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Tag: Dr Alex Ekwueme

  • Moghalu lauds Ekwueme’s contributions to Nigeria’s unity

    Moghalu lauds Ekwueme’s contributions to Nigeria’s unity

    Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Prof.  Kingsley Moghalu has eulogized former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme. In a speech delivered at the memorial service for Ekwueme in London, United Kingdom, Moghalu said the former number two citizen helped to unity the country.

    Excerpts….

    The great Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle once wrote. “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

    Nigeria sometimes feels like a nation that has lost its direction. In many ways, we are a country that sees excellence as difficult to achieve in leadership and many of us feel powerless to change it. Then every so often, someone comes along repackaging old promises in a shiny new box, telling us they are the answer to all our woes, only to leave us disappointed once again. What is the result? A place where almost 200 million people fight to secure their individual destiny, where the collective good is often an afterthought. That is not a country.

    Dr Alex Ekwueme spent his career and his life seeking to unify us all as a nation, using the weapons of honesty, integrity, and truth. As a business man, as a politician, and as a philanthropist, his goal was to always use the power of unity to build better things—whether it was a people, a party, or a country. His vision was to build a nation with one goal, and one dream, with all of us working as one to lift all our boats in collective prosperity.

    As we gather here today to remember the man we must learn from his legacy. Unity is a formidable weapon. It can move mountains, it can change tides. It can reform a nation and set us on a path to fulfilling our destiny as a true giant of Africa. We must learn to compromise—wisely—and accept our differences to come together for the greater good. The Ide was a man who ultimately believed in the equality of all citizens of Nigeria, and our ingenuity in finding solutions.

    As we remember his selfless work, we Nigerians must put our heads together to defeat our sense of persecution and speaking in one voice, aligned in purpose to build something great. Young and old, man and woman, we all must take the lessons from his life and apply them to everything we do, and Nigeria will be a nation reformed and reborn. We must learn to vigorously inspire each other using the strengths and uniqueness of our differences, the unparalleled skill of enterprise and the passion for innovation he that our people are famous for. The Ide pushed the cause for his kinsmen to fire the competitive spirit that built excellence in the nation.

    As we mourn our father, kinsman, mentor, friend, and fellow comrade, let us remember to uphold the values he believed in. Let us as citizens stride forward collectively and work for a more prosperous and egalitarian society. His legacy demands much of us; asking us to be active participants in seeking the leadership that can truly make Nigeria the very best version of itself as a country, of us as a people. To remember and honor him will not be in the eulogies we will share today but in our lives, expressing the values he lived for.

    We must move to make him proud by putting ourselves up for service to fill the big shoes he has left and work to right the wrongs of this nation. We must make Ide proud by ensuring Nigeria works even beyond what he would have dreamed. The iroko may have fallen but the seeds have taken strong root in fertile ground.

    On behalf of myself, and the entire family of the late Elder Isaac Moghalu, my late father, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of the Ide. Our thoughts and prayers are with his son, Pastor Goodheart Obi Ekwueme and his daughter Mrs. Chidi Onyemelukwe and her husband Dr. Okey Onyemelukwe, who are close friends of my wife and me.

    In his habits and in his actions, the Ide was truly a man who lived up to his name, Alexander, “defender of men”.

    May he rest in peace.

  • Ekwueme laid to rest finally

    Ekwueme laid to rest finally

    Second Republic vice president,Dr. Alex Ekwueme, took his final exit at exactly 2.40pm yesterday in his home town, Oko in Orumba North Local Government area of Anambra State.

    He was laid to rest in his expansive compound after a funeral service at St John The Divine Church, Oko, before a large number of mourners from all walks of life led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Osinbajo, head of the federal government delegation to the event, announced the renaming of the Federal University, Ndufu Alike,  Ikwo in Ebonyi State after the departed politician.

    He said the decision was in recognition of Ekwueme’s selfless service to the country.

    The former VP, Osinbajo said, practiced principles of personal sacrifice for others and would be remembered for many things not only by the people of the Southeast,  but the entire country.

