Effort by
President Muhammadu Buhari to give Owelle Chukwuma Azikiwe, first son of
Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe a befitting burial had run into
stormy waters as the trio of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, HRH
Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe (Owelle’s sibling)
had fixed an impromptu burial, apparently aimed at ensuring that Buhari’s
presence is frustrated.
The stance of the
trio had caused great tension within the Azikiwe family and Onitsha leaders
that some groups had vowed to boycott the burial slated for Saturday, 12th of
September, 2015, if efforts to get Buhari in physical attendance is
deliberately frustrated.
Speaking with Rev
Obinna Akukwe, Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) over the crisis,
the youngest brother of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Akunne Ara Azikiwe decried the
burial fixed for the 12th as “an attempt to bury the late Owelle like a fowl in
order to punish him in death for his friendship with Buhari.”
The Spiritual
Head of the Azikiwe family and oldest family member, Nwamulunamma Onuora
Azikiwe, who also is the Chief Mourner, has distanced himself from the burial
slated for Saturday.
Speaking to
leaders of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) on 10th September, 2015, he said that
the family will not attend any burial that deliberately intends to exclude
Buhari and the Federal Government from active participation.
The President of
Umuada Azikiwe (representing elderly women of the Azikiwe clan), Chief Mrs
Chiago Iwuobi (nee Azikiwe) had also distanced the Umuada from the impromptu
burial. Umuada Azikiwe on Tuesday last week led by Chief Mrs Iwuobi protested
at Governors Lodge, Awka with a strongly worded letter to the governor,
delivered to both the Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff,
distancing the family from the purported burial. Copies of the letter made
available to Igbo Mandate Congress requested the governor to allow Buhari to
lead in the preparations for the event.
Yesterday, the
women also protested at Onisi Onira residence of the great Zik over the
involvement of Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe in the shadow affair.
The Assistant National Publicity Secretary of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Chairman of Igbo-Ohanaeze Integrity Groups, Barrister
Emejulu Okpalaukwu described the plot as an attempt to ensure that president
Buhari does not have any foothold in the South East. Okpalaukwu told Rev Akukwe
that “agents of divisive tendencies whose antecedents have always put Ndigbo in
unnecessary battles with their neighbors are at work again to sabotage
President Buhari’s effort to give Azikiwe’s son a befitting burial.”
The Personal
Assistant to the late Owelle, Mr Chukwuma Njaka has also distanced himself from
the burial, describing it as activities of disgruntled politicians about to
dishonor his boss over his principled stance on national issues. He told Rev
Akukwe that President Buhari had wanted to turn Zik’s Masoleum into a national
institute and wondered why he is being frustrated.
Meanwhile, the
Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) Rev Obinna Akukwe had described
efforts to frustrate President Buhari from attending the burial of the late
Owelle as not helping Igbo Interests. Speaking to concerned friends of Owelle
yesterday, at Onitsha, Rev Akukwe said that, “Buhari is only interested in
honouring a friend ,confidant and nationalist who shares same ideals and
Spartan lifestyle with him, and I expect Igbo leaders to use the occasion to
present a wish list to the President, instead of unending criticism.
“The same people
who abandoned Owelle over the years, suddenly picked interest because a Fulani
born President wanted to honor an abandoned kinsman” He condemned the removal
of Owelle’s corpse from the morgue into a hidden location, by those afraid of
the dead, against the consent of his biological sons, the umuada’s and the
umunna’s and called for the physical auditing of the remains before any burial.
Igbo Mandate
Congress (IMC) had earlier in May exclusively reported that some elements
within the Onitsha ruling house have teamed up with some disgruntled
politicians in the South East to ensure that the late Zik’s son is buried like
a fowl. The grouse of these disgruntled politicians is that Owelle Chukwuma
Azikiwe preferred Buhari style of politics of integrity and honesty to the
incumbent bandwagon and urged Igbos to support him. Unfortunately, Owelle died
after Buhari’s Victory and they decided to use the occasion of his death to
punish him in the grave yard.
President Muhammadu
Buhari had earlier in July met with a delegation from the Azikiwe family where
he indicated interest to participate fully in the event.
