Odili, Okocha Eulogise Ojukwu

The former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili last Friday made his fourth public appearance since 2007, when he left office as the helmsman of the state, to honour late Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The former “Golden” Governor of Nigeria, disclosed this last Friday in Port Harcourt when he chaired a public lecture in honour of the late former Military Governor of the Eastern Region, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, organised by the Rivers State government as part of activities marking the burial ceremony of the former Biafran warlord.

Dr Odili who gave three instances where he met and  interacted with the Ikemba  or Nnewi, said some of the actions of Ojukwu aligned with the agitations of the Niger Delta people.

The former governor described late Ojukwu as a brilliant, persuasive, motivational and eloquent speaker who had no problems in taking decisions that were forthright and backed them  up with action.

He cited the input of late Ojukwu on a controversial debate concerning the derivation principle for the Niger Delta area at the constituent Assembly by which he wrote his name as one of the supporters of the zone.

Dr. Odili in eulogizing the late former Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, noted that  death has left us with challenges to fight for the ideas of nationhood either as leaders or followers to be their brothers keepers.”

Also speaking the Eze Ndigbo in Rivers State, Eze Innocent Adiele Maduagwu, said the late Ojukwu fought against injustice, oppression and tribalism, emphasizing that the refusal to implement the agreement reached at Aburi, in Ghana led to the Nigerian civil war.

In his lecture, Mr Onueze C. J. Okocha (SAN), challenged the people of the old Eastern Region to begin to rebuild the unity and forge common grounds for collaboration among the like the other regions.

Mr Okocha who spoke on “the Eastern Region: Reminiscences,” described Ojukwu as a man of principle, equity and fairness, noting that he was a person of great pedigree, a philosopher and a visionary leader who saw what his peers did not see.

The public lecture in honour of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu attracted the high and mighty in the State, including Governor Theodore Oriji of Abia State, two former Deputy governors of the State, legal luminaries, politicians, traditional rulers, clergy and captains of industry.