    The first son of the late politician, Pastor Goodheart Obi Ekwueme, thanked the federal government for the gesture and for making the burial a memorable one.

    But he asked for more,a veiled reference to the deceased’s often repeated request for the upgrading of the Federal Polytecnic in Oko to a university of technology.

    Preaching at the service, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Rev Nicholas Okoh, said what the country needed to move forward was integrity in governance with its allied products of honesty, reliability.

    Okoh, who led over 50 Bishops and over 100 other clerics, said if the new breed politicians could behave like Ekwueme, that the country would be a better place for everyone.

    “What we need in Nigeria is integrity and its allied products,” he said.

    “If you are in politics and you do it without it, you will be embarrassed and if you are in business without it, you will collapse.

    “If we must rebuild Nigeria, we must bring back integrity into the system and it’s allied forces.

    “Is it not a shame that countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya just to mention a few are now greater than Nigeria?’

    He urged rapists, kidnappers, ritual killers, cultist and selfish politicians to repent.

    Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in a tribute said  Ekwueme was not the  typical Nigerian politician.

    Anyaoku, a close friend of the deceased, said  Ekwueme had left a remarkable legacy in three key areas-national and international service, politics and philanthropy.

    He said:”Alegi (his nickname for Alex Ekwueme) ,  thank you for your royal legacies to our politicians and the citizens of this country “

    Governor    Willie Obiano of Anambra State thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the South east governors for their dedication in making sure that Ekwueme got a befitting burial.

    The presence of All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President,  Namadi Sambo, at the funeral, drew a loud ovation from the massive crowd.

    Also in attendance were Governors Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia),Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos),and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe),as well as  a former Chief of  General Staff,Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe,   national chairman of the APC,  Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and his AGPA counterpart,  Dr. Victor Oye.

    Others were :former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of   Science and Technology,  Dr Ogbonnaya Onu;Minister of  Agriculture,  Chief Audu Ogbe;  former governors Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), James Ibori (Delta),  and  Bisi Akande (Osun); former chief of naval staff, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke;  Senator  Joy Emodi; Prof Jerry Gana; former Governor of Abia state, Senator  TA Orji, and   Senator  Jim Nwobodo.

  • FG inaugurates committee for Ekwueme’s State Burial

    FG inaugurates committee for Ekwueme’s State Burial

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday inaugurated the Committee that will oversee the burial arrangement of the late former Vice-President, Dr.Alex Ekwueme.

    Ekwueme had died in the United Kingdom on the 19th of November, 2017 at the age of 85

    Inaugurating the committee, Boss Mustapha eulogized Dr. Alex as a personality, who have served his fatherland meritoriously.

    The SGF assured the family members who are part of the Committee that Dr. Alex Ekwueme would be given a befitting and state burial.

    He told them that Federal Government would foot the bill and the evacuation of the body from London hospital.

    A statement by the Deputy Director (Press), Mohammed T. K. Nakorji, on behalf of the SGF listed the members of the committee to include Mr. Boss Mustapha – Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN – Member, Alhaji Lai Mohammed – Member.

    Other members are Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Senator (Dr.) Chris N. Ngige, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, Mallam Lawal Musa Daura.

    Also in the committee are Pastor Goodheart Obi Ekwueme, Prof. Osita Chukwulobelu – SSG, Anambra State, Dr. R. P. Ugo, FCIPM, FICA – Member/Secretary.

    The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr. Roy Ugo will also serve as Secretary.

  • Ekwueme: Varsities open condolence registers

    Ekwueme: Varsities open condolence registers

    St. Paul University, Awka, and Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, have opened condolence registers in honour Dr Alex Ekwueme, Nigeria’s first elected Vice President, who died in a London clinic on Nov. 19.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late Ekwueme had been the Board of Trustees Chairman of the St. Paul University since its inception in 2009 and chancellor of EBSU until his death,

    Prof. Uche Isiugo-Abamihe, the Vice Chancellor, St. Paul University, said in his tribute that Ekwueme’s demise was a huge loss to the university community.

