made indelible footprints’.
‘ As a robust thinker, he engaged the service of town planners to prepare a master plan for Owerri metropolis; built durable roads and was instrumental to increasing the number of local government areas in Imo State to 21. Among his legacies is the Imo Broadcasting Service, which went on air in December 1976’
.According to Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, the late Rear admiral Ndubuisi Kanu was in 1977 appointed the Military administrator of Lagos State,based on his performance in Imo state and through his impressive records as a military administrator,was promoted to the enviable rank of a Rear Admiral and subsequently, the Chief of Naval Staff before his retirement.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo said that at retirement,, Kanu founded the RANGK LTD, a maritime consultancy. He was a chieftain of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) a pro-democracy movement that played a leading role in the agitation for the actualization of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Lamenting the demise of Senator Onyeabo ObI ,Ohanaeze Ndigbo recalled that in addition to serving as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1979-1983, the late federal lawmaker from Enugu state also served as the President of the ‘Otu-Oka Iwu’ Lagos,a body of Igbo prominent lawyers. While during the 1994 National Constitutional Conference, the late senator Obi worked assiduously with late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, late Chief Emeka Ojukwu and many others to produce an Igbo position paper.
Ohanaeze stated,’Like Kanu, the sagacity and outspokenness of Senator Obi will be missed. This is a chain of catastrophe very painful to bear’.