Two days after
the State House meeting, President Buhari delegated Senator Chris Ngige to
visit Azikiwe family house and assess the level of works, preparations for the
burial. Subsequently, another meeting held on Monday, 6th July, with the
following in attendance: Senator Dr Chris Ngige (ex-Governor Anambra State),
Engr Chukwuma Njaka (PA to Owelle Azikiwe), Mr Ifeanyi Okwudili (Nephew to
Owelle Azikiwe), Rev Obinna Akukwe, (Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress
(IMC)), and Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu (Assistant National Publicity
Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Chairman Igbo-Ohanaeze Integrity Groups). The aim
of the meeting included assessment and strategizing on how to give a befitting
burial to illustrious Igbo son in accordance with Presidential directive.
During the
meeting and inspection, it was also discovered that historical documents which
the Great Zik of Africa handed over to his first son, Chukwuma Bamidele, was
removed without authorization from his house and burnt, while those that
weren’t engulfed by the inferno, were found littered all over the compound .
President Buhari
later in August sent Mr George Ossi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Lands, Housing and Urban Development, to supervise renovation works on the
dilapidated Onisi Onira Residence and the abandoned Zik’s Mausoleum. Efforts by
Mr George Ossi to have audience with Governor Obiano were rebuffed, and after
he left in frustration, the governor later granted audience to the Federal
Comptroller of Works, Anambra State, where he expressed displeasure at Buhari’s
interference with the burial, including on-going renovations.
.
Frustrated family
members had blamed the foot dragging of Senator Ngige as being responsible for
the embarrassment in the family. According to a leader who spoke on conditions
of anonymity, “ we had expected Ngige to have named a burial committee and
commenced preparations as instructed by Buhari, but why he foot dragged till
Ambassador Azikiwe and Obi of Onitsha, avowed enemies of late Owelle, reached
out to Governor Obiano, and countered the earlier arrangement.”
The two
biological sons of the late Owelle, Dr Chinwe Azikiwe and Dr Ikechukwu Azikiwe,
all based outside Nigeria, are already in the country, holding frantic
consultations to avoid impending embarrassments.
Effort by
President Muhammadu Buhari to give Owelle Chukwuma Azikiwe, first son of
Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe a befitting burial had run into
stormy waters as the trio of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, HRH
Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe (Owelle’s sibling)
had fixed an impromptu burial, apparently aimed at ensuring that Buhari’s
presence is frustrated.
The stance of the
trio had caused great tension within the Azikiwe family and Onitsha leaders
that some groups had vowed to boycott the burial slated for Saturday, 12th of
September, 2015, if efforts to get Buhari in physical attendance is
deliberately frustrated.
Speaking with Rev
Obinna Akukwe, Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) over the crisis,
the youngest brother of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Akunne Ara Azikiwe decried the
burial fixed for the 12th as “an attempt to bury the late Owelle like a fowl in
order to punish him in death for his friendship with Buhari.”
The Spiritual
Head of the Azikiwe family and oldest family member, Nwamulunamma Onuora
Azikiwe, who also is the Chief Mourner, has distanced himself from the burial
slated for Saturday.
Speaking to
leaders of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) today, he said that the family will not
attend any burial that deliberately intends to exclude Buhari and the Federal
Government from active participation.
The President of
Umuada Azikiwe (representing elderly women of the Azikiwe clan), Chief Mrs
Chiago Iwuobi (nee Azikiwe) had also distanced the Umuada from the impromptu
burial. Umuada Azikiwe on Tuesday last week led by Chief Mrs Iwuobi protested
at Governors Lodge, Awka with a strongly worded letter to the governor,
delivered to both the Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff,
distancing the family from the purported burial. Copies of the letter made
available to Igbo Mandate Congress requested the governor to allow Buhari to
lead in the preparations for the event.
Yesterday, the
women also protested at Onisi Onira residence of the great Zik over the
involvement of Ambassador Emeka Azikiwe in the shadow affair.
The Assistant
National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Chairman of Igbo-Ohanaeze
Integrity Groups, Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu described the plot as an attempt
to ensure that president Buhari does not have any foothold in the South East.