    The vice chancellor noted that Ekwueme had undertaken major capital projects in the university, ensuring that it met all requirements that would facilitate securing full accreditation by the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC).

    Isiugo-Abamihe described Ekwueme as “irreplaceable and honourable chairman whose name would be written in gold in history of St. Paul university’’.

    “He was a patriot, a man of courage, a father and a trail blazer,’’ the vice chancellor stated, adding that his achievements would be built upon.

    Similarly, Chief Ikechukwu Abana, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, told NAN that the university had “lost a voice’’.

    According to him, Ekwueme, as BOT Chairman, was attracting personalities to sustain the university.

    A NAN correspondent who visited the university on Friday, reports that Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi and Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, was first to sign the condolence register opened late on Wednesday at EBSU after a management meeting.

    Similarly, Prof. Francis Idike, the immediate past Vice Chancellor, and other principal officers of the institution numbering about 16 have so far paid tribute to Ekwueme.

    His younger brother, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, who is also the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra, had issued a statement announcing the former vice president’ s death.

    Read Also: Oko Poly wants FG to immortalise Ekwueme

  • Senate urges FG to immortalise Ekwueme

    Senate urges FG to immortalise Ekwueme

    The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to immortalise the late former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, by naming the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, or other key federal institution or asset after him.

    This was sequel to a motion on “The Passing on of Former Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (1932-2017)’’, sponsored by Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, at plenary.

    He noted that the late elder statesman was an intellectual giant and “consummate professional’’, who pioneered architecture in modern Nigeria and paid his dues to the social, economic, and political development of Nigeria.

    “The late Dr Alex Ekwueme was a bridge builder, patriot and pan-Nigerian, who played a major role in the post-war reconciliation process in Nigeria.

    “As Vice President of Nigeria, Ekwueme led exemplary life of unassailable probity and unimpeachable integrity, such that even the military tribunal that tried him during his 20-month detention after the 1984 coup discharged and acquitted him.

    “The tribunal also empathically stated that Ekwueme left office poorer than he was when he entered it, and to ask more from him was to set a standard, which even angels could not meet,” Ekweremadu said.

    He described Ekwueme as a legend, fearless soldier of democracy, who, among other efforts, mobilised 34 eminent Nigerians on the platform of G34 to demand an end to military rule and pushed for enthronement of democracy.

    Contributing, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP -Abia) said the fondest memory of late Ekwueme was that he remained the only former vice president that left office and still became poor.

    Also, Sen. Bala Na’Allah (APC- Kebbi) said though the deceased hailed from the South East, he was “a single Nigerian” who contributed immensely to Nigeria’s democracy and future of the country.

    Na’Allah, who is Deputy Leader of Senate, called for the immortalisation of the former vice president in view of his loyalty to former President Shehu Shagari, with a national institution in Sokoto State.

    In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said the death of Ekwueme was a great loss to Nigeria.

    “He was a great patriot, detribalised and simple person that put Nigeria first.

    “Ekwueme will be missed by all,” Saraki said.

    On a voice vote, the motion was unanimously adopted.

    Read Also: Rain of tributes for Ekwueme

  • Ekwueme: End of an era- Bode George

    Ekwueme: End of an era- Bode George

    A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Monday said the death of Dr Alex Ekwueme signalled the end of an era.

    George, mourning the second republic vice president of Nigeria in a statement in Lagos, said his demise is a painful national loss.

    “He was a gentleman, a thoroughbred; civil, humble but yet radiated a powerful intellect and a scholarly presence, stripped of arrogance.

    “His death is the end of an era, a sad departure of one of the very significant symbols of those who dedicated their lives to the service of our nation,” George said.

    Read Also: Ekwueme dies at 85

    He said Ekwueme was a great patriot and an outstanding statesman who contributed immensely to the development of the country.

    While saying he would be sorely missed by all, he prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul and fortitude for the family to bear the loss.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ekwueme,  Vice -President between 1979 and 1983, died at 85 in London on Sunday night.

    He had been ill before being flown to the United Kingdom for further medical attention.

