By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The national planning committee for the funeral of the first Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amechi has called on the federal government as well as the governments of South Eastern States to immortalize the revered elder statesman.
The planning committee based its call for the immortalization of Chief Amechi on his contributions to the nationalist struggles and devotion to a just and peaceful Nigeria.
The committee made the call in a communique issued at the end of its meeting in Owerri, the Imo State capital and signed by its Chairman, Chief (Dr) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Chief Mbazulike Amechi, it will recalled, died on the 1st day of November 2022 at the age of 93 years.
The meeting resolved to involve the governments and people of the South East and beyond in the funeral activities and solicited their support and that of other stakeholders in giving the late elder statesman a befitting farewell.
The committee members also resolved to set up a State Organizing Committee to implement its decisions on the ground in Anambra State.
According to the communique, “The meeting called on the authorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria and governments of South Eastern States to immortalise the revered elder statesman for his contributions to the Nationalist struggles and devotion to a just and peaceful Nigeria.
“The meeting resolved to involve the governments and people of the South East and beyond in the Funeral activities and solicited their support and that of Other stakeholders in giving the late elder statesman a befitting farewell
“Meeting resolved to set up a State Organizing Committee to implement its decisions on the ground in Anambra State; the SOC reports to the NPC. SOC to be headed by Chief Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson)
“Meeting resolved to use technology to ease the process of collating tributes for the elder statesman.
“Meeting resolved to have an additional day of tribute in Abuja on February 7, 2023, because Chief Mbazulike Amechi was a national figure, the first Minister of Aviation in Nigeria and a former member of the House of Representatives who stood and fought also for a United Nigeria”, the communique said.
The remains of Chief Amechi have been scheduled to be interred on Thursday, 16th February 2023 after a Lying-in-State @ the Dara Mbazulike Amechi Family Compound.
The interment of Chief Amechi will however be preceded by days of tributes at the Shehu Yar’Adua Center, Abuja and
the International Convention Center (ICC), Awka, Anambra State and Vigil Mass at the Dara Mbazulike Amechi family compound, Amihe, Ukpor by 5pm
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