Former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim, on Saturday said the late ex-Anambra governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, died when Nigeria needed him the most.
Ohakim said Nigeria’s problems made Ezeife an activist till death, adding that he worked for a greater Nigeria until his demise.
He said at 85 years, the late former governor lived a relatively long and fulfilled life.
A statement signed by Ohakim reads: “It is with immense sadness that I received the news of the death of elder statesman and iconic patriot, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
“Getting to the peak of his career in the nation’s civil service, Dr. Ezeife, along with a few others, strived to bequeath a public service that would be well equipped to face the challenges of the new millennium. It is quite regrettable that he is quitting the stage at a time the entire nation needs him most.
“Upon retiring from the service, he took to politics where, as a democratically elected civilian governor, he introduced reforms that drew great impetus from both his immense academic grounding and civil service exposure.
“Okwadike, as he was more popularly known, served as governor of Anambra state during the same period as my late boss, Chief Evan Enwerem, who was governor of my home state, Imo – just next to Ezeife’s Anambra.
“I can state without any fear of contradiction that their class of governors would have laid a solid foundation for the total transformation of our dear country had they been in office for a period even a little longer than was witnessed.
“More than three decades later, the challenges that confronted our country then still loom large; the result being that people like Dr. Ezeife, even at the twilight of life, was compelled to remain an activist till death, in pursuit of a better Nigeria.”
Ohakim said Nigerians owe Ezeife no greater honour than to uphold the ideals for which he lived.