  • Alex Ekwueme: Obaseki commiserates with family, Nigeria

    Alex Ekwueme: Obaseki commiserates with family, Nigeria

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki has commiserated with the Ekwueme family and Nigeria over the death of the country’s first Executive Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, whose death was announced on Sunday night at a London hospital.

    Obaseki described the late Ekwueme as a visionary, peace-loving and a creative Nigerian who contributed immensely to the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy.

    “Specifically, his role in the struggle to return Nigeria to civil rule during the military era, under the dictatorial regime of General Sani Abacha is worthy of note,” Obaseki said.

    He also lauded Ekwueme’s numerous contributions to human development through his philanthropic activities and added that his famous proposition for six-geopolitical zones for the country, has to a large extent, helped in putting in clear perspective, the common demands of Nigeria’s minority groups for a platform that will advance their interests.

    Obaseki said that Dr Ekwueme will be greatly missed as Nigerians seek the best of ideas in the ongoing conversation for a greater Nigeria.

    “May the Good Lord grant the Ekwueme family, the good people of Anambra State and all Nigerians, the strength to bear the loss of a worthy son as Dr. Alex Ekwueme,” he noted.

  • Anambra: Ekwueme, Ezeife, Soludo disagree over APC, APGA, PDP candidates

    Anambra: Ekwueme, Ezeife, Soludo disagree over APC, APGA, PDP candidates

    The November 18, Governorship election in Anambra State, has pitted  the former Vice President , Dr Alex Ekwueme against former first Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) , Prof Chukwuma Soludo among others in the old Aguata Union (OAU) political bloc.

    While, Ekwueme has endorsed the Governorship candidacy of Mr Oseloka Obaze of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with his daughter Chidi Onyemelukwe as the running mate, Soludo and Ezeife have endorsed Obiano of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    But the youth, led by Emmanuel Agu had championing the candidature of Mr. Godwin Ezeemo of the Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA)

    Before now, it was celebrated by the APGA faithful that Ekwueme had given his nod for the re-election of Obiano in an interview he granted one Paul Nwosu some month back .

    Speaking with the PDP faithful at his Oko country home at the weekend,  Ekwueme who delved into memory lane on the formation of the PDP, said Anambra state had a kindred affinity and alliance with the party.

    Read Also: 2019 polls: Opposition parties ‘ll get few votes- Wamakko

    It was when he received Obaze, the PDP candidate his daughter Onyemelukwe with former Governor Peter Obi among others which attracted an unprecedented crowd.

    He said time had come to unseat Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and enthrone a PDP government in Anambra State.

    He said APGA was able to saddle the affairs of the state for 12 years because of the  protracted crisis in the PDP in the state.

    According to the former Vice President,”Anambra State is a PDP state from inception. We shall now continue with PDP. Time has come for us to take away power from APGA”

    For Obaze, who commended Ekwueme for his roles in the enthronement of democracy in the country in 1999 assured the people of simultaneous development of the state.

    He said his priority would be on education, adding that 26 percent of the state budget would be dedicated to education, while promising scholarship from nursery to Junior secondary school, if voted to power.

    However Soludo and Ezeife alongside two former Deputy Governors in the state, Dr Okey Udeh and Chief Emeka Sibeudu, had in meeting of the old Aguata union (OAU) at Amaokpala Orumba North Local Government Area last week, said the people should support Obiano as it was the surest way of the zone getting the Governorship in 2022.

    The eminent sons of Aguata said they were tired of producing Deputy Governor everytime which according to them was like a spare tyre, adding that they would never support that idea again saying “enough is enough”

    The youths of old Aguata Union (OAU), had tackled the pioneer Governor of Anambra state, Ezeife, Soludo and others over their call to the people of the area to support the second term bid of Governor Willie Obiano.

    The leader of the youth, Emmanuel Agu who opposed the meeting held by some members of OAU,  said it was natural that the people of the area should support their own in the person of, Mr Godwin Ezeemo of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA)

    Agu called on the Aguata leaders to stop such blanket endorsement on behalf of the people of the area, adding that enough is enough.