Okpalaukwu told Rev Akukwe that “agents of divisive tendencies whose
antecedents have always put Ndigbo in unnecessary battles with their neighbors
are at work again to sabotage President Buhari’s effort to give Azikiwe’s son a
befitting burial.”
The Personal
Assistant to the late Owelle, Mr Chukwuma Njaka has also distanced himself from
the burial, describing it as activities of disgruntled politicians about to
dishonor his boss over his principled stance on national issues. He told Rev
Akukwe that President Buhari had wanted to turn Zik’s Masoleum into a national
institute and wondered why he is being frustrated.
Meanwhile, the
Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) Rev Obinna Akukwe had described
efforts to frustrate President Buhari from attending the burial of the late
Owelle as not helping Igbo Interests. Speaking to concerned friends of Owelle
yesterday, at Onitsha, Rev Akukwe said that, “Buhari is only interested in
honouring a friend ,confidant and nationalist who shares same ideals and
Spartan lifestyle with him, and I expect Igbo leaders to use the occasion to
present a wish list to the President, instead of unending criticism.
“The same people
who abandoned Owelle over the years, suddenly picked interest because a Fulani
born President wanted to honor an abandoned kinsman” He condemned the removal
of Owelle’s corpse from the morgue into a hidden location, by those afraid of
the dead, against the consent of his biological sons, the umuada’s and the
umunna’s and called for the physical auditing of the remains before any burial.
Igbo Mandate
Congress (IMC) had earlier in May exclusively reported that some elements
within the Onitsha ruling house have teamed up with some disgruntled
politicians in the South East to ensure that the late Zik’s son is buried like
a fowl. The grouse of these disgruntled politicians is that Owelle Chukwuma
Azikiwe preferred Buhari style of politics of integrity and honesty to the
incumbent bandwagon and urged Igbos to support him. Unfortunately, Owelle died
after Buhari’s Victory and they decided to use the occasion of his death to
punish him in the grave yard.
President
Muhammadu Buhari had earlier in July met with a delegation from the Azikiwe
family where he indicated interest to participate fully in the event.
Two days after
the State House meeting, President Buhari delegated Senator Chris Ngige to
visit Azikiwe family house and assess the level of works, preparations for the
burial. Subsequently, another meeting held on Monday, 6th July, with the
following in attendance: Senator Dr Chris Ngige (ex-Governor Anambra State),
Engr Chukwuma Njaka (PA to Owelle Azikiwe), Mr Ifeanyi Okwudili (Nephew to
Owelle Azikiwe), Rev Obinna Akukwe, (Director General, Igbo Mandate Congress
(IMC)), and Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu (Assistant National Publicity Secretary,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Chairman Igbo-Ohanaeze Integrity Groups). The aim of the
meeting included assessment and strategizing on how to give a befitting burial
to illustrious Igbo son in accordance with Presidential directive.
During the
meeting and inspection, it was also discovered that historical documents which
the Great Zik of Africa handed over to his first son, Chukwuma Bamidele, was
removed without authorization from his house and burnt, while those that
weren’t engulfed by the inferno, were found littered all over the compound .
President Buhari
later in August sent Mr George Ossi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Lands, Housing and Urban Development, to supervise renovation works on the
dilapidated Onisi Onira Residence and the abandoned Zik’s Mausoleum. Efforts by
Mr George Ossi to have audience with Governor Obiano were rebuffed, and after
he left in frustration, the governor later granted audience to the Federal
Comptroller of Works, Anambra State, where he expressed displeasure at Buhari’s
interference with the burial, including on-going renovations.
.
Frustrated family
members had blamed the foot dragging of Senator Ngige as being responsible for
the embarrassment in the family. According to a leader who spoke on conditions
of anonymity, “ we had expected Ngige to have named a burial committee and
commenced preparations as instructed by Buhari, but why he foot dragged till
Ambassador Azikiwe and Obi of Onitsha, avowed enemies of late Owelle, reached
out to Governor Obiano, and countered the earlier arrangement.”
The two
biological sons of the late Owelle, Dr Chinwe Azikiwe and Dr Ikechukwu Azikiwe,
all based outside Nigeria, are already in the country, holding frantic
consultations to avoid impending embarrassments.
Written By Obinna
Akukwe
