By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Former Inspector General of Police, Sir (Dr) Mike Okiro has said that the late Governor of old Anambra State and elderstatesman, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who recently passed on, will be greatly remembered for his strong advocacy to always put Nigeria first.
Sir Okiro recalled that late Ezeife, on several occasions, cried for the unity and understanding of all ethnic groups in Nigeria to love and live in peace and harmony being the benchmark for National Progress.
The erstwhile Police IG, who also doubes as Board Chairman of JusticeNOW International aka: NigeriaFIRST Foundation, said these during the 38th monthly Extra-Ordinary Zoom Session of the Diplomatic, Diaspora And National Strategic Stakeholders Forum in Abuja.
Okiro noted that he had never seen Chief Ezeife as an Igbo man, rather a Pathfinder for Pan Nigeria and United Africa.
According to him, “the late former Governor of Anambra State on several occasions cried for the unity and understanding of all ethnic groups in Nigeria to love and live in peace and harmony being the benchmark for National Progress.
“As a person I have never seen Chief Ezeife as an Igbo man rather a Pathfinder for Pan Nigeria and United Africa.
“Chief Ezeife will be greatly remembered for his strong advocacy to always put Nigeria First, hence our organisation’s motto: JusticeNOW, NigeriaFIRST!.
“He has stood his ground despite all odds to seek for democratic values and freedom in Nigeria.
“Most definitely we will surely miss a voice who has constantly been on National affairs.
“His passion for the advancement of youth engagement in the governance, politics and economic growth of Nigeria remains the cardinal thing we gathered and will continue to gather for.
“On several occasions, Chief Ezeife, through our monthly program, The Diplomatic Diaspora And National Strategic Stakeholders, has called for the need to put Nigeria First before personal, religious, regional and political interests.
“This is because only National Patriotism can move a nation like Nigeria forward”, he maintained.
Okiro therefore harped on the need for the nation’s youths to learn to see that only values and legacies are what a man will be remembered for because “the bitter truth many don’t want to hear is that we all will die one day and the mystery is that we don’t even know when and how. It is only God the giver of life that knows”.
In his keynote address during the meeting, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, former Minister for Education and one time Ambassador of Nigeria to Germany, called on the nation’s youths to ensure the revival of the country’s damaged educational systems.
Prof. Adeniran expressed sadness over the death of Ezeife, describing him as “a good nation builder”.
A former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Ogun State and erstwhile spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organization, Otunba Segun Showunmi equally expressed sadness at the death of the former Governor of old Anambra State at this crucial moment, saying that the nation has lost an asset.
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