The body of Nigeria’s Second Republic Vice President, Alex Ekwueme will arrive Enugu today.
It will be brought in from Abuja where it was kept since its arrival from London where Ekwueme died in December.
Governors of the southeast, lawmakers, traditional rulers and other categories of people are expected to turn up at the Akanu Ibiam Airport to welcome the body.
Programmes line up include a service of songs tomorrow and a commendation service on Wednesday in Enugu.
The body will depart for his hometown, Oko, Anambra State on Thursday ahead of Friday’s interment.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, inspected the progress of work on road being fixed and other aspects ahead of the programme.
He said that the Federal Government had committed a handsome amount of money on the burial.
The expenditure is on fixing the Agulu-Nanka -Oko road , Nnobi, Nnewi roads among others.
There is also the building of the tomb, hospital bills, flight of the body, procurement of the casket, among other things.
While inspecting the progress of work yesterday in Oko and Agulu communities in Anambra State, Ngige, said: “Buhari has done some unusual things and he has tried to make Ekwueme’s burial the best and what he is doing today in Anambra State, he has never done to any former vice president.”
He said that the Federal Government would name a national monument after the late Ekwueme.
“We are getting ready for the burial of our iconic figure. In the next 48 hours, everything will be ready, the Federal Government has assisted the family and taken care of a lot of things.
“From what I have seen here today, I’m impressed with the level of preparation and we have to equally thank the state government for its involvement in the burial, the government in this state has done well also.”
Ngige said that a medical team led by Prof Igwegbe of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi had been put in place for the event.
The traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Laz Ekwueme, debunked speculations that people were being taxed, adding that there were committees and subcommittees for the burial of his late brother.