    According to him,” the purported endorsement is an imposition, it is not allowed  in a democracy. We refuse to continue in the ignorance of old men in our union, who collect money and sell our collective birth right “

    The youth said their reason was not enough as Ezeemo who came from Umuchu community in Aguata, was a member of the union and also gunning for Governorship on the platform of PPA and therefore should be supported by his people.

    The old Aguata union comprised of 45 communities and three  local government areas in the state.

    Meanwhile, majority of the people in the area are equally rooting for the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Tony Nwoye.

    Some them like Chief Hon. Okonkwo Okom, had faulted the endorsement of Obiano by some of the members of OAU, declaring that the prominent candidates in the Governorship election like Nwoye, Obaze, Ezeemo and Obiano had equal opportunity of emerging victorious during the election.

    He noted that what had prompted the blanket endorsement by some the members of the clan was because they were afraid of inroads APC had made in recent times after branding the party with all sorts of names in the past.

  • Ekwueme receives IPOB leader, assures him fatherly support

    Ekwueme receives IPOB leader, assures him fatherly support

    Former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme Wednesday, gave assurance of his fatherly support to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi NnamdiKanu.

    Ekwueme, who made the pledge when the IPOB leader visited him at his Enugu residence, assured that he would always give the IPOB leader the needed counsel.

    Kanu had told Ekwueme that “I have come to tell you that we find you invaluable in our advancement of our people and in our cause also to make life better for the public and for the masses.

    “So, I am humbled and delighted to be here and also to bring you up to speed as to what we have been doing, what motivated me; what motivated the IPOB to do what we have been doing.

    “It is more or less today an expression, a political expression to the yearnings and aspirations of the society; that’s what we are trying to do.

    “The sum total of the struggle by the IPOB, which I’m leading is to ensure that there is dignity of life.

    “And for us to fulfill that very mandate, we must be diligent, we must be focused, we must be sincere.

    “So, I have come here to brief my father as to why we‎ do what we do and to get his blessings; anything he tells me is what we are going to do, in so far as it advances our political course as a people.”

    Ekwueme said it was a pleasure receiving the IPOB leader after all his travails, stressing: “I thank God that he is free and able to move around.”

    “I will make my best counsel available to him in his very onerous task of leading an organization that is committed to bringing justice and equity among people, especially for our people”, he added.

     

  • Stop weeping for PDP, APC tells Ekwueme

    Stop weeping for PDP, APC tells Ekwueme

    Enugu State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme to stop weeping for the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ekwueme who was Vice President in the Second Republic while receiving members of the party’s Strategy Committee at his house in Enugu, said anytime he remembered the story of the party, he felt like weeping.

    Reacting to Dr Ekwueme’s statement that he felt like weeping for PDP, Enugu APC through its Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Kate Ofor said Ekwueme should instead of weeping for PDP, weep for Nigerians, who were depraved, bankrupted and deeply wounded by the unbridled corruption which was the trademark of the 16 years PDP’s rule.

    According to Offor, Ekwueme should weep for millions of Nigerian youths whose future were punctured by the looting of our commonwealth, hence decayed infrastructure, poor quality education and gross unemployment.

    “Or do we talk of thousands of mothers whose children go to bed hungry in the midst of plenty?

    “Our empathy goes to His Excellency, on his regrets that, ‘In 1999, we ended up with 21 out of 36 governors; South East and South South were all PDP. It was a strong showing, we also had control of the National Assembly; with that showing, all we needed to do was to manage the party properly as envisaged by the founding fathers, making it a mass movement and expanding its power base’.

    “The scenario envisaged by the founding fathers of the PDP floundered when billions of dollars were pocked and doled out by the high placed government officials, as exemplified by the former Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu. We cannot forget as well how the $23 billion meant for three Greenfield Refineries grew wings, leading to the present stress on the national currency, due to daily importation of refined petroleum products,” Mrs Offor said.

    The Enugu APC spokesperson appealed to Ekwueme to weep for Nigerians, not for PDP, which squandered our golden opportunity and nearly led Nigeria into a failed state.