A national committee to organise the funeral ceremony of the former Governor of Anambra State and ex-chairman of the Igbo Elders Forum, Okwadike (Dr.) Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has been inaugurated.
The Committee with members drawn from the six-geopolitical zones is chaired by the former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja on Thursday, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hin. Benjamin Kalu, expressed the determination of South-East members of the House of Representatives to give Ezeife a befitting funeral, stressing that Ezeife lived a selfless life striving to move Nigeria forward.
Kalu bemoaned the incessant killings in the South-East and the various military operations in the zone, which he said his office is addressing through an enterprise and empowerment programme for youths across the Local glGovernment Areas of the zone.
He expressed confidence in the passage and presidential assent of the Bill seeking the establishment of South-East Development Commission, which had passed first, second and third readings at the House of Representatives to reconstruct and reconcile the zone with the rest of the country.
He described Ezeife as one of his models in leadership and good governance, advising political leaders to emulate his virtues.
Prominent Nigerians who spoke at the event including Dr. Mike Okiro, a former Inspector-General of Police; Chief Ben Obi, chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party; Chief Simon Okeke, a former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) among others, extolled the selfless activities Okwadike had engaged in before his passage.
In particular, Chief Obi recounted how former President Olusegun Obasanjo almost rejected the nomination of Dr. Ezeife as his political adviser, because he believes Ezeife was not amenable to speaking from both sides of his mouth.
He recounted how it took a lot of persuasion to convince Ezeife who was of the Action Congress to accept the appointment at the time.
Several others recounted how Ezeife always rallied around Nigerian leaders of different ethnicity each time there erupted ethnic disturbances or matter of such concern, to quell such disturbances.
Dr. Nwodo who recalled Ezeife’s role in unifying the different cultural groups in the country, emphasised that he will he highly missed.
The former Governor stated that the funeral ceremonies would begin in Abuja before the final event in Ezeife’s home town, Igbo-Ukwu in Anambra State, adding that “it will be a celebration of life of the elder statesman”.
Women and Youth groups also spoke at the even all eulogising the virtues left behind by the former political juggernaut.
